Honestly

I believe half of the problems in world would be solved if only people respected other people's beliefs.

I am a Muslim and I love practising my religion. If I had a penny for everytime people tell me 'but you don't look like a Muslim' I would be very rich by now. Which gets me wondering what exactly Muslims look like.

I have had people ask me why I am a Muslim! I have absolutely nothing against other religions. I think it's interesting the different forms of faith and communication with a Supreme Being.

My Grandma is an Anglican and her parents were too but she married a Muslim and she still remains an Anglican. To my knowledge my Grandpa never had a problem with it till his dying day. I guess I understand why when some ladies get married, they take up their husband's religion.

I understand that for unity and the children's sake, it is better to have a common religion but what I don't like is the expectation from people that because you married outside your religion, you must adopt your husband's religion even when you don't believe in it.

I know it would be difficult for me to change my religion for someone, very hard indeed. All my boyfriends have been Christians and I don't have any problems with it. I fell in love with the person not his faith. My family don't have issues either as happiness and compatibility is what matters.

I have had people inviting me to church over and over again but when I deign to ask them to come for an Islamic program, they act like you just hit them with something foul! I also remember a fasting period when a former colleague asked me why I was observing the fast and I responded that it was part of my religion and also good for the body, she looked at me with disdain and did that thing with the nose.

I have nothing against other religions and I respect other people's faith but I am not going to accept anyone speaking/acting towards me as if I were not a person simply because we don't practice the same faith. If we all treated others the way we would like to be treated, there would be peaceful co-existence.

I have this friend who was brought up a Muslim, both parents have performed the Hajj but she changed her religion and no one said anything. Her parents never hassled her, they respected her faith and the fact that she has one.

You certainly don't have to like/understand/believe in the tenets of other people's religion but respect it. If I have one more person preaching to me to convert, I might start screaming and never stop. Your religion won't take you to heaven (if you believe it exists) but it is your action and deeds that will determine whether you get to the pearly gates. Live and let live.