--
Number of Muslim converts on rise in UKPress TV, London - Wed Jan 5, 2011 12:49PM
Since the 9/11, attacks on the United States a lot of negative stereotypes about Islam and Muslims have been repeated in the British media.
But during roughly the same period the number of converts to the religion in the UK has risen dramatically.
According to a report by the interfaith organization Faith Matters, there were around 60,000 British Muslim converts in 2001. Whereas that number has now shot up to about 100,000.
55% of these converts are white.
And 62% of them are female.
Prominent conversions to Islam in the UK include the world famous singer Cat Stevens, who's now known as Yusuf Islam.
The Fleet Street journalist Yvonne Ridley converted a few years after being kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
And more recently Tony Blair's sister-in-law Lauren Booth became a Muslim. She explained to me why.
However, the Faith Matters report says that new Muslims aren't being supported enough by mosques, who aren't targeting resources towards nurturing their newly-found faith.
Nevertheless, the report states that new Muslims can help bridge the divide that exists between Muslims and some non-Muslims in the UK.
The increasing number of Muslim converts in this country comes despite the prevailing trends.
And especially trends towards the media demonization of Muslims and Islam. But believers will always tell you that if you scratch beneath the surface headlines the truth will always come out.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/158772.html
