Kepler tells the process of accepting Islam

American writer Najla Tammy Kepler, who came to the world as the daughter of a cowboy father in the state of Texas, USA, gave a lecture titled “Journey to Truth from Texas” at Dicle University. Kepler, who was attending the conference with students and instructors, told his life story.

The conference organized by the Human Rights and Freedoms Club in the Conference Hall of the Faculty of Theology started with the recitation of the Holy Qur'an. Najla Tammy Kepler, a US writer after the Qur'an, said the process of becoming a Muslim.

On television, Kepler says that Americans are always happy, rich in life, but that's not the case. She says there's a big drink, drugs and lots of boys and girls problems in America.

Kepler says that working life in American society is complete slavery system by giving example on her family, “I began to question life, religion and social life at the age of 16 when the Bible did not answer my questions. When we were a student, we always were taught something: Change the world! So I decided to change myself and I started looking for ways to do this. Maybe the church could answer my questions. So I went to church and said it is forbidden to eat pork. Then why do we eat pigs? The book says to come to church on Saturday, so why we come on Sundays? I asked such simple questions. But I did not even get answers to simple questions from the church. After this frustration I've been through, I have never gone to church again. Yes, there must be another way to change myself and the world, and I should have gone out to find it elsewhere.”

Kepler said that when she could not find answers to her questions, and could not fill the gap in her heart related to the religion, she started to live like an American young, doing routine business but she said that she prayed every morning, “My Lord show me a way”.

The Islam I was told wasn’t enough so I began to search widely

Kepler said that meeting to the Islam was instrumental in getting a chance to change both herself and the world.

“3 years I prayed that God would show me a way, 3 years later Allah showed me that way. A Turkish student I was studying in a university, did not pray and fasted but told me about Allah and Islam. The Islam I was told wasn’t enough so I began to search widely. I was given 40 books of hadith which changed my life totally. It was a book to be read in half an hour but I have read for many days. I have learned many concepts, Allah, salaah, prayer, fasting, and I recognize Prophet Muhammad. This totally changed my life. I found what I was looking for and I was happy.”

Kepler emphasized that no criticism has intimidated her after she met with Islam she changed her life style and that she was criticized by the Christian family and by the society very seriously.

After being a Muslim, Kepler said that she took the name “Najla” and added that she also fulfilled the Hajj. (M. Hüseyin Temel / Emrah Deniz - ILKHA)