Increasing number converting to Islam

RazaF

Increasing number converting to Islam
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081105/NATIONAL/254483974/1010

Anna Seaman
Last Updated: November 05. 2008 10:18PM UAE / GMT

ABU DHABI // More and more people are converting to Islam, according to figures released by a government-accredited centre in Abu Dhabi.

Since the launch of the New Muslim Center four years ago some 630 people have converted and the rate of conversions is rising all the time.

The centre, which opened in June 2004 under the patronage of the late Ali bin Ghanem bin Hamoodah, said 70 per cent of the converts were women and more than half the total came from the Philippines.

It said it received 15 converts in the first six months but now received the same number every two weeks.

Mohammed Nasser, the daawa, or preacher, who manages administration of the centre said he now saw more than one person every day.

“We get on average 10 people a week choosing to embrace Islam,” he said. “This number is increasing all the time.”

He said these numbers only represented “a fraction of the truth”.

“Embracing Islam is not something that has to be recognised by the government. It is an agreement between one person and God and can be done anywhere by anyone,” Mr Nasser said.

“Theoretically all new Muslims should come here for support and to learn how to read the Quran, but of course many people are supported by their own communities and can be Muslim for many years before declaring it to the government. Therefore I’m sure the number of new Muslims is much higher than the actual figure.”

Converting to Islam is a simple process. Converts must declare belief in one God – Allah – and that Mohammed was the last Prophet. To make the decision official the statement must be made in Arabic in front of witnesses. To receive a certificate the process must be repeated at a Shariah court.

A report by the World Christian Database last year estimated Islam was growing at 1.84 per cent annually compared to a global population growth rate of 1.12 per cent per year.

Mr Nasser said he was not surprised that most of the converts at the centre came from the Philippines. “It is not really a surprise that it has spread within one community as the way of Islam spreads through word of mouth.”

The centre’s figures showed that other converts came from all over the world – seven per cent from African countries, five per cent from India, five per cent from China and a handful from the Americas and Europe.

Mr Nasser said his work involved no formal recruitment process. He simply relied on word of mouth and the strength of his religion.

“When we opened the centre we didn’t have any adverts to notify people. It was initially set up as a place to distribute books to those who were interested in Islam. It was my job to invite people to listen, so I would talk to people on the street or in the market. Soon I had regular visitors and they began to speak to their friends and the message began spreading.”

The figures will be used by the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment to monitor the increase in converts across the emirate.
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Psycho Bunny · Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 1:05 am Post subject:

This is not "Breaking News". It is cheap, unsubstantiated propaganda.
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Mersk · Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 5764

Folks who meander into such Islamic centers don't ask tough questions and it is not surprising that such centers are the brainchild of MAMS to brainwash non-Muslims into ignorance and into Islam. They should just have 'Get in Can't Get Out' sign at the doorstep!!
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MAM = Muslims acting as Muslim Affairs Ministers for Modk. HAM = Last Profit of Islam.

truth seeker · Joined: 26 Dec 2005 Posts: 1386 Location: NYC, USA

RazaF,

This may have some merit if there are Christian organizations in the UAE operating as freely and as openly as the Muslims ones. Otherwise it's natural to have a flow of converts to Islam.
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Moe Akbar!

Armand777 · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 384 Location: Karnak

RazaF · Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:25 am Post subject:

Armand777 · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 384 Location: Karnak

How about standing forth and demonstrating that the Qur'an is a "divinely inspired" text and that Islam is the "only true" religion, Raza. We'll be waiting anxiously.....

Armand
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"In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own." ~ Thomas Jefferson, to Horatio G. Spafford, March 17,1814

Avicenna · Joined: 10 Nov 2007 Posts: 160

Someone answer me this question: Why are fundamentalist Muslims so obsessed with the numbers game? What does it matter that so and so many people convert to a religion? Would it matter if 99.9% of the world was Muslim? Does this make Islam any more true? Any more peaceful?

Why don't we hear Christians shouting from the rooftops that their religion is the most popular in the world?

If Islam was truly God's religion, shouldn't everyone on Earth be Muslim by now? Or is it the fault of the evil Shaitan who God can destroy but chooses not to?

Aksel, Ankersen · Joined: 03 Nov 2008 Posts: 272

Reza F. · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 70

Big deal. We know there are many people also leaving Islam (the most noteworthy is probably Africa). Of course, this is a very difficult statistic to ascertain, simply for the reason that no western person is going to go slit the throat of his/her fellow citizen who has decided to embrace Islam. Muslims exploit the western value of freedom of belief when it guarantees victory points for Islam.

On the other hand, we know what happens to those who courageously wish to leave Islam.

Seriously, how can this study be accurately conducted in countries where it is the official policy of the governments to execute those who defect from Islam? This by and in-itself makes the numbers prone to disproportion.

Salad In · Joined: 03 Dec 2004 Posts: 837 Location: Australia

syamal · Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 486

syamal · Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 486

R_not · Joined: 07 Nov 2008 Posts: 24 Location: California

They left out the part where the convert's lives were made so unbearable that they were basically forced to convert. That 'no compulsion' is just propaganda that muslims use to feel good and to just spout more deception to fool the ignorant ones.

EmperorJ666 · Joined: 03 Nov 2008 Posts: 27

this is an example of argumentum ad numerum, the appeal to numbers fallacy, suggesting that because more people are supporting a belief means that it's true, which of course is BS which is why it's one of the many fallacies, silly muslims, grow up and realize ur holy book is packed with errors and contradictions and violence.