A Muslim Girl Becomes Christian

My name is Ah-Pei Ahmad. Anyone looking at me would see a six foot tall, fit and slender young Asian woman with long Black hair, light brown eyes and bronze skin. That's how I look to the world. Today I turn twenty two. Even though I am young, I have lived quite the interesting story. One fraught with pain and loss, and also love and hope. Before we go any further, I must warn you that my story isn't for the faint of heart. A lot of people living in western societies are shocked at the stuff that goes on in other parts of the world. Places where religious extremists and dictators reign supreme. Places where the idea of women's rights and religious freedom aren't something you can even allow yourself to dream of. Places dominated by the iron-clad rules of Islamic law.

I was born in the City of Kuala Lampur, in the nation of Malaysia, and raised in the Province of Ontario, Canada. To say that my parents are conservative would be an understatement. Roughly sixty percent of all people in Malaysia are Muslims, and the others are Hindus, Pagans, Christians or followers of the fast growing Baha'i faith. I never saw a person of African descent until I came to the town of Toronto, Canada's biggest City. I found myself fascinated by this elderly man named Dinga, a Black man from Cameroon. Although he's a Christian, he was the only person who was friendly to my family in the mostly White suburb where we moved. I found myself curious about the Christian faith, and about Black men. Not in a sexual way, but in a soulful way. Black people were so different than just about every group of people I encountered in Malaysia. We have Indians, Arabs, Chinese, and many other ethnic groups in Malaysia but no Black people. I didn't realize it then but my fascination for Black men wouldn't go away.

When I started College, I met Tyrone Albright, this handsome Black guy from the City of Boston, Massachusetts, who was studying at a University in the City of Toronto, Ontario. He was the son of a Baptist minister, which fascinated me because my father is an Imam. In case you don't know, an Imam is the leader of a community among Muslims. My father had many responsibilities and much power back in Malaysia and felt like he lost a part of himself when we moved to Canada. North America seemed like a forbidden place for our family, and we had trouble adapting to it. Since I was young, I had the easiest time adapting to this new world. I wanted to live my life the North American way, and my parents simply wouldn't have it. When you're Muslim and female, your life is all about rules and limitations. Muslim men can drink, party and have fun. They can sleep around and do whatever they want. Muslim women have all the responsibilities while Muslim men have all the rights. Welcome to our world.

Muslim families are way overprotective of their daughters and don't much care for letting us date. I went through high school like this, stuck at home playing on my computer or watching television while my non-Muslim classmates went out and had fun. Finally, I graduated high school and started College. I had dreamed of going to College for years. Not for the academic stuff even though I excelled at it. I wanted to go to College because it meant ultimate freedom for me. My parents hadn't adapted too well to life in Canada. My father went from being a captain in the national police force of Malaysia and a respected Imam to a cook in a restaurant that serves haram foodstuffs. My mother went from being a schoolteacher and the wife of an important man to working as a grocery store clerk in a small neighborhood store. My parents didn't have an easy time in Canada. They learned one thing, though. Education was the key to a brighter future. They drilled that idea into my head.

I started College, and I was thrilled to experience a whole new world. The College I went to had a lot of international students. People from places like Africa, the Arab world, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. I made a lot of friends at school. I joined the Pan Cultural Association, whose founder was a Black lady named Meredith. We became friends. Meredith was unlike anyone I had ever met. Tall and tomboyish, with a curvy body and dark skin. She was openly gay and feared no one. Meredith encouraged me to pursue my dreams and always follow my heart. I told you about Tyrone, right? Well, we became friends after running into each other on campus. I found myself profoundly attracted to him. I wasn't sure what I should do. I am a Malaysian woman. Tyrone is a Black man. I am a Muslim woman. Tyrone is a Christian man. It could never work. Still, my heart yearned for him and I didn't want to lose him. When I began dating a Black man who wasn't even Muslim, my family got mad.

I didn't care, I only wanted to be with Tyrone. When I began publicly dating him, my family shunned me. The stuff about honor killings in Islam is sadly true and I feared for my life. I moved to the U.S. to be with Tyrone. To this day my family curses my name. And I have no doubt in my mind that they would kill me if they could. This might surprise you but truly, I don't care. I'm with the man I love and I am happy. I know that I will be hunted down wherever my family members set foot. By walking away from Islam and from the family for the love of a Christian man, I've dishonored my family, my clan and myself. Any man or woman on this planet is free to join Islam. However, any Muslim man or Muslim woman who decides to leave Islam shall be put to death. That's the Koranic punishment for Apostates.

I always wondered why it is okay for Muslim men to marry Christian women and Jewish women but it's NEVER okay for Muslim women to even date Christian men or Jewish men. It's because of Muslim male insecurity and it's an ugly double standard. More Muslim women should realize that a lot of the rules Muslim men make them play by are utter bullshit. For a rule to make sense, it must apply to both men and women equally. In the Koran, the Prophet himself declares men and women to be equal. Yet today's Muslim men continue to oppress Muslim women and hide behind theology. Shame on them. Oh, well. My eyes are open. I left Islam. I am now a Christian woman. Perhaps the only Malaysian Christian woman you have ever heard of. And that's okay by me.

Tyrone and I are living somewhere in the southern United States of America right now. You don't need to know anything more specific than that. All I am going to tell you is that we're very happy together. We are getting married at the end of 2012. I am living my dream. Living in a country where women's rights and religious freedom are the law of the land. Tyrone is the love of my life and my future husband. I will bear him many sons and daughters, and we'll teach them to value life, liberty and the pursuit of the American Dream. The best values any human being can have in today's world.