As-salaamu Alaikum (peace be upon you) Welcome to my blog.

Peace be with you,

I welcome you all to this blog, which is designed specifically to articulate issues faced by converts to Islam.  Before talking about what the intention of this blog is, I want to begin by saying what it is not intended for.  1. This website was not created to merely incite anger or ill-will towards those who are born into a Muslim family (heretofore called born-Muslims).  However, one would not be surprised to hear converts talk about how the greater Muslim community has let them down in different aspects.  I don't want this blog to turn into a verbal slugfest, but it is important that we talk about the issues we have faced.  At the same time, please understand that this blog is trying to be constructive rather than just a diatribe toward the greater Muslim community.  2.  It is not intended to scare people away from converting to Islam.  I myself converted to Islam by the grace of Allah (God), and I have never regretted that decision. However, I wish someone had created a blog like this in order to prepare me for some of the challenges that I would be facing.  If you are seriously thinking of converting to Islam, my advice to you is that it will be the best decision you ever made.  It may not seem that way once you convert, but the Creator has allowed you to see the truth.  The converts on this board are here to support you, and ask Allah to help you through what is going to be a challenging but fulfilling life in the end.  3. It is not intended to be a scholarly submission.  I am not an Islamic scholar, nor do I have any training in any Islamic studies.  What I do have is 10 years experience of being a convert to Islam.  Many others on this blog have been Muslim longer than I have.  I don't care how many years one has studied Islam in detail, life experience is something you cannot earn with a degree or diploma.  Personally, I can tell you that I would not have been able to write this blog 8 years ago, or even 6 months ago. 

The intention of this blog is to prepare new Muslims for what they will be facing.  Some of these issues are gender-specific, some are specific according to your background, and some are specific according to your former lifestyle.  You will be hearing all sorts of things from people around the mosque, and 99% of these people have no idea what you are going through, nothing about your culture, and nothing about your current situation.  So, this is an opportunity to read about some of things that our born-Muslim brethren would never be able to put into words.  It may seem overwhelming to actually see 100 different issues, but trust me, they are there and they are real.  Some of the blog submissions will be written by myself, some by others. 

Thank you for coming to my site.  Please keep an open mind and an open heart.  Peace,

Mr. Black