My name is
Yahya Schroder. I am a "European" (Ex Secularist) Muslim. I became
Muslim when I was 17. I am living now in Potsdam, Germany and I want to share
my experience with you as a Muslim in a non-Muslim state.
As a convert
to Islam, I think it's much easier to follow the religion than a born Muslim
who is being raised up here. Almost all young born-Muslims I know want to
become German. For them Islam is only a tradition and they think that they have
to give up their tradition (Islam) to be accepted by the Germans, despite the
fact that the Germans won't accept them even if they gave up their religion.
I grew up in a
little village. I lived with my mother and my stepfather in a huge house with a
big garden and a big pool. And as a teenager I "lived a cool life"; I
had some friends whom I used to hang around with, do stupid things and drink
alcohol like every young German teen.
The life of a
Muslim in Germany is quite difficult than one would think especially for me as
a German Muslim because when someone asks a German what they know about Islam,
they would tell you something about Arabs. For them it's like a mathematical
operation; Islam = Arabs. They still don't know about our big nation.
When I
converted to Islam I had to leave my family and I moved to the community in
Potsdam near Berlin. I left this huge house and all my material valuable stuff.
When I lived with my mother and my stepfather I had everything; a big house, my
own money, TV, Play-station. I was never concerned about money, but I wasn't
happy. I was searching for something else.
When I turned
16, I met the Muslim community in Potsdam through my biological father who
became Muslim in 2001. I used to visit my father once a month and we used to
attend the meetings of the community which were held on Sundays. At that time,
I was interested in Islam, and my father noticed this and told me one day that
he wouldn't speak about Islam when we are together because he wanted me to
learn from people of greater knowledge so that other people won't say:
"Oh he
became Muslim just because he's 17 and does everything his father does."
I agreed and I
started visiting the community every month and learned a lot about Islam but at
that time something happened and changed my way of thinking. One Sunday, I went
swimming with the Muslim community and fractured my back at two places after
jumping in the pool and hitting the ground with my head. My father brought me
to the hospital and the doctor told me:
"You have
fractured your back quite bad and if you did one wrong movement you'll become
handicapped". This didn't help me much, but then just a few moments before
they brought me to the operation room, one of my friends of the Muslims
community told me something. "Yahya, you are now in the hands of Allah
(God), it's like a roller coaster. Now you are on the top. Enjoy the ride and
just trust in God." This really helped me.
The operation
took five hours and I woke up after 3 days. I couldn't move my right arm but I
was feeling like the happiest person on earth. I told the doctor that I don't
care about my right arm; I'm so happy that God has let me survive. The doctors
had told me that I have to stay in the hospital for a few months. I stayed for
only two weeks there, because I was training very hard.
One day a
doctor came and said: "Today we will try to take one step on the
staircase" - the exercise that I did on my own two days before. Now, I can
move my right arm again and I was just two weeks there Al-hamdu lillah (thanks
God). This accident changed a lot in my personality.
I noticed when
God wants something; the individual's life can be turned over in one second.
So, I took life more seriously and started thinking more about my life and
Islam, but I was still living in this little village.
My wish to
become Muslim became so strong that I had to leave my family. I left my
stepfather, my mother and the nice luxury lifestyle to go to Potsdam.
I moved to my
father's apartment which is rather small and I had to stay in the kitchen but
it was okay because I had nothing; just a very few clothes, school books, and
some CDs. It must sound to you like I lost everything, but I am very happy. I'm
as happy as when I woke up in the hospital after the dreadful accident.
The next day
was the first day of Ramadan. The day after this was my first school day in my
new school. The day after my first day of school, I said the Shahadah
(testimony of becoming a Muslim), praise be to God. So, everything was new for
me; new apartment, new school, and the first time without my family.
In my school
when they first noticed that I am a Muslim, they started to make jokes at me. I
think this is usual because of what they learned from the media. "A
terrorist", "Osama bin Laden is coming", "Muslims are
dirty". Some people thought I am just a crazy guy. And they didn't even
believe that I was German.
But after 10
months, the situation changed. I made a lot of dawah (inviting to Islam) to my
classmates, and now, I even have a praying room, although I'm the only Muslim
in my school. My classmates changed from making jokes to asking serious
questions about Islam, and they noticed that Islam is not a religion like the
other religions.
They noticed
Islam is cool! They see that we Muslims have Adaab (good manners) in dealing
with each other. They noticed that we are independent from all this peer
pressure; we just keep it real; we don't need to be in a special group like in
my school. At my school, there are three main groups: the hip hop guys; the
punks; and the party people.
Everybody
tries to be a member of one group, so as to be accepted by others, except me! I
can be friends with everybody. I don't have to wear special clothes to be
"cool." So what happened is that they are always inviting me and my
Muslim friends to their bar-b-que parties.
The special
thing on this is that they respect me as a Muslim and even more, they get Halal
(allowed) food especially for me and they have organized two bar-b-que grills;
one for themselves and one for us Muslims! The people here are very open to
Islam.
No comments:
Post a Comment