Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Making The Switch: An American Woman's Journey To Islam

Making The Switch: An American Woman's Journey To Islam

Each week,Weekend Edition Sundayhost Rachel Martin brings listeners an unexpected side of the news by talking with someone personally affected by the stories making headlines.

Karen Danielson converted to Islam three decades ago, was she was 19. She was raised Catholic, and then later became a Baptist and enrolled in a Baptist college, where she picked up the Koran. Now, she's the director of outreach at the Chicago chapter of the Muslim American Society.

Advertisement

Her experience is not as unusual as it may seem; some 20 percent of American Muslims are converts. Leaving one religion for another can be a complicated process for anyone, but in the United States converting to Islam can mean making some especially difficult personal choices, at least for some people. That was the case for Danielson.

"Islam is not about converting culture. It's about converting faith and spirituality and understanding. And I can still be American, through and through, even if I'm wearing a headscarf and even if I'm dressing in what might appear to be something foreign."

Join Our Sunday Conversation

Do you judge Muslim women who wear headscarves? Tell us on Weekend Edition's Facebook page or in the comment section below.

Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit www.npr.org.