Conversion to Islam at Time of Crisis

December 11, 2001

Source: Los Angeles Times

On December 11, 2001, the Los Angeles Times featured an article on Dia Richardson, a recent convert to Islam. "Richardson personifies the majority [of converts]: African American, urban, in search of answers and a more disciplined form of worship... Like many new converts of any faith, Richardson came to Islam at a time of crisis. A few weeks ago, she lost her latest job, her apartment in Acton, and then her father broke his hip and slipped into a coma during surgery... She [now] enjoys reading the Koran in English and has been committing to memory her obligatory prayers in Arabic. Other aspects of her new faith have been more difficult. Muslims have been fasting from sunrise to sunset for almost a month now in observance of Ramadan."