I was teaching Japanese to a girl who lives in Oman on FaceBook. Instead, I learned Arabic from her, and so many things about Islam. 

One day, I was practicing my pronunciation with her cousin. I imitated her pronunciation. And she said “Ash hadu an la ilaha ill Allah wa ash hadu anna Muhammadar Rasul Allah.” 

So I said the same.

And she said to me, “Congratulations! You’re muslim now!”

It was an ‘accidental conversion’, but I thought, muslims are really kind, and Islam is peaceful and beautiful. Previously I thought that all Muslims are terrorists, but after meeting my Omani friend, I had no hesitation about converting. My ‘accidental’ conversion happened in October 2014, but I officially converted in June 2015. Alhamdulilla.

There was a time I hid from my parents about being muslim. I did my prayers in my toilet, it’s a small space but I have no other choice because I have no other place I can pray without them seeing. And it was also hard for me to go to the Mosque. Because I always had to tell my father wherever I go. It meant I have to tell some lies whenever I go to the Mosque.

When it was Ramadan, if I was at home, my parents would say “just eat!” So I’m often outside. And whenever I arrive at my home, they ask me have you eaten yet?

You know, I had to tell some other lies. Can you bear that? I want to ask you all. Can you bear telling so many lies to your parents?

I want to be a good Muslim forever, because Allah made me.

And I want to be a good person, because I am also child of my mother and my father.

Unless the holy Quran said killing one’s self is sin, I wanted to die. Though I wouldn’t.

Now, I’ve told my parents that I’m muslim, but they laugh at Islam in front of me. “Do you believe Allah? Do you think there is heaven? HAHAHAHAHAHA you’re so funny!!!” My dad said to me, “you are poisoned.” What is this meaning?! Not me!! My father, YOU ARE POISONED by Japanese TV programs!!!

How did you get that all of Muslims are terrorists?? Can you get it from the television screen?? Even you haven’t been any Islamic countries!!!

But at least my mother did say to me once during breakfast, “You will never be able to eat pork, right?”At least she noticed 🙂

Alhamdulilla.