My mother is the second wife. When my father's first wife learned that she could not bear children, she encouraged him to take a second wife. In fact, she introduced my mother to him. They are very close friends. My father respects and loves them both equally. He often says that he is the happiest husband and father in the whole world. I have an older sister and two younger brothers. We feel like we have two mothers, and love them both so much.

My parents do not practice Islam, other than participating in formal occasions, like the circumcision of my two brothers and attending weddings and funerals. At home, we were never pressured to pray or fast. Occasionally, my father does go with his brother or other friends for prayer in the mosque.

He is a secondary school teacher of history and sociology and very open-minded. Over the years, he repeatedly told us that Jesus ("Issa") is his "favorite man of religion." He often spoke of him as "a true prophet of love and peace."

Who is Jesus?

Since I was about seven years old, I have been fascinated by my father's statements about Jesus, made on so many occasions.

Once, when I was 14 years old, my other mother, complained at supper time about what she heard from the loudspeakers of the neighbourhood mosque. She was upset about what the imam said about women. I do not remember the details, but it was something about women's dress and not working outside of their homes. (She and my mother never had jobs outside the home, but they always looked after older women who were sick, lonely or poor.) My father reacted by saying the neighbourhood mosque preacher was ignorant, like the religious teachers in the days of Jesus. He said that unlike them, Jesus cared about women and defended them. As a teenage girl, this got me thinking even more about Jesus.

About 6 years ago, at the age of fifteen, I asked my father to tell me more about Jesus. He smiled and said that he didn't know enough, but that long ago he had heard messages on the radio about the good character and good teaching of Jesus. He added that what he heard was very different from what Muslim people assume they know about him. Then he said that from time to time he visits websites on the internet and listens to other messages – some good and some bad. He said that a good one provides the exact teachings of Jesus from the Gospel ("Injeel").

Finding Out

So, I did my own personal research. For many months, I visited websites and listened mostly to Islamic preachers. When Jesus was mentioned, most spoke negatively of Christian beliefs, but said nothing about Jesus himself. This reminded me of what my father had said -- that they are ignorant about Jesus. So, after weeks of listening to and reading the gospel on my own, "I found out that Jesus is our divine Saviour." I became a follower of Jesus and told my family.

My father told me and the whole family that he was happy for me to have these beliefs, but urged us all not to talk to anyone else about it. One of my cousins is my closest friend. One day I told her that "I now pray to Jesus." She was surprised and a bit worried. She told her father, who spoke to my father about it. He suggested that my father convince me to meet with a certain Islamic scholar. My father said it was up to me.

Holy and Heavenly

One evening, we were visited by an imam who was a college teacher. Right away, my father informed him that I am free to believe what I want. The imam strongly disagreed and spoke negatively about what he said Christians believe. I pointed out that some of what he said was not Christian at all. He politely replied that at least some Christians believe that it is OK for women to engage in extramarital sex. I answered that this is not the true teaching of Christ in the gospel.

He then said that there are different gospels, but refused to name a gospel that supported his claims. Then he added that as a woman I would not be able to understand what he was talking about. After that, he harshly demanded that I listen to his advice and follow only what Islam says and nothing else. When he spoke like that, my other mother got angry and defended me, telling him, "She is honest, intelligent and old enough to decide for herself." My father agreed and further said to the imam that "Jesus' teaching and attitude about women is holy and heavenly."

Now, not only do I know that my father and the whole family respect what I believe, but even my uncle says that he will not be upset if his daughter believes the same, as long as we keep quiet about it.

Prayer & Praise

Please pray for the protection and spiritual growth of this North African young lady and for her family and many others like them in the Arab and Muslim lands needing Christian fellowship. Praise God for MERF's media ministries in Arabic, Farsi and other languages. They bring the gospel of Christ to shine saving grace to many hungry souls, prepared by the Holy Spirit. Pray for their nourishment and growth in fellowship with other believers.