An Arab group in the village of Kafr Kara in northern Israeli is actively converting Israelis, especially teenage girls, to Islam.
As previously reported by Arutz Sheva, the “missionary center” for Islam in the village, operated by a group called Dar al-Islam, offers classes, assistance, and conversion services to Israeli Jews - mostly women - who are encouraged to bring friends from schools and youth groups.
According to Israeli sources familiar with the group, the organization has managed to convert several dozen girls, many of them from families of new immigrants from the former Soviet Union. The organization prints materials and books in Hebrew specifically to attract Israelis to Islam.
Now, more information has surfaced about the group, including footage of one recent Jewish covert to Islam making a speech at the center.
A reporter for Maariv, who visited the center, said that it was decidedly low-tech, without even a web site. Nevertheless, its directors told Al Jazeera TV that the organization was making “headway” among Jewish girls. One convert, a teenage who calls herself “Aisha,” was interviewed by Al Jazeera, and in perfectly-accented Hebrew explained how a friend of hers had sent her a video of an individual reading the Koran, which she said cured a terrible stomach ache she had.
“As soon as the video ended the pain came back,” she said. “At that moment I realized the power the Koran had. After that I began reading stories about Muhammad on-line, and I found myself wanting to convert to Islam, but I did not have the tools or support to do so.” She eventually found her way to Dar al-Islam, and after several months decided to convert. “I cannot describe the feelings I had when I took the oath of a Muslim convert,” she said. “At that moment I started shedding holy tears of joy.”
“Aisha,” who does not give her Hebrew name, said that her family does not know she has converted, although a cousin, along with her father, does. “They support me because I am happy,” she said. “But if my mother or sister knew about it, they would react differently.” Many of her friends know and support her, she said, “but some do not understand why I did it. They ask me about it and I explain that there is nothing wrong with being Jewish, but for me, Islam is the path to happiness.”