convert to Islam: Student Alana, 21

Student Alana, 21

ALANA BLOCKLEY, a media student who lives in Glasgow, converted to Islam after meeting her husband Abdul on holiday in June 2010. She says:

My family are all travellers and we live on a caravan site. I was baptised as a Christian but church and religion were never a big part of my life. 

I was 18 when I decided I wanted to go out to the Canaries. I wanted to work as a club rep and have the experiences people say you should when you’re young.

I arrived in Fuerteventura and after a couple of days, a hotel maintenance man offered to take me out for a coffee. He was Abdul, a Muslim from Morocco.

 

Preaching to the converted ... Alana, right, and pictured wih her husband Abdul

When I got home he asked me to come back and visit him – and after three visits we knew we wanted to be together.

I started to research Islam because I wanted to know more about his life.

I decided I wanted to convert. I was worried about telling my parents and burst into tears. Mum thought I was pregnant and my dad thought I’d crashed my car.

I started to wear the hijab last summer. We got married in a Muslim ceremony earlier this month in Fuerteventura.

I miss eating Parma ham but I don’t miss alcohol. 

I celebrate Eid now, but I compromised with my parents and we all had a halal Christmas dinner.

I hope I’m going to heaven now and I like the rules of Islam.