the brief background of myself is
predominantly family upbringing agnostic
with Christian over times agnostic in
the sense that God was indirectly
referred to but really seen as being too
far or too distant or unknowable
unknowable to you on your life and
really the Christian overtones were
simply coming from school education with
uh scripture lessons or family
gatherings at weddings or funerals in
churches this is when I started to work
at a school at
greystones it was a an intensive English
Center for students uh first coming into
the country
refugees and it was their exposure to
Australia and the Australian education
system and I found these Muslim Students
be very different from the limited
exposure at that point in time that I'd
had to other students teaching them
there was they were polite they well
mannered eager to learn they didn't see
school as an imposition they were Keen
the older boys particularly uh the older
aani boys they seem to take a bit of an
interest in me and um were ask me lots
of questions about you know what did I
believe you know was I Christian a
non-believer this that what questioning
me and so I just thought out of
curiosity I thought okay I I'll see what
this Islam is just just for my own
knowledge nothing nothing more than this
so I borrowed a copy of the Quran from
one of the the
brothers and I was surprised with what I
read I suppose I didn't really have any
ideas in my mind because I'd never
really investigated Islam before but the
thing that I remember sticking out to me
was the names of the prophets these were
something familiar very familiar to me
and um what I found out to be later at
the core tenant about one God only this
is who you turn to this is who you asked
this is who provides this was very
rational very sensible very accessible
for me and so I thought well I don't
know maybe I'd taken a bit of a bait or
something like this I I wanted to find
out more still just just curious but my
curiosity was growing so I I contacted
this I got a number of this Afghani man
who was told to be knowledgeable and ask
him his English is good have a talk with
him so I I made an appointment with him
to talk to him at the the big must at
Auburn there and I met him with met him
there one evening and I can still
remember the feeling when I was waiting
outside just getting ready to go
in I don't know I wasn't nervous uh I
was wasn't anxious I don't know it was I
was just like feeling a compulsion to to
do this and he sat with me a long time
that that afternoon and evening uh ask
answering my questions explaining
Concepts in Islam to me many many
different things and um I'm very
grateful to this brother for all this uh
information and assistance he gave me CU
I was able to meet with him a number of
times after that and he explained it to
me that in order to be a Muslim it's
quite simple just to say that sh
[Music]
and he said to me that this is the
beginning it's the start it's not the
end there is more but it's as simple as
this so I decided I said to him yes I'm
ready for this something something
clicked it was simple it was straight
forward for
[Music]
me and I can still remember this
afternoon the afternoon when I met him
at his house and we'll going off to this
um Saturday evening class that he had at
the Blacktown mjid with some aghani
Brothers there and um you he just sat me
down and said you know you sure this is
what you want to do you're you
understand everything here so that I was
he wanted to make sure that I was under
no Mis apprehensions whatsoever I said
to him yeah yeah I'm
sure and a funny thing happened on the
way he was going to pick up another
Elder of the
community and I had hardly time to walk
through the door of this Elder's house
when I was rained with these sweets and
chocolates and he's kissing me and
grabbing me and hugging me and I had no
idea knew who this old man
was and it sort of scared me initially
and I really didn't have the nerve to
ask probably until about two or 3 years
later what was this you know what was it
that hit me these lollies and the hugs
and the kisses and whatnot and I got
told no no don't worry this is just
something from afan culture they're very
very happy and pleased that you've done
something big and great but at the time
I couldn't understand what he was saying
I it was a big
shock and when we got to the Masjid once
again it was all very simple very
straightforward recite the shahada
publicly in front of Muslims this is it
you're a
Muslim I haven't had much opportunity to
meet many other RTS but I think one of
the more interesting ones I think I have
met was this uh Vietnamese brother one
evening at the Masjid he was just
sitting there very quiet very unassuming
started to talk with him and he told me
that he was previously a professional
kickboxer I thought well okay this is
I'll just be very very nice to you and
talk very politely
and he he seemed so quiet and I I
wouldn't have ever guess this from him
and we sort of the same thing you know
how did you come to Islam how did you
come to Islam this that and he was
telling me that before when he wasn't a
Muslim he was um his big major
professional bout he was in and he after
the bout he finished and he lost and it
was this um Afghani brother hit for
another professional kickboxer and he
was commenting to him you know how his
skill was and his endurance in the fight
and this that and the brother said to
him simply it's not me it's just
something from Allah and this really
apparently just shocked him cuz I think
the impression he had before as most
other Fighters really said you know it's
all me it's all my skill it's all this
and apparently that's what led him to
investigate
further but in
conclusion to any any of the guests if
we have any or if you can advise your
non-muslim
friends that if they're really
interested in Islam don't judge Islam by
the Muslims look and investigate Islam
keep your mind and your heart open keep
it sincere read about Islam from
reputable sources not just from
anywhere and don't delay if the
inclination is there and you feel it go
because Allah might never give this
opportunity to you again there's no
guarantee and also when they Embrace
Islam be there for them or direct them
on to people who can give them a a
community that they can link on to and
be comfortable with who they can ask
questions to socialize with do all these
sort of things so they feel comfortable
because they're developing a new Islamic
identity and their is slowly growing