In the name of Allah ,the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

 

Sister Fatima Laurie Kanaan Laurie Kanaan<

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam:

Assalamu Aleikum! I reverted to Islam in November 2004 while in Malta before
returning to the USA. I had relocated to Malta from the USA in June 2004 as
I was engaged to a Maltese widower but things were difficult for me from the
beginning as I was trying to live up to the expectations of Paul who always
compared me with his late wife.

On November 15, 2004 I was walking in the capital city of Valletta and noticed a Tunisian Muslim sister named Aisha who was sitting at a table with Islamic pamphlets. I went to the table and spoke with Sister Aisha for over two hours and during that time Allah opened my eyes and heart to the truth of Islam. I began to see things very clearly and at 7:30 pm I made my Shahadah and became a Muslim revert.

 On November 16, 2004 I relocated back to the USA as Paul would not accept my reversion to Islam and I contacted my parents and took the first plane back to
Cincinnati Ohio.

I am 35 years old, divorced and the first Muslim in my family. I love my parents very much but they have been very unsupportive and demeaning to me from the beginning. I have now began a new job on February 28 at a bank in a customer service position and am trying to become financially secure after my six months in Malta . I want to wear hijab to work but have not been to the mosque as I live at least one hour away and do not have any transportation except from my parents. My parents live in a rural area 25 miles outside of Cincinnati so I rely on them for
transportation to and from work and I don't have a lot of independence.


I would like to meet some other Muslim brothers and sisters from this forum
for I feel so alone facing daily negativity and demeaning comments daily
from my parents, the stresses of beginning a new job, and trying to learn
about Islam ALL on my own.

I want very much to relocate to the UAE to teach
English and would like to relocate before the end of this year to live,
work, and learn about Islam in a Muslim country with fellow Muslim brothers
and sisters but do not know how to go about doing that. I WANT ONLY to be
the best Muslim sister that I can be but since my reversion I am facing such
tremendous obstacles and ONLY want things to become easier so I can grow in
the one true faith.

Salam
Any suggestions are appreciated
Fatima

(Laurie Kanaan)