Last night I got a call from my friend Chivon to see if I wanted to go with her today to the Islamic court because she decided to convert to Islam. Honestly, I was quite surprised. We both go to school together and I knew that she was interested in learning more about Sufism and Islam, but I didn’t realize how serious she was in her quest.

Although technically you can be a Muslim just by saying the shahada (creed), in order to be officially recognized you have to go through the government.

I didn’t have any idea what it would be like at all. Her host sister came and picked me up and we made our way to pick up her witnesses. You’re required to have two witnesses – and she had her host sister, her host mom, and a male relative in their family. Her host mom explained that a man counted as one witness, and each woman counted as half a witness – that’s why there were three of them needed.

We went to an office and started some paperwork. Then we left and went across town to another office, and after going back and forth 4-5 times to get different signatures she was sat in front of a judge.

This is much like the equivalent of baptism. This is meant to be a public announcement of your faith, except as far as I could tell, its not meant to be a spiritual experience by any means – its very political.

The judge asked her a couple of questions. (1) Why do you want to be a Muslim? (2) What do you know about Islam? (3) Who is Jesus – the Son of God, or a prophet?   .. and after a few minutes, and a few more signatures .. they escorted us into yet another (maybe 6th or 7th office visit by this point). They needed copies of passports/IDs of the witnesses, but when the two women presented their IDs they were denied – as women they were refused as being witnesses at all.

They looked for any man in the building who would volunteer to be a witness, and quickly found one.

Eventually she got the other signatures she needed, and we headed back across town to the first office. She was brought before the ‘more important’ judge who again asked her the same questions and added a few more comments such as now she was only allowed to marry a Muslim.

It was one of the strangest processes I’ve seen. I would never have imagined or believed how it worked unless I had seen it for myself.

In totally other news:  … Starbucks grand opening is today.. and all of us girls & Chivon are going to meet there to see the new, exciting store. =)