In 1990 and 1991, I witnessed a lot of young men in the U.S. Air Force read the Qur'an and convert to Islam. For whatever reason, I knew of no women converts. Before 1990, all I knew about Islam was that Cat Stevens had read the Qur'an, converted to Islam, and then selected Yusuf Islam as his Muslim name. But in 1990 the U.S. Air Force sent me to Saudi Arabia, to Ta'if, a city about 60 miles southeast of Mecca. I was there for the duration of Operation Desert Shield.
What is Islam About?
I'm not a Muslim -- a follower of Islam -- so if my explanation of the Islamic faith is in error, my apologies. Muslims regard their religion as the restored version of the monotheistic faiths of Jews and Christians, both of which had been distorted over time.The truth of Islam was revealed in the Qur'an.
The Qur’an was verbally revealed to Muhammad from Allah (Arabic for "God") through the angel Gabriel. Muhammad dictated every verse to his companions, who immediately wrote them down after memorizing and reciting them. The word Qur'an literally means “the recitation."
Muslim Names and the Umrah
Most of these new members of the Muslim population were initially more secretive than Yusuf Islam. They didn't publicly adopt Muslim names, but that they had undergone some personal transformation was still obvious. When you are standing in line at the chow hall, you listen to conversations. I started to hear phrases that I had never heard before. One of those phrases was "the Umrah." After a little investigation, I discovered that the Umrah was a religious pilgrimage. Every able-bodied follower of Islam has the duty to make a pilgrimage to Mecca called the Hajj, always occurring on the last month of the Islamic calendar. They must make this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime, provided they have the means to do so. The Umrah is a lesser pilgrimage that can be performed at any time of the year. It isn't mandatory, but highly encouraged. My fellow airmen were talking about performing the Umrah.
Why Convert to Islam?
Why did they convert to Islam? How had they been introduced to the Qur'an? The answer is easy, really. We all encountered Muslims daily. They could legally proselytize us. They could hand out copies of the Qur'an, whereas possessing a bible was forbidden. If you were a follower of Islam, you could freely speak of Allah and your Islamic faith, and these young men were a captive audience. But there were other reasons, primarily -- I believe -- having to do with race and Muslim clothing.
Race and Muslim Clothing
You are black and in Saudi Arabia. Maybe you come from a Christian home. Islam and Allah and the Qur'an are far from your mind. You've heard of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan. You respect Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Now you are living in a country where the Muslim population is nearly 100%. Apart from your workmates, virtually everyone you meet is praising Islam and Muhammad, and often carrying a Qur'an. When you go out into the streets, people address you in Arabic, thinking that you are Saudi. They think this because you are dark-skinned, and wearing Islamic clothing. You look just like them. They accept you.
Islam and Allah in the United States
I knew only one white convert, and he reverted to Christianity before he left Saudi Arabia. As for the others, I don't know what happened to most of them. Are they still Muslims? Did they meet a Muslim woman and have a Muslim marriage? Did they choose Muslim baby names for their children? Their children would now be old enough to consult Muslim matrimonial and Muslim dating sites. Is the third generation of Operation Desert Shield Islamic converts about to be born?
Postscript: Ramadan and 9/11
Sometimes I participate in the Islamic holiday of Ramadan. I skip the fasting, but I share the typical evening meals of dates, pitas, cracker bread, and soups. At a Ramadan celebration several years ago, I met three Muslims who had converted during Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm. Before 9/11, being a Muslim in the U.S. had been tolerated, if not embraced. For these men, their devotion to Islam had not caused many problems. After 9/11, stones were thrown through the windows of their homes, their cars were vandalized, and desecrated Qur'ans were left anonymously on their desks at work. Bacon grease was smeared on their coffee cups. Celebrating Ramadan made them subjects of ridicule and many mean-spirited invitations to lunch at all-you-can-eat buffets. Still, these men stayed strong. They gracefully accepted me into their Ramadan celebrations, and left me with an impression so favorable that I remember them respectfully to this day.