Narratives of Conversion

 .

"Friday 6 December 2013, 18:45 - 20:30

Abrar House, 45 Crawford Place, W1H 4LP 

Event Details

“Narratives of Conversion to Islam in Britain: Female Perspectives”, is a fascinating report on the conversion experience of women in Britain in the 21st Century that seeks to dispel misapprehensions and misrepresentations of female converts to Islam.

The report outlines the social, emotional and sometimes economic costs of conversion, and the context and reasons for women converting to Islam in a society with pervasive negative stereotypes about the faith.

It also highlights a need for increased levels of support for the convert community, and their own potential to be a powerful and transformative influence on both the heritage Muslim community and wider British society.

Join us for an engaging discussion of the report’s findings and recommendations.

Speaker details

Professor Yasir Suleiman CBE FRSE is the Director of the Centre of Islamic Studies, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Sa’id Professor of Modern Arabic Studies, and a Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge. His research covers the cultural politics of the Middle East with special focus on identity, conflict, diaspora studies and modernisation. He was Project Leader for the report: “Narratives of Conversion to Islam in Britain: Female Perspectives”.

Anisa Kissoon is of Caribbean heritage, and reverted to Islam at the age of 15. She has gone on to a wide range of pursuits, which include reviving the Prophetic practice of  Hijama (cupping), establishing fitness programs for women, and utilising theatre as an educational tool for youth. However her greatest passion remains philanthropy; she has assisted her filmmaker daughter in a project highlighting poverty in parts of Africa.

Dr Jayasanthy Ananthan is from Newham, East London, and is of Tamil Sri-Lankan  heritage. She embraced Islam nine years ago after studying Philosophy of Religion, Islam and Christianity at sixth form. Dr Ananthan went on to study Nursing at City University and then Medicine at the Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter. She currently works as a doctor in Essex and resides with her mother, husband and brother in East London.

Chair: Kristiane Backer is a TV presenter, journalist and voice over artist based in London with a pan-European career.

Free entrance. All welcome. No reservation needed. We look forward to seeing you. If you have any questions on the event, please email events@thecitycircle.com."