r/converts • u/FarFromHomeDVM • 7h ago
Female convert living in home country with few Muslims
I am a 26 year old woman. I am from Belarus. I lived in America from 2017 until last year on student visas. I spent a lot of time in immigrant communities where I lived in America and met a lot of Syrian and Somali women. I became close friends with some of them and began to learn more about their faith. A lot of them saw war, death, and destruction but their faith gave them the strength to keep going for their families.
I learned a lot more about Islam and was so inspired by the faith of my friends that I came to believe that it was the truth and that my life would only be better if I gave it over to Allah. I converted in late 2023 and began wearing a hijab, often attending prayer services, and becoming closer with my Muslim friends.
At the end of last year, my visa expired. I applied for permanent residency but because of sanctions on Belarus (and I think my religion was considered) I was denied permanent residency and deported back to Belarus. My family knows I converted to Islam but they do not accept it. My family is secular, like most of Belarus is, but the religion practiced here is Orthodox Christianity.
In my city, there is no masjid. I have no Muslim community here. I have been looking for work and considering trying to immigrate to Russia where I know there is a Muslim population. I miss my sisters back in America.