A leap of Faith

Why are you still wearing a costume? Don’t you know Halloween is over!

Can I tell everyone that you have cancer and that is why you are covering your head?

Go to your country!

These are just a few of the less than friendly questions and responses Demi Cox has earned for being a Muslim and a hijabi. Converted on September 19^th 2009, few days after the 8^th anniversary of 9/11 attacks, Demi is more than a year old Muslim now. These comments, she thinks, are of no importance since they are uttered out of ignorance and not everyone she knows or come across has the same opinion.

The other day on her way back from the mosque, Demi waited for the Green bus on the razorback road. Draped in her dark brown hijab and grey long sleeves shirt, Demi was occupied by the thoughts of her literature term paper. The bus arrived in few minutes and as she walked in, the lady bus driver commented on her dull colored head covering. The bus driver, who was so used to Demi wearing bright colored sparkly hijabs, gave her a sisterly advice to avoid wearing boring colors since they don’t suit her at all.

Demi smiled and promised she will wear a bright hijab next time.

Demi’s journey to Islam is somewhat un-Islamic. At the age of 16, Demi started working for Sonic and met Sharif, a Bangladeshi Muslim. After seven months of dating (something not allowed in Islam) they felt they were made for each other. Sharif, not a practicing Muslim himself, asked Demi to look into Islam so that she can understand him and his actions more clearly.

Born in a Christian family, Demi has walked down the aisles of numerous Baptist, Pentecostal and Methodist churches. Confused as any teenager can be, she never understood the concept of Trinity, Jesus dying on the cross and then being resurrected and people being born with sin. The biblical words of God weren’t helping enough. And her questions were slammed by “you don’t have enough faith” rhetoric.

Early at the age of 15, Demi gave up on religion. But she couldn’t ever give up on the idea of one god. Her mind polluted by the images of 9/11, she never thought of studying Islam either.

Fate got her a job at “America’s Drive-In” and she met Sharif.

“I’m happy I converted and I’m happy I converted before I turned 21”, Demi said. She is thankful to god because she didn’t get to live the stereotypical “American life after 21”.

Two weeks after her conversion, Demi decided to wear hijab. Something radically different from her American lifestyle, she kicked off with baby steps. Walking around in her apartment with her head covered, she practiced to keep it on as long as possible. Demi started wearing hijab because she knew it was mandatory in Islam. But its logic struck her once she started reading about it. “It is not just a piece of clothing, it is more than that,” Demi shared. “Hijab is a way of protecting yourself from the lustful looks of other,” she said. “Islam asks believers to lower their gaze and guard their modesty, Hijab helps doing that.”

Demi is going through the transition phase. Christianity was just a religion for her but Islam is not, it’s rather a lifestyle. She has a long way to go but she is determined. She plans to write a journal of her journey and get it published for future converts.

Demi is concerned about her Yorkies these days. Islam forbids Muslims from keeping dogs but Demi cannot find home for her 3 year old Lex and 2 year old Junior and so she plans to keep them until they pass away. She will not have dogs after them!