Why do women convert to Islam more than men? And do they really?

[Revoltingest]

I agree with you. What I meant is that this oppression thing in a common view of Islam around the world yet more women convert to Islam than men. This conflicts with that oppression view. One could say that those women don't know enough about Islam, but wake of information technology these days says otherwise. Now almost everyone can search the internet and watch the media to get information, and this information is certainly not always pretty about Islam.

Oppression is a matter of perspective.
When what one wants from life comports with religious restrictions, there's no oppression.
But when a gal wants to drive a car, wear western clothing, or go out without a male
chaperone, & gets acid tossed in her face for such libertine acts, that's oppression.

 

[Smart_Guy]

Are these conversions both:
1) Completely voluntary with no peer pressure or intimidation, and
2) Taking place in safe, developed "western" countries where the threat of "honour"-based violence is significantly diminshed?

Not sure, I'm not a preacher. Are they not?

Oppression is a matter of perspective.

Exactly! And one's perspective (and understanding, mind you) is not necessarily right.

 

[Aquitaine]

Not sure, I'm not a preacher. Are they not?

They're mostly taking part in relatively free, wealthy western countries, obviously. So there is that to remember. Westerners can convert to exotic foreign religions because they get to taste a "light" version of it. Sadly not everyone in the world has the luxury of choosing their religion and being allowed to practice it "lightly".

 

[Smart_Guy]

They're mostly taking part in relatively free, wealthy western countries, obviously. So there is that to remember. Westerners can convert to exotic foreign religions because they get to taste a "light" version of it. Sadly not everyone in the world has the luxury of choosing their religion and being allowed to practice it "lightly".

Yup

 

[Debater Slayer]

It probably boils down to naive western white women who fall in love with a muslim man and/or have gotten bored of the "western lifestyle" and want to be "all spiritual and connected": thinking that Islam will "spiritually awaken" them etc.
You tend to find it happens with white born-and-raised westerners who romanticize foreign religions and see a rose-tinted perspective of it. Take all the idealistic western youths who have joined ISIS, or the white western tourists who visit India and similar areas for "spiritual enlightenment", even though we are no less "enlightened" than anyone else.

TL: DR = Bored white people.

If the above post is meant seriously, then I find it demeaning to female Muslim converts and borderline misogynistic, to be perfectly honest.

Not what I'd normally expect from you, man. You know better.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Hmm, Those make valid point. Do you guys think those points make a big difference in the provided statistics? 4:1 ratio and 75% in women's favor is just too much, in my opinion. It still feels weird to me that that many women convert to Islam hearing all that oppression (let's say supposed oppression for now) of women, if we look at what concern women in Islam, let alone relating terrorism to it.

There's some black American women in my area who have converted. Part of it seems to be a backlash against the seeming failure of Christianity as well as a backlash against the seeming chaos of secular culture.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

If the above post is meant seriously, then I find it demeaning to female Muslim converts and borderline misogynistic, to be perfectly honest.

Not what I'd normally expect from you, man. You know better.

Agreed. Especially since most Muslims in America are African-Americans and they tend to be very conservative. I was at the bus stop last year and there was a black lady with her young daughters (they were wearing the hijab), who was wearing the niqab. It during the summer and very hot and steamy (as summers here are), so I was curious and asked her how she could stand it in the heat. She said that it wasn't actually all that hot, but that hell is hotter anyway and she prays for Allah to save her from the hellfire. At first, I was like "okay...this woman is a religious nutter". But now I see the logic in her views. XD To each their own.

 

[Aquitaine]

If the above post is meant seriously, then I find it demeaning to female Muslim converts and borderline misogynistic, to be perfectly honest.

Not what I'd normally expect from you, man. You know better.

The first paragraph was regarding female converts, given the topic of the thread. The rest of the comment was regarding both sexes: I can be equal in my narrow-mindedness.

 

[Aquitaine]

She said that it wasn't actually all that hot, but that hell is hotter anyway and she prays for Allah to save her from the hellfire

Y' see, I just don't see how such a belief/anxiety could possibly be seen as a good thing for either a man or a woman.

 

[MD]

Many women are attracted to power, discipline, order, etc and Islam provides it for them under the guise of divine truth.

I used to think more women will convert to Islam, until I met ex Muslim women who were in the closet and drawn to secular and liberal values so strongly that they left Islam. Many Iranians are irreligious and it's equal amongst men and women.

I feel now it goes both ways, except most Muslim women cannot freely express their dissatisfaction with Islam. So some think whites and Hindus leave their religions and cultures for a superior one aka Islam, whereas the truth is it is almost impossible to leave or publicly declare apostasy in Islamic cultures.

 

[Sakeenah]

I agree with you. What I meant is that this oppression thing in a common view of Islam around the world yet more women convert to Islam than men. This conflicts with that oppression view. One could say that those women don't know enough about Islam, but wake of information technology these days says otherwise. Now almost everyone can search the internet and watch the media to get information, and this information is certainly not always pretty about Islam.

True..
The women I met did their research some researched for years before converting to Islam.

 

[Sakeenah]

If the above post is meant seriously, then I find it demeaning to female Muslim converts and borderline misogynistic, to be perfectly honest.

Not what I'd normally expect from you, man. You know better.

Like DS said it's demeaning to female muslim converts to say they are " naive"
They have chosen to convert to Islam after researching ,they find happiness and peace by following Islam.

Their choice..their Life

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Y' see, I just don't see how such a belief/anxiety could possibly be seen as a good thing for either a man or a woman.

That's her business. She seemed nice.

 

[Aquitaine]

That's her business. She seemed nice.

It isn't just her business though: the responsibility lies on those who created and continue to propagate such beliefs to people. How is it ethical to convince someone that doing something incredibly uncomfortable and potentially dangerous - on a daily basis - is acceptable because the alternative is torture in the after life?

Like DS said it's demeaning to female muslim converts to say they are " naive"
They have chosen to convert to Islam after researching ,they find happiness and peace by following Islam.

Their choice..their Life

And if they choose to join Scientology, would it be wrong for me to think they're naive?

 

[Aquitaine]

Many women are attracted to power, discipline, order, etc and Islam provides it for them under the guise of divine truth.

I used to think more women will convert to Islam, until I met ex Muslim women who were in the closet and drawn to secular and liberal values so strongly that they left Islam. Many Iranians are irreligious and it's equal amongst men and women.

I feel now it goes both ways, except most Muslim women cannot freely express their dissatisfaction with Islam. So some think whites and Hindus leave their religions and cultures for a superior one aka Islam, whereas the truth is it is almost impossible to leave or publicly declare apostasy in Islamic cultures.

Especially when the penalty for apostasy is death.

 

[LuisDantas]

Islam strikes me as a very social belief, so logically it will happen considerably more often where there is a significant number of Muslims already. And I don't think I am reaching in pointing out that a woman that converts into Islam is more than likely to want to eventually marry a Muslim (if she is single) or convince her husband to convert himself (if she is married).

One significant reason why is simply because it is healthy for a married couple to have good mutual understanding, and sharing a religious practice goes a long way towards establishing and keeping that good communication.

How frequently that happens I wouldn't know, other than assuming that it will be logically vary a lot among times and places and happen most often where there are good numbers of both Muslims and non-Muslims. Come to think of it, it is likely to happen more often in countries where most non-Muslims are Dharmic, since the mutual understanding between Muslims and Dharmics is such a challenge. Places such as Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

 

[Smart_Guy]

Come to think of it, it is likely to happen more often in countries where most non-Muslims are Dharmic, since the mutual understanding between Muslims and Dharmics is such a challenge. Places such as Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The way I saw how Indonesians of different religions work together in my 7 day trip is unbelievable. They call each other friends in the same working place, a Christian had a cross on the wall in a currency exchange booth, pigs cooked whole in public places right next to other vendors saying "halal food", shrines with offerings found just right next to mosques, non Muslim religious chants and instruments sounded out loud, an old Buddhist or Hindu (didn't ask, but he gave that greetings with his hands) hugged me in that currency exchange booth knowing I'm Muslim and from Saudi Arabia (don't ask )... But that's off-topic, sorry.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

As I understand it, Muslim women are forbidden to marry non-Muslim men, nor are their families likely to tolerate them even meeting them. Thus a woman may convert after marrying a Muslim, but the opposite is not going to happen.

 

[Smart_Guy]

As I understand it, Muslim women are forbidden to marry non-Muslim men, nor are their families likely to tolerate them even meeting them. Thus a woman may convert after marrying a Muslim, but the opposite is not going to happen.

That's part of my point. Women most likely know the above before getting married yet so many still become Muslim. If they know such rules exist in Islam, it really puzzles me why they still convert.

 

[psychoslice]

I think women are more emotionally convinced to believe in something that most men will think about more first, and also they might like to dress up, to save putting on makeup everyday, just kidding.