“I Thought Islam Was T*rror!” - A Catholic Christian Converts to Islam
Published on
And on 9/11 I was supposed to go to the city. The train that I was supposed to take went under the Twin Towers. And I fell asleep. And when I woke up, my phone was ringing a lot and the TV was on. The most horrifying days in American history. Enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country. And the news reporter kept repeating "Allahu Akbar." And I said, "What is Allahu Akbar?" And I became very angry as an American. And I wanted to know, who are these terrorists and why are they here? So I started looking to visit a mosque. And then I found the mosque is, like, very close. And my hands were sweating. I was so nervous. And I started walking.
I put on the headscarf and I took pictures. And I posted them, and my family said, "What is this?" My closest cousin was very upset. She pulled my hijab and she slapped me. She says, "You're not Arab, take this off." And then she went again. And I held her hand, then I said, "Would Jesus be happy with you if you hit me?" So, she stopped and she said, "Get out, I don't want to see you." Assalamualaikum, Sister Nahela Morales. Thank you for accepting our invitation. Welcome to the interview. I want to start by asking, who is Nahela Morales? Can you tell us briefly about your life? Walaikumassalam warahmatullah wabarakatuh. Thank you. It's an honor to be here.
Nahela is the daughter of a Mexican family that come from a Catholic religious background. At the age 25, I moved to New York City. After college, I studied merchandise marketing and I decided to move far away from California. And the furthest I can go was New York City. So I moved to New York City, actually, the summer 2001, which was three months prior to 9/11. It was a few years after where I eventually embraced Islam. How was your life in regards to faith? What were you believing in? So, I was born in a Catholic home. I never thought Jesus was God. I did have a very high level of respect for the Virgin of Guadalupe, which is the Virgin Mary in Mexico.
Because culturally, in Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe has a very high level rank. We did go to church on special occasions, perhaps Sundays or a wedding, a baptism, but not necessarily on a regular basis. So, since I was seven years old, I always had a curiosity of the 3-in-1. And there was a level of respect for my grandmother that I couldn't ask too many questions. And when I was growing up, I would ask her, "Why is it three?" And she would just tell me, "You just have to believe." So it was always like the door was closed. So it was very difficult to believe in 3-in-1. I knew there was God. And even though I was raised with respecting all three, it never sinked in with me.
It never resonated with me. I always had that question. How can it be three people in one? How did you first hear about Islam? It wasn't until 9/11 that... It really made me look into the religion of Islam. My birthday is September 12th. And I had a huge plan to spend it in New York City, because I lived in the suburbs at the time. And on 9/11 I was supposed to go to the city. And I fell asleep. The train that I was supposed to take was the 1 or the 9 that went under the Twin Towers. If I didn't fall asleep, I most probably would have been under the Twin Towers because I was going to leave around 6:30. And when I woke up, my phone was ringing a lot and the TV was on.
And when I first saw the first plane hit, I thought it was a movie. And I said, "What is this?" It was shocking and I wanted answers. And the news reporter kept repeating "Allahu Akbar." And I said, "What is Allahu Akbar?" They kept saying "Terrorist" and "Islamic", and I had no idea what that meant. So for me, it was like, I needed to find answers. But on the other hand, my family was calling. They were so scared and they were thinking about my safety. They wanted me to go to California. And all I wanted was to learn what Allahu Akbar meant. And I wanted to know, who are these terrorists and why are they here? And I became very angry as an American as well.
I said, "I need to find answers." I needed more, and that's really when the story begins. The city was a mess, you know, for many, many months to come. But I started looking online, and I was very inquisitive. And the next step after this, I moved from New York and I moved to New Jersey. I only lived three blocks away from the mosque. So, I started looking to visit a mosque. And then I found the mosque is, like, very close, walking distance. I might get a little emotional because this is... This takes you back. It's a very scary moment, but exciting at the same time. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't have the proper attire. I didn't have a hijab with me.
I kept going back and forth to the mirror, trying to say "Assalamualaikum". So I was teaching myself "Assalamualaikum" in the mirror. And my hands were sweating. I was so nervous. Finally, I went inside. My first teacher, Sheikh Muhammad Al Hayek, was called to come and greet me. I was wearing a piece of cloth that had little holes, right? So it wasn't a proper hijab. And I was fidgeting, I was playing with it. I was very nervous. And he said, "Come, come." He took me to his office. He introduced himself. He said, "What is your name? What is my name?" And I just kept, like touching it and moving.
And he said, "Are you Muslim?" I said, "No." He goes, "Do you want to take this off?" I said, "Yes." And he said, "Take it off. It's okay. Relax." He said, "There is a class today. You're welcome to come." And I came to the class, and every Wednesday, religiously, I would be in his class. And oftentimes we'd joke around, "Oh, I'm late, I'm on Muslim time." "No, no, no, you're late because you're late. But Islamically, we have to respect each other's time." And I befriended women from Indonesia and Malaysia. I started learning words like Inshallah, Alhamdulillah, Mashallah.
And the women would be like, "Are you Muslim?" And I would be like, "No, I'm not Muslim, but I'm learning." As Towards Eternity, we need your support. We are a charity organization that aims to spread the message of Islam to the entire world in ten languages. With your support, you can help people convert to Islam, give up harams, start praying, wear hijab, learn to read the Qur'an, and so on. And get your share from all these good deeds, Inshallah. Donate to Towards Eternity and don't miss this golden opportunity. Then I remember I put on the headscarf and I took pictures and I posted them.
And my family said, "What is this?" I said, "Oh, this is like the Virgin of Guadalupe, like she has a veil, and..." And so, I started linking things together like, okay, the hijab, the nuns, my grandmother putting this. And so, I started finding it very appealing. But what really did it for me is Allah is one. Then, we eliminated two. This is easy. I can pray to God, only my relationship with God. I don't need to have two more. And that's really what did it for me. So I started practicing. I started going to the masjid. A friend gifted me hijabs, and I was a regular. And for a long time, people thought I was Muslim. How did you take your Shahada? Can you tell us?
So, I remember there was one sister in the masjid who knew I wasn't Muslim. She would incline to tell me, you know, "You need to take your Shahada." I said, "But I come to the masjid, I'm fasting. I'm good." It was one last day of Ramadan that she said, "Today is the day." We finished praying and she tapped me and she goes, "You need to take your Shahada today." And I said, "Okay." So, she told the sheikh and I took my Shahada. It was the happiest day of my life, to be honest with you. It was very overwhelming. I can't even explain the feeling. It's like everything just falls off your shoulders. You feel very light. You feel like a new person.
So, that was the happiest day of my life, honestly. Then I went home, after everybody started going and their families and leaving. So, I was walking home. I remember I grabbed my prayer rug and I threw myself in sujood. And I felt very lonely. And I remember... Questioning if it was the right thing that I did the night before. It was sad and my son didn't understand what was happening. And it hurts when I talk about it every single time. Because I know there's a lot of reverts, converts out there that go through the same experience. It was Allah that got me out of that. I remember going to the store and buying my son some candy after we had breakfast, and the day went on.
How did your family and the people around you react to your conversion to Islam? I remember it was August, very hot. I was wearing a turtleneck, jeans and a bandana, right? So, long sleeve. And my family thought I was crazy. "It's summer. Why are you dressed like this?" I said, "Because I'm Muslim and I have to cover." It was very difficult for them to understand. In particular, one cousin. One cousin was very upset. I remember towards my end of that visit, I was walking in her house, and she pulled my hijab. And she slapped me and she says, "You're not Arab. You will never be Arab. Take this off." And then she went again to slap me again, and I held her hand. She's very devout Catholic.
She's very... She goes to church every Sunday. She has huge image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. And I held her hand and I said, "Would Jesus be happy with you if you hit me? This is your teaching?" So she stopped and she said, "Get out, I don't want to see you. Get out." So she kicked me out. This is my closest cousin, like my sister. The next year when I came, I came with abaya. Now I came fully dressed. Abaya, hijab. Everybody was shocked. They said, "What is this? Why more covered? What's happening to you? Who is changing your mind?" I remember by the third visit, my grandmother pulled me aside and she asked me if I was happy.
And I said "Yes, I'm very happy." She says, "Okay, do as you wish." And she told my family, "Leave her alone." "She is not drinking, she's not smoking, she's not outside at night. She's taking care of her son. She dresses okay. It's okay." Eventually she accepted me and she asked the whole family to respect my new faith. Did any member of your family become Muslim after you, after being inspired by you? Ironically, the one person I never thought would become Muslim, became Muslim. And that was my mother. I don't have the best relationship with her, but I remember I did an interview on Spanish Channel and she saw me with a headscarf. She had never seen me.
She saw me with a headscarf and she said, "Oh, you're dress like the clone, are you Muslim?" And I said, "Yes." I was very afraid to actually give her dawah, I don't know. So I gather books in Spanish and a Qur'an in Spanish and information in Spanish. And I shipped it to California. And she started reading. And she eventually took her Shahada. So can you tell us about what you felt about the hijab? Many Western people see this as a restriction, but you loved it. So why do you think is the reason that you loved it from the beginning? I felt a sense of liberation. Like, I felt the hijab liberated me completely. I choose, I have the power to choose who sees me and who doesn't.
Unlike a billboard that's selling alcohol, and it's a woman that's half naked. To me, this is oppression. To me, this is liberation. So after you became Muslim, did you have any extraordinary event that you felt incredible closeness to Allah? It was Hajj. My son and I did Hajj in 2018. So, I remember we went, and I remember we were doing tawaf. He said, "Okay, now, now, now, we're going to go touch the Kaaba." And we touched the Kaaba. And then I'm feeling like I'm getting cramped. I said, "Andrew..." And I started getting an anxiety attack I started crying. I said, "Oh my God, they're going to crush me." And so, he grabbed my hand and it opened. There was a man in white.
He grabbed his hand and it opened like the sea opened for Musa. And we went. And he left, the man left. And I said, "Where is he, so we can thank him?" He was gone. I don't know what it was. Was it an angel? Was it... But it was from Allah. It was in seconds. And I remember I was crying because I felt like I was going to get crashed. And all of a sudden, Allah took me out of that. What was the main thing that convinced you that Islam is 100% the truth? I think the one thing that really convinced me that Islam was the truth is that the Qur'an has not been changed and that millions memorize it. I've never heard millions memorizing the Bible. So for me, that was a miracle.
It's not a little book. It's a pretty big book. So, it really caught my attention. Just on this point, I want to ask you, what would you like to say to a Mexican that is watching you right now? To my fellow Mexican audience, I really, first of all, implore you to even look into this faith, which is not very strange than what our culture teaches us. You will find a sense of belonging and purpose. It is important to not let those feelings asleep. Make sure that you feed your curiosity, ask questions, make sure that you read and you educate yourself from correct sources, like this website. It's important for us to find answers. Find those answers. Ask a Muslim.
If you are having heart issues, you will go to a cardiologist. If you're having questions about Islam, ask a Muslim, read the Qur'an. Learn about our beloved Prophet (pbuh). As you pointed out, many reverts are asking after they become Muslim, "Do I have to abandon my culture, leave my cultural background behind? Because I love my family, I love my culture." To have to have an Arab name, you know, or Arab dressing. So, what would you like to say to people who have such concerns? So, there's a lot of misconceptions, unfortunately. A couple of years ago there was a sister that took her Shahada, and she planned it to take it on December 25th. So on Christmas Day, she planned it.
And normally we get together on this day, so people don't feel lonely, they have a sense of family, if they choose not to go and celebrate for whatever reason. Whether it's that their family drinks a lot of alcohol or what have you. So we had a gathering where she was going to take her Shahada. She invited her non-Muslim family, her father, her sister. She's American, white American. And she also invited her future in-laws, right? So she was talking to somebody for marriage before she converted. South Asian. And after we took the Shahada... I gave her the Shahada. She, you know, everybody hugged her. It was a very emotional moment.
The future father-in-law gets up and says, "Today, your name is Dua." And she was shocked. And I said, "No, no, no." I was holding her hand and I squeezed her hand. I said, "It's okay." And I said, "No, brother. Today her name is her name." And then her future mother-in-law said, "Please tell her that from today, she has to eat Sabiha. Only halal." And I squeezed her hand again to, like, reinforce that you're not alone. I'm here with you. It's okay. So, I told her, "Sister, it's okay." And when she hugged me again, she thanked me for being there in that sense of support. Because, again, that misconception of having to change your name the day that you embrace Islam, it's a misconception.
Nowhere does it say that you change your name. As long as it doesn't have a bad meaning. You're able to be Maria, Felipe, Pablo. It doesn't matter. This is important because this is your identity. For me, you know, even my last name, Morales. People don't think I'm Muslim automatically. And this is a ticket to dialogue, like... So, no, you don't have to change your name. Absolutely not. You can definitely keep the goodness of your culture. I personally still cook mole, tacos, flautas. I enjoy my culture to the max. You don't have to stop loving and believing in Jesus and understanding that his mother, Mary has a chapter in the Qur'an. So, they're not very foreign to us.
We love them and respect them, and you don't have to stop loving them and respecting them. On the contrary, Islam enhances our lives in so many ways. So, continue eating your tacos, continue enjoying all of the culture that comes with you. And continue learning about Islam, because Islam is a way of life.
I put on the headscarf and I took pictures. And I posted them, and my family said, "What is this?" My closest cousin was very upset. She pulled my hijab and she slapped me. She says, "You're not Arab, take this off." And then she went again. And I held her hand, then I said, "Would Jesus be happy with you if you hit me?" So, she stopped and she said, "Get out, I don't want to see you." Assalamualaikum, Sister Nahela Morales. Thank you for accepting our invitation. Welcome to the interview. I want to start by asking, who is Nahela Morales? Can you tell us briefly about your life? Walaikumassalam warahmatullah wabarakatuh. Thank you. It's an honor to be here.
Nahela is the daughter of a Mexican family that come from a Catholic religious background. At the age 25, I moved to New York City. After college, I studied merchandise marketing and I decided to move far away from California. And the furthest I can go was New York City. So I moved to New York City, actually, the summer 2001, which was three months prior to 9/11. It was a few years after where I eventually embraced Islam. How was your life in regards to faith? What were you believing in? So, I was born in a Catholic home. I never thought Jesus was God. I did have a very high level of respect for the Virgin of Guadalupe, which is the Virgin Mary in Mexico.
Because culturally, in Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe has a very high level rank. We did go to church on special occasions, perhaps Sundays or a wedding, a baptism, but not necessarily on a regular basis. So, since I was seven years old, I always had a curiosity of the 3-in-1. And there was a level of respect for my grandmother that I couldn't ask too many questions. And when I was growing up, I would ask her, "Why is it three?" And she would just tell me, "You just have to believe." So it was always like the door was closed. So it was very difficult to believe in 3-in-1. I knew there was God. And even though I was raised with respecting all three, it never sinked in with me.
It never resonated with me. I always had that question. How can it be three people in one? How did you first hear about Islam? It wasn't until 9/11 that... It really made me look into the religion of Islam. My birthday is September 12th. And I had a huge plan to spend it in New York City, because I lived in the suburbs at the time. And on 9/11 I was supposed to go to the city. And I fell asleep. The train that I was supposed to take was the 1 or the 9 that went under the Twin Towers. If I didn't fall asleep, I most probably would have been under the Twin Towers because I was going to leave around 6:30. And when I woke up, my phone was ringing a lot and the TV was on.
And when I first saw the first plane hit, I thought it was a movie. And I said, "What is this?" It was shocking and I wanted answers. And the news reporter kept repeating "Allahu Akbar." And I said, "What is Allahu Akbar?" They kept saying "Terrorist" and "Islamic", and I had no idea what that meant. So for me, it was like, I needed to find answers. But on the other hand, my family was calling. They were so scared and they were thinking about my safety. They wanted me to go to California. And all I wanted was to learn what Allahu Akbar meant. And I wanted to know, who are these terrorists and why are they here? And I became very angry as an American as well.
I said, "I need to find answers." I needed more, and that's really when the story begins. The city was a mess, you know, for many, many months to come. But I started looking online, and I was very inquisitive. And the next step after this, I moved from New York and I moved to New Jersey. I only lived three blocks away from the mosque. So, I started looking to visit a mosque. And then I found the mosque is, like, very close, walking distance. I might get a little emotional because this is... This takes you back. It's a very scary moment, but exciting at the same time. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't have the proper attire. I didn't have a hijab with me.
I kept going back and forth to the mirror, trying to say "Assalamualaikum". So I was teaching myself "Assalamualaikum" in the mirror. And my hands were sweating. I was so nervous. Finally, I went inside. My first teacher, Sheikh Muhammad Al Hayek, was called to come and greet me. I was wearing a piece of cloth that had little holes, right? So it wasn't a proper hijab. And I was fidgeting, I was playing with it. I was very nervous. And he said, "Come, come." He took me to his office. He introduced himself. He said, "What is your name? What is my name?" And I just kept, like touching it and moving.
And he said, "Are you Muslim?" I said, "No." He goes, "Do you want to take this off?" I said, "Yes." And he said, "Take it off. It's okay. Relax." He said, "There is a class today. You're welcome to come." And I came to the class, and every Wednesday, religiously, I would be in his class. And oftentimes we'd joke around, "Oh, I'm late, I'm on Muslim time." "No, no, no, you're late because you're late. But Islamically, we have to respect each other's time." And I befriended women from Indonesia and Malaysia. I started learning words like Inshallah, Alhamdulillah, Mashallah.
And the women would be like, "Are you Muslim?" And I would be like, "No, I'm not Muslim, but I'm learning." As Towards Eternity, we need your support. We are a charity organization that aims to spread the message of Islam to the entire world in ten languages. With your support, you can help people convert to Islam, give up harams, start praying, wear hijab, learn to read the Qur'an, and so on. And get your share from all these good deeds, Inshallah. Donate to Towards Eternity and don't miss this golden opportunity. Then I remember I put on the headscarf and I took pictures and I posted them.
And my family said, "What is this?" I said, "Oh, this is like the Virgin of Guadalupe, like she has a veil, and..." And so, I started linking things together like, okay, the hijab, the nuns, my grandmother putting this. And so, I started finding it very appealing. But what really did it for me is Allah is one. Then, we eliminated two. This is easy. I can pray to God, only my relationship with God. I don't need to have two more. And that's really what did it for me. So I started practicing. I started going to the masjid. A friend gifted me hijabs, and I was a regular. And for a long time, people thought I was Muslim. How did you take your Shahada? Can you tell us?
So, I remember there was one sister in the masjid who knew I wasn't Muslim. She would incline to tell me, you know, "You need to take your Shahada." I said, "But I come to the masjid, I'm fasting. I'm good." It was one last day of Ramadan that she said, "Today is the day." We finished praying and she tapped me and she goes, "You need to take your Shahada today." And I said, "Okay." So, she told the sheikh and I took my Shahada. It was the happiest day of my life, to be honest with you. It was very overwhelming. I can't even explain the feeling. It's like everything just falls off your shoulders. You feel very light. You feel like a new person.
So, that was the happiest day of my life, honestly. Then I went home, after everybody started going and their families and leaving. So, I was walking home. I remember I grabbed my prayer rug and I threw myself in sujood. And I felt very lonely. And I remember... Questioning if it was the right thing that I did the night before. It was sad and my son didn't understand what was happening. And it hurts when I talk about it every single time. Because I know there's a lot of reverts, converts out there that go through the same experience. It was Allah that got me out of that. I remember going to the store and buying my son some candy after we had breakfast, and the day went on.
How did your family and the people around you react to your conversion to Islam? I remember it was August, very hot. I was wearing a turtleneck, jeans and a bandana, right? So, long sleeve. And my family thought I was crazy. "It's summer. Why are you dressed like this?" I said, "Because I'm Muslim and I have to cover." It was very difficult for them to understand. In particular, one cousin. One cousin was very upset. I remember towards my end of that visit, I was walking in her house, and she pulled my hijab. And she slapped me and she says, "You're not Arab. You will never be Arab. Take this off." And then she went again to slap me again, and I held her hand. She's very devout Catholic.
She's very... She goes to church every Sunday. She has huge image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. And I held her hand and I said, "Would Jesus be happy with you if you hit me? This is your teaching?" So she stopped and she said, "Get out, I don't want to see you. Get out." So she kicked me out. This is my closest cousin, like my sister. The next year when I came, I came with abaya. Now I came fully dressed. Abaya, hijab. Everybody was shocked. They said, "What is this? Why more covered? What's happening to you? Who is changing your mind?" I remember by the third visit, my grandmother pulled me aside and she asked me if I was happy.
And I said "Yes, I'm very happy." She says, "Okay, do as you wish." And she told my family, "Leave her alone." "She is not drinking, she's not smoking, she's not outside at night. She's taking care of her son. She dresses okay. It's okay." Eventually she accepted me and she asked the whole family to respect my new faith. Did any member of your family become Muslim after you, after being inspired by you? Ironically, the one person I never thought would become Muslim, became Muslim. And that was my mother. I don't have the best relationship with her, but I remember I did an interview on Spanish Channel and she saw me with a headscarf. She had never seen me.
She saw me with a headscarf and she said, "Oh, you're dress like the clone, are you Muslim?" And I said, "Yes." I was very afraid to actually give her dawah, I don't know. So I gather books in Spanish and a Qur'an in Spanish and information in Spanish. And I shipped it to California. And she started reading. And she eventually took her Shahada. So can you tell us about what you felt about the hijab? Many Western people see this as a restriction, but you loved it. So why do you think is the reason that you loved it from the beginning? I felt a sense of liberation. Like, I felt the hijab liberated me completely. I choose, I have the power to choose who sees me and who doesn't.
Unlike a billboard that's selling alcohol, and it's a woman that's half naked. To me, this is oppression. To me, this is liberation. So after you became Muslim, did you have any extraordinary event that you felt incredible closeness to Allah? It was Hajj. My son and I did Hajj in 2018. So, I remember we went, and I remember we were doing tawaf. He said, "Okay, now, now, now, we're going to go touch the Kaaba." And we touched the Kaaba. And then I'm feeling like I'm getting cramped. I said, "Andrew..." And I started getting an anxiety attack I started crying. I said, "Oh my God, they're going to crush me." And so, he grabbed my hand and it opened. There was a man in white.
He grabbed his hand and it opened like the sea opened for Musa. And we went. And he left, the man left. And I said, "Where is he, so we can thank him?" He was gone. I don't know what it was. Was it an angel? Was it... But it was from Allah. It was in seconds. And I remember I was crying because I felt like I was going to get crashed. And all of a sudden, Allah took me out of that. What was the main thing that convinced you that Islam is 100% the truth? I think the one thing that really convinced me that Islam was the truth is that the Qur'an has not been changed and that millions memorize it. I've never heard millions memorizing the Bible. So for me, that was a miracle.
It's not a little book. It's a pretty big book. So, it really caught my attention. Just on this point, I want to ask you, what would you like to say to a Mexican that is watching you right now? To my fellow Mexican audience, I really, first of all, implore you to even look into this faith, which is not very strange than what our culture teaches us. You will find a sense of belonging and purpose. It is important to not let those feelings asleep. Make sure that you feed your curiosity, ask questions, make sure that you read and you educate yourself from correct sources, like this website. It's important for us to find answers. Find those answers. Ask a Muslim.
If you are having heart issues, you will go to a cardiologist. If you're having questions about Islam, ask a Muslim, read the Qur'an. Learn about our beloved Prophet (pbuh). As you pointed out, many reverts are asking after they become Muslim, "Do I have to abandon my culture, leave my cultural background behind? Because I love my family, I love my culture." To have to have an Arab name, you know, or Arab dressing. So, what would you like to say to people who have such concerns? So, there's a lot of misconceptions, unfortunately. A couple of years ago there was a sister that took her Shahada, and she planned it to take it on December 25th. So on Christmas Day, she planned it.
And normally we get together on this day, so people don't feel lonely, they have a sense of family, if they choose not to go and celebrate for whatever reason. Whether it's that their family drinks a lot of alcohol or what have you. So we had a gathering where she was going to take her Shahada. She invited her non-Muslim family, her father, her sister. She's American, white American. And she also invited her future in-laws, right? So she was talking to somebody for marriage before she converted. South Asian. And after we took the Shahada... I gave her the Shahada. She, you know, everybody hugged her. It was a very emotional moment.
The future father-in-law gets up and says, "Today, your name is Dua." And she was shocked. And I said, "No, no, no." I was holding her hand and I squeezed her hand. I said, "It's okay." And I said, "No, brother. Today her name is her name." And then her future mother-in-law said, "Please tell her that from today, she has to eat Sabiha. Only halal." And I squeezed her hand again to, like, reinforce that you're not alone. I'm here with you. It's okay. So, I told her, "Sister, it's okay." And when she hugged me again, she thanked me for being there in that sense of support. Because, again, that misconception of having to change your name the day that you embrace Islam, it's a misconception.
Nowhere does it say that you change your name. As long as it doesn't have a bad meaning. You're able to be Maria, Felipe, Pablo. It doesn't matter. This is important because this is your identity. For me, you know, even my last name, Morales. People don't think I'm Muslim automatically. And this is a ticket to dialogue, like... So, no, you don't have to change your name. Absolutely not. You can definitely keep the goodness of your culture. I personally still cook mole, tacos, flautas. I enjoy my culture to the max. You don't have to stop loving and believing in Jesus and understanding that his mother, Mary has a chapter in the Qur'an. So, they're not very foreign to us.
We love them and respect them, and you don't have to stop loving them and respecting them. On the contrary, Islam enhances our lives in so many ways. So, continue eating your tacos, continue enjoying all of the culture that comes with you. And continue learning about Islam, because Islam is a way of life.