A personal story: Spiritual growth led to her conversion to Islam

By Jennifer Garza -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 a.m. PDT Sunday, Sept. 8, 2002

	Deanna, given the name "Basima" or "smiling" by the women in her mosque, says men treat her with more respect now that she wears traditional Muslim dress, including a head scarf. Sacramento Bee/Manny Crisostomo

The journey from born-again Christian to devout Muslim may seem unusual, but it was a natural progression for one Carmichael woman.

"Once I started studying the religion it just made so much sense," said Deanna, who glows when she talks about her faith. "I feel closer to God now."

Deanna, 31, works as a medical transcriptionist and became interested in Islam five years ago when she married a Muslim from Jordan. She began learning about the religion but had not thought seriously about converting.

Then terrorists struck and, like so many others, Deanna could not pull herself away from the television coverage of the attacks. As she watched, she became more and more upset with the media's portrayal of Islam.

"People kept talking about it as this violent religion and it's just not true," she said.

After Sept. 11, her interest grew and soon she was attending mosque regularly. She buried herself in books about Islam and gradually began wearing traditional dress, including a head scarf.

"People here think it's sexist that Muslim women are covered, but it's not. Men treat me with much more respect now than when I was wearing miniskirts." In June, Deanna converted. During the ceremony, she sat in a circle and proclaimed Muhammad as the last true prophet. She remembers it as the most spiritual moment of her life.

The women of the mosque she attends gave her the Arabic name Basima, which means "smiling," because Deanna -- with her sparking hazel eyes and deep dimples -- seems always upbeat. But the journey has not always been smooth. At first, other worshippers at the mosque were wary.

"I'm the only white person there," said Deanna, laughing. "I think people thought I was a spy or something."

Some members of her family have not been happy with her conversion. Last month, Deanna went to visit a close relative wearing traditional dress, only to have the door slammed in her face.

Such incidents have made her anxious, leading her to ask that her full name not be used for this story for fear that "someone out there will get angry and try something."

Deanna and her husband also have separated. He is not religious, she says, and did not want her to study the faith.

Deanna now takes Arabic classes four nights a week. She worships with women only and attends weekly mosque.

"I've grown so much spiritually in the past year," she said. Then, of Muhammad, she added, "Now I follow his rules ... that he has set out for us to learn."

Recently, Deanna and her family have been working out their differences. "It's been hard for them to accept…but things are getting better."