Allah's Recruits

(3 of 3)

But being newcomers to the faith doesn't spare converts from the suspicions and pressures faced by Muslims in the West today. Ali Khan, the national director of the American Muslim Council in Chicago, says he once had to convince a recent convert's wife, who wasn't Muslim, that her husband wouldn't suddenly become a terrorist. "A lot of their families freak out at first," Khan says. He says another convert had to reassure his brother, who asked, "You're not going to kill me in my sleep, are you?" And yet there's little evidence that negative perceptions of Islam--fewer than 20% of Americans say they have a positive image of the religion, according to one poll--have had any effect on the rate of conversion. Instead, since 9/11, some mosques have seen a jump in the number of people converting to Islam. "Awareness of Islam is much greater now, whether positive or negative, than it was prior to September 11," says Khan. "People are becoming curious. Sometimes it starts when they just walk into a bookshop and start reading a Koran after hearing George Bush talking about it."

Ultimately, the path that most converts choose will be determined by the outcome of the larger struggle within Islam, between the forces of moderation and extremism. Abdula, 22, a tall, bearded Londoner of Ghanaian descent, was a devout Christian until a university friend introduced him to Islam. "I started researching more about it to try and find its faults," he says. "But I couldn't, and I was captured." Abdula (who won't give his last name) officially converted eight months ago. He supports equality for women and condemns terrorism, but he acknowledges that his perspective on the world is still taking shape. "These are my views, and you must understand they might not be correct because I'm always in need of guidance." The challenge for the West is to makes sure men like Abdula get the right kind.