Join the Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/theologyintheraw

Fariza Gulomikova grew up in a Shia Ismaili family in Tajikistan. As a child, she saw how much a person could lose by leaving Islam. Then her cousin became a Christian, and the kindness she encountered at his church challenged everything she thought she knew about Christians.

In part three of our Understanding Islam series, Fariza tells Preston about her childhood, her encounter with Jesus at age 11, her family’s response to her conversion, and the challenges of starting over in the United States. She also shares what she wishes Christians understood about their Muslim neighbors.

Chapters

0:00 Fariza’s decision to become a Christian

0:32 Introduction to part three of Understanding Islam

2:23 Growing up in Tajikistan during a civil war

5:31 Sunni, Shia, and Fariza’s Ismaili background

12:22 Growing up as a girl in a Muslim majority country

17:47 The pressures and dangers Fariza saw women face

26:41 Fariza’s people, language, and culture

29:10 Her childhood view of Christianity

31:34 The cousin who changed her view of Christians

33:32 The kindness that drew her toward Jesus

34:30 Fariza’s encounter with Jesus at age 11

36:45 What she was taught about Jesus in Islam

38:44 Fariza’s advice for Christians talking with Muslims

43:39 How her family responded to her conversion

47:33 Starting over in America

52:28 Islam, terrorism, and stereotypes

55:28 Searching for belonging in Christian communities

58:41 Fariza’s final word to Christians

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.