Waleed Duisters, LPNM chairman, told the Kuwait news agency, KUNA, the statistics released in 2007 showed that there were 12,000 people who entered the Dutch Islam, adding that the original amount may be more than that. He explained that it is very difficult to give exact numbers of converts in the Netherlands because there was no registration of the population based on religion.
“We have many new converts because it is the purpose of this conference is to help them find their way in both the Dutch Muslim community and society at large,” said Duisters who converted to Islam 10 years ago. He said that sometimes the new converts have problems because the family is afraid of the move and Muslim communities also do not know how to deal with converts.
“In the Netherlands, there are those who are skeptical of Islam and sometimes we have a case of converts who have problems with their families. We want to help them through life without any problems, “said Duisters.
Large gathering of Dutch converts to Islam and Muslims are from Turkey, the Arab world, and Suriname were listening to lectures by several international speakers such as Hussein Ye from Malaysia and Pierre Vogel of Germany and the Netherlands as a young speaker Ali al-Khattab and Elsa van de Loo that Dutch youth representative to the UN.
Seven Dutch people, including three women, embraced Islam at the conference on Sunday. Duisters said, “Islam has enriched my life. I have a stable life. I know what I should teach my children to be good Muslims and good citizens of the Netherlands. “
He said that the number of Muslims in Europe increased. The more people who converted to Islam because they heard a lot about Islam, so they want to know about this religion and began to read Al-Quran and Hadith.
However, he also blamed the Muslims for not doing enough to explain Islam.
“Muslims in the Netherlands have many opportunities to give a good overview, but often they fail to do so,” he complained.
“There is also another problem that Muslims do not integrate into Dutch society,” he said.
“We must live as a Muslim in the Netherlands but also in Dutch society. If we do not, we will still be an odd group. We suggest to Muslims to engage in Dutch society, “he said.
Reuvers Marck, a journalist who deal with the press at the conference, said that “this was a special day. This is called the day of converts in the Netherlands. “
“The purpose of this meeting is to show that the converts are also part of a larger people,” said Reuvers who converted to Islam in 2007. “I’m looking for something that makes my life more meaningful. After becoming a Muslim I have a purpose in life. I feel very happy and comfortable, “he said.
Abdel Krim converted to Islam in 2008. Now he is poised to be a social worker. “I need God in my life. I am pleased with the stories of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, but I do not like the pictures in the church with a white God, “he said.
“But I too love Jesus and Moses and I found them in Islam. The rules are much more pure. There is no racism in Islam, “said the bearded young Dutch Muslims are.
He says that a convert must explain things to the Dutch society after converting to Islam. “You stop drinking alcohol, stop smoking, stop gossip. So that the people in your community will ask why you did not drink alcohol, why do you keep a beard, “he said.
Mallen van der Putten, who was also a radio journalist working for Dutch Islam, linked with a move to a strange story of Islam. He converted to Islam six years ago. Van der Putten said that one day he said some bad things on a Muslim. Then he said to himself, “Why do I say bad things about Islam and I did not know anything about it?”. Then he went to the store and buy some books on Islam and continued to read until he converted to Islam.
He said that Muslims should talk to the people, the neighbors, to explain the interaction of Islam and should happen.
Elsa van de Loo, representative of Dutch youth at the United Nations, said that he converted to Islam and a half years ago.
His father is a native of Holland, while his mother came from the Dominican Republic.
“I was raised a Catholic but not practicing his teachings,” he said.
Young Muslim convert, said he started reading the Quran in Dutch.
“At first it is difficult for me to understand and I do not know many Muslims who can explain it to me. Then one day I met a Muslim girl from Morocco who started to explain about the Koran and Islam, “he said.
“A lot of questions whose answers I found in Islam.”
“I feel very happy, Islam gives me peace. First, I always feel nervous, I do not know what I do in this life. Where do I go. Now I have the answer. “
He said had never encountered problems with the Dutch government for wearing a hijab, but some critics say, “How can you represent the Netherlands at the United Nations to wear the hijab?”
“I told them that my work separate from my religion. When I was working, I represent everyone in the Netherlands and what his beliefs are not an issue. I was selected for this position, “said Elsa van de Loo.
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