Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

THE SWISS SISTER

« ARIANE BAETWEYLER KHALIL»

Islam Has Changed My Life Both Socially And Personally. I Felt Happy That I Am On the Right Path

She came to Lebanon, not merely to visit her husband’s family, but to take on intensive Islamic course. All who have seen her were impressed by her love of knowledge and her insistence on getting convincing and in-depth answers to all her questions. They were all also impressed by her profound sense of responsibility towards Islam and the duty of calling for it in her environment.

Sister Ariane visited our offices, and we had this interview with her.

Q: Allah has blessed you with Islam, could you tell us about your life before Islam?

A: I am a twenty-year-old Swiss whose name is Ariane Baetwyler Khalil. I finished my secondary education in 1992. Afterwards, I used to work in a bookshop. Before that I spent for around one month studying law, but I soon found out that it was not what I wanted to learn. I was working at the bookshop to get some money. I liked the work there because I met many different persons.

One can consider my early teenage life as normal. I was going to school like all the others, supported by my parents, and enjoying my free time. But I felt I was different from others because I preferred to have long discussions with elders than to go to parties or to dance, or I liked to stay at home for hours painting or writing poems. I have never had many friends but rather a very good few. Though I am a social person, but if I do not really trust people around me, I do not try to get in touch with them. I have never liked to go out with others who, on the one hand, pretended to be my friends, and on the other hand, did not care whether I joined them or not.

Q: ·Were you a religious person? What was your idea about religion?

It must have been at the age of 15 that God had become secondary to me. The primary importance of my life was this world and the tasks I had to fulfill in it. I was looking for an ideology which had to be based on rationality and humanity but not on any religion. I was not convinced about my own religion becausefirst , I knew, there were other religions which we also considered to be right;second , religion for me meant in most of the cases to believe in something without having a proof for it or even to believe in something that is hard to prove scientifically;third , because everything we were taught in school was in the name of science not in the name of God, we were taught at school religion too, but rather as a scientific subject and not as a spiritual. The gap between God and me grew from day to day, though, I never denied His existence. I just was not sure about anything surpassing my logic as do metaphysics and philosophy. I liked to speak about these things but without being convinced about anything in particular. Many theories seemed to be possible to me, as long as they were denied from humanity. I even did not want to be convinced about a certain theory in order not to become narrow minded. The most important thing to me was to be good to others and to help as much as I could never mind who was in need of my help or what kind of help he or she afforded. That made part of my educational heritage which was mostly Christian ideology mixed with Western freedom.

Q: Do you still have a negative attitude towards religion?

Religion for me was something to be inherited, that meant to me that most of the people had a certain religion just because they were born in a country where this religion existed or because of their fore fathers and not because of conviction one could get through studying it. My own belief faded away, thinking that being a Christian was accidental and not determined by God for my parents were Christians, too, and I was living in a Christian country. Accepting the idea that the five biggest religions of the world, as there are Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, were all right, I neglected the dangerous aspects of such a view. Instead of enriching my knowledge and widening my horizon it puzzled and confused me, leading me to resignation and complete loss of faith.

Q: What saved and rescued you from this state of confusion?

A: This dizziness increased when I met my future husband in Switzerland. He was a convinced Muslim, though not practicing the rites of Islam properly. He explained and defended his point of view whenever he could but in a way I could not benefit from. It was not so much his fault but a matter of linguistic misunderstanding and intolerance on my part which I could not manage to suppress although I tried very hard. Seeing him being very sure of what he was thinking and saying and what he was believing in, I despaired. I thought he was narrow minded, intolerant, and also on the border of being fanatic. But I loved him for so many other reasons that I wanted to stay with him. We decided to put an end to our controversies which lasted sometimes for hours without coming to a clear conclusion. We had spent our time together for half a year when he went to Kuwait for almost two years. We met each other twice in Cyprus. The second time we got married. I was nineteen and still Christian. Back in Switzerland, he began to take care of his religious duties. I was shocked, first, feeling cheated because we had agreed on neglecting the religious gap between us. Then, when I saw him praying for the first time, something strange happened with me. I could not bear it, and I began to feel very sad and desperate. Nothing could soothe me.

Q: What happened then?

A: Two inner forces seemed to fight against each other; my heart felt like as if it was torn into pieces. I even reached a point where I wanted to die in order to get rid of my confusion and pain. This struggle lasted for some days. It was a horrible time for me. My body reflected my mental situation. I was very nervous, not knowing whether I had to laugh about this life, which sometimes seemed to be ridiculous, or to cry about it because I could not get its true meaning. Then, one night, God, The Almighty, took this burden from me and put the seed of Islam into my heart. Through His Mercy He showed me the way towards Himself. I was at home with my husband when I suddenly said that I wanted to embrace Islam. I said:« I do not want to go out of this house anymore without wearing the veil » . He was very surprised about my intention. He could not understand why I suddenly wanted to change. Neither did I, but I was very sure about it. It was the first time for me that I take such a very important decision without having thought about its consequence. Maybe this feeling I had was the only way to lead me towards Islam, because my mind was closed and not ready to analyze any information in an objective way. My husband had doubts about the sincerity of my wish and said that if I wanted to change just because of him he would not accept it. I assured him that it was because of my own sake that I liked to become a Muslim and that I was convinced about it. He answered that if I was really sure about what I was going to do he could not prevent me from doing it. Moreover, it was his duty to help me to take this first step towards Islam which meant that he had to teach me the Tashahud. He wrote it down both in Arabic and Phonetics. I could already read Arabic at that time. After having said the Tashahud I felt very happy and satisfied though I did not exactly know what my future would be like.

Q: Would you tell us about the impact of embracing Islam on your milieu and the problems you faced?

A: First of all, my friends knew that I had changed. They accepted it after having spoken with me about the reasons pushing me to do that. They still come to see me. I am happy to have some good friends who really like me for what I am and not for what the people think I am. Then my brother got to know about it (he is two years younger). He did not mind and joked about my fear to tell my parents. Because I was already living in a separate house with my husband, they knew about my converting on the phone. My father said:« I knew from the beginning that you would do it - you would change » . It was not happy news to him because he was a pessimist. He began to imagine tragedies like that if in case of a divorce my husband would take the children from me, and so on. But both of them accepted my decision and up to now they are still ready to help me.

The problem was my grandparents. It bothered my grandmother very much when she came to Switzerland (They are Italian).

Q: What are the tangible positive changes in your life since you adopted Islam?

A: Islam changed my life both on the personal level and the social relations. On the personal level, I have become more careful about what I do and more conscious about it, because I started to care about the life in the Hereafter. I felt kind of happy because I was on the right way. After I adopted Islam, I started to read about it and what had been irrational to me at the beginning turned out to be very rational and convincing.

Also reading The Quran, which I had done before without understanding anything, has became very instructive.

On the social level, I cannot say that the social life I have with Muslims is better because most Muslims do not practice Islam the way they should. If I should have converted because of them then I would have been still Christian.

Q: What can you tell us about methods to call non-Muslims to Islam based on your own experience?

A: I would never go to people and tell them right away that Islam is the Religion leading to the truth and that it is the only perfect religion because they would misunderstand it. They would think we are crazy to say such a thing because where we have the proofs from. We cannot tell someone who does not believe in The Quran, and may be not even in his own religion, that there are verses (passages) treating this subject very clearly. They would also think that we try to put ourselves above others.

I also believe that especially in the case of foreign Muslims (Arab or Iranian callers), people feel offended. They would compare their mission with the missions of Christian missionaries who used to do a lot of wrong abroad, forcing people to convert in the name of religion. They would be afraid of them, thinking that they may have the same intention and way of executing their will.

Further, Islam has to be introduced to people. Many do not know what Islam means and what it asks the human race to live and struggle for. The ideology of Islam is unknown. To fill this empty space, we have to begin to show up in public institutions and strengthen our call. We should inform our environment continuously about our religion, our activities, our goals, and our rights. We should have big organizations that coordinate all the activities.

In every country, there should be at least one administration and also one sheikh. This is very important because people who are eager to learn often do not get a chance to do so, because there is no religious authority (not in the sense of power but of knowledge).

We have to tell the Europeans to separate between Islam and the practices some Muslim link to Islam because this makes the view blurred to others. Muslims should know more about Islam so that they could give a good idea about it.

The best way to reach people nowadays is the scientific way, because most of them trust all sciences.

Q: What is the role you are personally assuming or the role you intend to assume in serving the Islamic Call?

A: Before I serve, I have to know enough about Islam, and that is why I came to Lebanon. There are many Swiss people who converted to Islam and still do not know anything about it.

So, I am planning to organize courses and give lectures to others so that they know more and more about Islam.

I think that my place in the near future is going to be in Switzerland because I know this country and its population and my rights and limits. Most of all I could serve the Islamic Call there. I am preparing an enquiry on students graduating from high school (secondary education). I want to get a clear picture of what well-educated Swiss youth know about Islam.

Q: What are the potentials and prospects of the Islamic Call in your country?

A: The problem is that we have some Islamic institutions like that of« Ahl Ul-Bayt (A.S.) » that care more about men than women. Moreover, there is no special Islamic program. The Islamic call is still weak and needs more callers and real efforts.

Also people prefer to acquire Islam from a neutral source and not from political parties.

Q: How do you view the Muslim’s current state of affairs and that of women in particular?

A: In general, tradition and customs spoil Islam: There are things done in the name of Islam that are non-Islamic. Women do not know much about their rights or duties.

Women should put more effort in acquiring Islam and should take more initiatives in the current life. Men must give women the chance to serve the Islamic call if they want.

Q: Do you wish to address the Muslims from the forum of Noor Al-Islam?

A: It is a very good magazine but I wonder why there are more Arabic pages than English. I suggest that they specify a special corner for translating some verses from the Holy Book (Quran).

At last, I would like to ask Muslims to have the patience that Imam Hussein (A.S.) had to reach his goal.

Moreover, they should be open minded, logical, and rational; i.e. I advise Muslims to try to cooperate with non-Muslims and try to find the common points between all the religions. I think they should benefit from anyone who can offer them good things even if it was from an atheist, but first they have to be surer of their own religion.

THE ITALIAN MUSLIM BROTHER (AMMAR):

ISLAM ARISES IN OUR COUNTRY AND IN EUROPE

This interview with the editor of« Il Puro » , the Italian Islamic Magazine, was published by« The Line » , The London based Islamic magazine. We republish it here with some minor changes, due to its importance and to enable a wider section of Muslim readers to learn about the Muslims in Italy.

Please introduce yourself, and when did you embrace Islam?

My name is Ammar. I am an Italian Muslim of 54 years of age who embraced Islam ten years ago.

Q: Why did you convert to Islam?

A: Before I became Muslim, I was active in Italian politics; to be more precise I was a militant of the Italian extra parliamentarian right wing. My interest in Islam started with the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

When I came to know of this Islamic Revolution, I liked the message which was coming out. It was against Communism and Capitalism, and therefore, it had the same objectives that I had or at least this was my impression.

Mine was primarily curiosity based on the political message coming from the Islamic Revolution but nothing more.

I have to open a bracket here and explain that before I became a Muslim during the time of political activism, I was a Traditionalist: I belonged to that current of thought that sees in the West a decadent phase in the history of humanity. Some of the major writers of these international currents of thought were Rene Guenon (a Communist who converted to Islam), Burcard, Evola, Valsan... All of them believed that Western society is a rotten one, that Western man is decadent because he has lost his spirituality and has moved away from God, and that man needs to find God again. I believed likewise, but these thoughts for me were only intellectual digressions. My life was like that of any other Western, a life empty of real spirituality. I was condemning this society, but I myself was an active son of it, until I met Islam which provides you with a clear and distinctive set of rules and regulations to guide a person towards spirituality and, ultimately, God. Through Islamic teachings, I have understood many things, among which is that Islam, besides being a guide for our spiritual life, is also a doctrine for liberation for all humanity.

Q: Could you describe the present situation in Italy, and how many converts are there?

A: The situation of Islam in Italy is undoubtedly a growing one. There are people entering Islam continuously, however, it is difficult to say how many converts there are. We must make a distinction between those who convert to practice Islam and those who proclaim their faith only for interior motives.

I would say that to my knowledge the practicing Muslim converts in Italy are about 500 out of a total of 2000 Italian converts. I would like to say that Islamic propagation in Italy is nonexistent.

I, together with a small group of brothers and sisters, have two and a half years ago formed a news agency, and we have seen that, with the help of Allah, the interest in Islam is growing. We receive many letters, and recently we have had some conversions especially among the young. For example, a few months ago an Italian Nazi-skinhead after various correspondences embraced Islam. Obviously after his conversion he has totally changed. We have also many women who have converted. The majority of them come from a university background, either current students or with a university degree.

Q: What are the problems for Italian Muslims?

A: Concerning the problems of Muslims in Italy, I can say that there are many. For example, we have no cemetery where a Muslim can be buried according to the rules of Islam. There has been no formal understanding between the Muslims and the Italian authority. The Italian government has had some agreement with other religious minorities like the Christian, Protestants, and Jews whereas with the Islamic community there has been no formal recognition. This obviously is a problem in legal terms because it denies us legitimacy.

Then there is the problem within the community itself which reflects the situation of the Islamic communities across Europe and the entire Muslim world. We have practically two types of Islam, an Islam that the Western mass-media has defined fundamentalist the Islam of those who want to practice their religion, who wish to live according to it, who work for it, and whose ladies are proud of their Islamichijab . Then there is the« Exotic Islam » liked by certain Western commentators because it is a passive Islam which is born in the mosque and dies in the mosque. This is the type of Islam towards which the West has shown its courtesy and given freedom.

Our Islam is a live Islam, the Islam of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) and of his rightful successors who have shown us, with their examples and their life, that Islam besides praying is also a struggle.

Q: We have heard of some problems the foreigners are facing. Are the Muslims targeted as well?

A: There is a problem of general discontent towards immigrants, primarily because, like in other countries of Europe, Italy is facing an economic crisis. Therefore, foreigners are seen by many nationals as those who take jobs from Italian nationals in an already depressed job market. There is no specific hate for Muslims, in fact. As far as I know, those who have become the target of the nationalist movement are non-Muslim or non-practicing Muslims who often are involved in clashes with locals. These are elements who do not practice Islam and who have found their way into the Italian crime society. They drink and go to places where alcohol is served. They do drugs and go to places where drugs are distributed. It is towards these that the local anger has turned. I do not see this as a problem for the Muslims nor do I see at the moment a problem coming from the right-wing extremists. The world of the right-wing in Italy and Europe is very diverse. We have to make a distinction. There are, for example, groups of traditionalists that are great admirers of what Islam has achieved in Iran and other Islamic countries. They say that Europe is in decadence and that the salvation of Europe can come from Islam, and they have declared this fact on many occasions in their publication, and some of the Italian converts come from this background. Naturally, like me, when they enter Islam they leave their previous political activity.

We have to clearly identify where the real threat comes from. For example, I see a major threat from the left. They show themselves to be very sympathetic towards immigrants and willing to help them; however, their help is not unconditional. They want to integrate them within their own culture. They are willing to help as long as they give up their culture, their religion, and their way of being. The reality is that many circles in the West are a danger for Muslims and Islam, whether being those who physically attack them or those who blandish them with nice words.

Q: Do you have freedom of worship in Italy, and do you have Muslim schools, organizations, mosques… etc? Canhijab be worn at schools and universities?

A: I must say that at present for what concerns freedom of worship we have no problem. We can organize religious processions and congregational prayers in the open with minimum notice to the police, especially if the organizers are Italian citizens. In fact, in the city of Naples, we have been celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr for the last two years in a public park. We have held Quds Day demonstrations. Personally, as an Italian, I advise the police that we intend to march on such and such a date in such a place with no further bureaucratic complications.

Concerning wearing ofhijab , there is no restriction in schools or universities. As a matter of fact, you can wearhijab also on the passport photograph.

Concerning the number of organizations, schools, and mosques, we can say that these are non-existent. There is one mosque in Rome and one in Milan; however, there are many private places where Friday prayers are held and where Muslims meet. There are no schools for Muslim children.

In the last few years with the growing number of Muslims, some organizations have been formed based on nationality. However, very recently, an organization has been formed that includes representatives of each community with the purpose of formulating demands to put to the Italian government with one voice.

Q: Does the situation in Bosnia make you afraid for the future of Islam in Europe?

A: Personally, I believe that the Bosnian situation could be the forerunner of a more serious situation across Europe, due to the historical animosity that has existed between the West and Islam.

Despite what the Western propaganda says, history has proved that the growth of Islam is not due to its« sword » but rather to its message. That is why today, in spite of everything, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world - a growth which threatens the hegemony of certain powers which, in order to defend themselves and their interests, have created an elaborate network which spreads lies and a distortion of the Islamic message in order to create animosity between the people of the West and Islam. This role was once held by bigot Christian church leaders. Now that Christianity is no more than a private belief, the new forerunners of this fight are the leaders of the secular superpowers and multinational directors who want the world to be nothing more than a big market where they can sell their goods and products. Of course if such a situation of hatred is established, it would be even worse for the converts because people hate more their own nationals who change religion since it is illogical for them that an Italian or a European changes; whereas, it is logical for them that an Arab, Indian, or Pakistani is Muslim. Therefore, I fear that in a future, which may be not so close, we could see an open anti-Islamic man infestation developing in Europe.

Q: What message do you have for the converts?

A: First of all I would like to give them my congratulations for the choice they have made since what they have chosen can give them happiness, stability, and equilibrium. What I say to them is that the most important thing is to grow spiritually within Islam. Having taken the first step and declaring« La Ilaha Illallah, Muhammadan Rasoolullah » , we must then deepen our knowledge of Islam to progress; otherwise, we lose a good opportunity. We become like a person who is invited to have lunch at a beautifully prepared table with the most delicious food, and yet he only eats the breadcrumbs that have fallen under the table. In front of us God has laid this magnificent table. It is up to us to nourish ourselves with its foods. Spiritual growth must go hand in hand with any development because Islam is not only a religion but a total liberation.

Thank you for your time in giving this interview. We hope that,Inshallah , the Muslims in your own country will be successful in spreading the message of Islam, as Allah pleases and wishes.

THE GERMAN MUSLIM BROTHER

CHRISTOF MARCINCOFISKI

I was attracted to Islam by its conformity with the human instinct and it providing the adequate solutions for the problems of mankind.

During my stay in Western Germany, I met many Muslims of German origin whom Allah (S.W.T.) guided to His right religion. Those who are beginning to enter in God’s religion as groups of both men and women of all classes and cultural levels have reached tens or even hundreds of thousands in number. The influence of Islam on German intellectuals is not new; it goes back to the last century and even before that. The great German poet« Goethe » has praised Islam and its Prophet in his wonderful poems. And today, the enthusiastic activities of the German Muslim community in the field of the call have enabled more and more Germans to be introduced to Islam and find what they were looking for in it; Islam will save these people and enable them to denounce the disgusting materialistic civilization. What is more impressive is that these people, having been guided to Islam, will want to guide members of their family and society to the right path. There is no doubt that these millions of Westerners who choose Islam as their religion, in spite of all the glamour of the Western way of life, are evidence against all those Muslims who are running after their materialistic desire.

Out of these German brothers I came to know, I would like to present to the readers ofNoor Al-Islam the German brother Christof Marcincoliski, whom I had this interview with about how he became a Muslim, and how he found Islam, as well as what he believes the duties of those who work for the cause of Islam are.

I asked brother Christof who did not change his original name:

Q: How did you become a Muslim and why?

A: I find Islam, firstly, to be against idolism with all its forms that appears, one way or another, in all the other religions, and which insults the mind. It is the religion of a pure unitary doctrine that gives the clearest idea of our great Creator... It also draws in a wonderful and rational way the ideal relation between man and his Creator what gives life its precious value, makes man feel reassured about his fate, and motivates him to assume a line of positive work that enables him to build life in the right way.

I also found that its book, The Glorious Quran, is not a book that is far away from life and its development. It is not a book to be read in mosques and then put away on the shelves. It is a book that draws a comprehensive system for the life of the individual and the society which is both realistic and able to respond to the needs of man in his life in a balanced and fair way for it does not let either of the needs of the body or the soul to overcome one another. In fact, this is a very vital organization for mankind which we do not find in the other religions.

Moreover, I used to live with a group of friends whom I found to be totally lost; although they believed that a balanced and just system that gives a reason and an objective for their life should exist. But since they did not believe in God and did not allow such a system to organize their life, they were totally plunged in their personal life and have completely ignored the public life... This unacceptable reality was refused by my mind and my feelings, and it was only natural for me to seek deliverance in Islam, the religion of the right path. I made a great effort to understand its principles and teachings. I found in it what I was looking for, and I consider myself to be born again. Moreover, I do not feel sorry for the pleasures my new Islamic belief has made unlawful. Anyway, I am convinced that all what Islam bans is but evil and bad, and all that Islam allows would raise my worth in this life and in the Hereafter.

Q: Do you have, as a Muslim, problems in the society?

A: Yes, I do, because the Westerners are against religion in general, and because they want to be with their god at the same level, which is impossible. Man is but a creation and he cannot understand the essence of God. And because they are against religion, the imperial Western powers tried to create some problems for the Muslims and to limit their freedom in many areas, despite the fact that they claim to be democratic and defend man’s rights and freedom. As for the people, they claim to be tolerant. But this is not true, as every Muslim feels and suffers of, especially with the emergence of the new Nazi movements. On the other hand, the status of Muslims in Germany may be better than in other European countries.

Q: What do you think of the present conditions of Islam and Muslims?

A: In fact, man should feel very sorry for the differences that divide groups that aim to fragment Muslims instead of uniting them, although they have the greatest message, the most glorious heritage, and vast wealth that ought to give them a unique position in this world. But I am very interested and concerned in the new Islamic upheaval that has a better understanding of Islam and seeks to establish it on this earth and especially in some of the Islamic countries. However, I am afraid of the inherent weakness that is a result of fragmentation, isolationism and hastiness. I hope that those in charge will try to correct any defects. I also like to mention here in particular, the problem of secular fragmentation and the false accusations made by some people without any consideration of the higher Islamic interest.

We hope, as Muslims living in the West, that the Islamic march in the West will be consolidated and gain more and more followers, for there is good readiness to adopt it especially among intellectuals. But we need to improve our call methods by means of action before words and information though there is great need to improve this side too.

But before anything else we need to be committed, tolerant, and patient because we have a big goal that needs a lot of sacrifices.

Finally, I want to tell the German and other European Muslims - although there is no difference in Islam between one race and another - that they have to reflect the greatness and the beauty of Islam, because we are in a sensitive and critical position, and we cannot serve our Islam if we make any mistakes or misunderstandings.