When we think of Jihadists, we tend to think of people like Faisal Shahzad, who attempted to bomb Times Square last spring. But it so happens that one of the most famous Jihadist thinkers is a 76-year-old white woman from Westchester, New York named Maryam Jameela. Born to a non-observant Jewish family, she converted to Islam in her twenties, emigrated to Pakistan, and became a prominent female voice for conservative Islam, writing over thirty books on the subject. Deborah Baker is the author of a new book about Maryam Jameelah. It’s called “The Convert: A Tale of Exile and Extremism.”
The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!