There are three influential Muslims who impacted my life and spurred my decision to become Muslim. The first of them is a graduate student with whom I am very close. She studies Islam at the academic level despite being Muslim herself. Conversations with her really opened my eyes to what Islam preaches and the meanings behind the practices. The second influential person is Nader Nasr. He lives in the same dorm building as me and would often tell me that [...]

My name is Melanie and in October of 2009, I converted to Islam. This statement has profound implications because it implies that, for a period of time before my conversion, a curiosity regarding Islam brewed within me that eventually led to my conversion. I was born on August, 1987 to an Iranian woman whom I refer to as Mother. She was born and raised in Tehran, the capital of Iran, where she was socialized into Islam by her family and [...]