Muslim Women’s Coalition’s Annual Revert Iftar

Photos by Yaseen Najeeb

 Adrianna Noye (front right), new to Wisconsin, came from Whitewater for the MWC Revert Iftar, where she met (clockwise from front left) Talibah Hanif, Victoria Garcia, Destiny Davis, Hadiyyah Clark, Hana’a Alqam, Samatha Williams, Santana Lee, Sumaiyah Clark, Nadia Alkhun, Sofia Perez and Ma’ati Bey.

For Adrianna Noyes, driving the 54 miles from Whitewater to Milwaukee to the Muslim Women’s Coalition’s Revert Iftar “is worth the drive,” the new Wisconsinite said.

Noyes became a Muslim in February of 2022, while studying for her doctorate in speech and language pathology at Penn State. The California native moved to Wisconsin in 2024 for an assistant professor post at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. 

“The Muslim community in Whitewater is very small. I decided to branch out a little and try Milwaukee,” she said. 

At the Muslim Women’s Coalition’s Revert Iftar Saturday, Noyes and other reverts to Islam met with each other and with Muslims who were born in Muslim families. “Revert” is a term many Muslims use for converting to Islam from another faith or no faith. It signifies the belief that humans are born into pure faith in the true God and, if they grew up in another tradition, are returning to that faith when they become Muslims as adults.

MWC created its annual Revert Iftar as an opportunity for reverts to meet each other and other Muslims, explained MWC founder and executive director Janan Najeeb. Originally scheduled to be held at the Islamic Resource Center in Greenfield, Saturday’s iftar was held at the Wilson Park Senior Center after more than 100 reverts signed up to attend and a larger hall was needed, she said.

MWC board members Nadia Alkun and Hana’a Alqam organized the event, which included an iftar (a dinner to break the Ramadan fast), gifts for attendees and raffle prizes. Board members Sahar Khatib of Brookfield and Hadiyyah Clark of Milwaukee, and staff members Phardera Be, Nayfa Naji and Jenny Wegener assisted at the event.

The highlight of the evening was all sharing what they love about Islam and the reverts telling their stories of becoming Muslim. 

MWC board members Nadia Alkun and Hana’a Alqam organized the iftar for “reverts,” the Muslim term for people who embrace Islam as an adult.

Becoming Muslim

Wisconsin Muslim Journal asked several guests to share their stories of becoming Muslim with our readers. 

Adrianna Noyes of Whitewater: 

“It was a long journey that started in 2016 when I met a Muslim for the first time. I had been struggling with my own faith. I had been brought up in a Christian church and I was having some struggles with that. For a long time, I felt I was in an in-between space where I still believed in God but I didn’t know where I belonged.

“In 2020, I started working on my Ph.D. at Penn State. One of my friends and classmates became a very good friend. He’s Muslim. I saw the way he lived. After talking to this friend, eventually I decided to take the shahada (the Islamic profession of faith).”

Although Noyes lives in Whitewater, she drives to Milwaukee to connect with its Muslim community. 

“Milwaukee’s been really great. There seem to be a lot of mosques and there seems to be a large Muslim community in Milwaukee. Honestly, I feel it is worth the drive to come here and connect.

Sofia Perez of Milwaukee:

“My conversion story is a little bit complex. When I was in high school, I tried to find a spiritual community that aligned with my values. I felt like there was something spiritually missing inside of me, an emptiness that had to be healed. In Islam, we have learned we have an emptiness in our hearts only God can fill.

“I tried the Catholic Church. I studied a bit with born-again Christians, then I got deeper into Jehovah’s Witnesses and later the Latter-day Saints. When I go into religion, I try to do as much research as I can and Christianity wasn’t working for me. I felt like my own values aligned better with Islam.

“I said my shahada in 2021, but then studied for a year with Jehovah’s Witnesses and started going to a Mormon Church. But some things I heard contradicted what Islam teaches.” 

Perez searched on Google for information about Islam and sometimes called a mosque to ask questions. “I really started gaining knowledge by taking structured Islamic courses through the mosque,” she said. “I took my first course in Ramadan 2023.

“I officially started practicing in 2023. That’s when I started wearing the hijab properly. I started taking Islamic courses and became involved with the community.

“I went to an Introduction to Islam event at the UWM mosque, another program about why bad things are happening now and another about the history of Islam in the United States. Then it all started to click.

“Before that I wasn’t really practicing. I didn’t know how to start. And I didn’t really have the courage to go to the mosque on my own. I thought that I had to be perfect at prayer. I went to the Mormon church because they had people who wanted to study with me. I guess I went to where the resources were.

“I had said my shahada and that was really it. I didn’t know anyone and didn’t know where else to go. I’m glad there are a lot more programs for new Muslims now and more programs for sisters. What really helped me engage with the community is the (Islamic Society of Milwaukee’s) Sisterly Program.

“I wish we had a mentorship program for Muslims at the beginning of the journey, someone to guide you once you said your shahada. New converts need that in order not to feel isolated and to learn about the religion. Converting alone is just not enough.”

Waleed Najeeb of Mequon offered the call to prayer to signal it was sunset, time to break the Ramadan fast.

Talibah Hanif of Milwaukee:

“It’ll be my 35th year as a Muslim in December. I was Christian before. Most of my family is Pentecostal. My dad stopped being Christian in the sixties and started to follow the Nation of Islam’s doctrines. 

“I was about to get married. I wasn’t Muslim but my husband-to-be was. I felt that if there were children from that, it would be better for them if we went in the same direction. 

“The marriage didn’t last long but I continued to get more and more interested in Islam and participated in the community, mostly at the Dawah Center but also at other places like the ISM and Al Huda. I usually come to this event every year.”

Judith Arnold (left) and her daughter Margaret Major (right) pose together for a photo.

Victoria Garcia of Milwaukee:

“I’ve been a Muslim for about a year. I became a Muslim last April. This is my second Revert Iftar. 

“I was introduced to Islam by one of my good friends. Upon moving to Milwaukee, I started exploring the community here and was inspired by everybody I have met and continue to meet—such good souls and good hearts, everything you want in good friends and a community.

“What’s special about the MWC Revert Iftar is that it’s a lot easier to connect about your journeys with other people who have experienced similar things. Sometimes people go through very different things and end up in the same spot. It’s all interesting. It’s mutually beneficial to meet the new reverts as well, to be able to share your story and hear their story—to feel a sense of connection there.”

Muslim Women’s Coalition staff member Phareda Be handed out prizes to raffle winners.

Destiny Davis of Milwaukee:

“I’ve been a Muslim since 2017. Since then I came to a lot of iftars for reverts. 

“I became Muslim my senior year in high school. After reading about it, I believed this is the way life is supposed to be. That’s why I converted.”

“It was very hard because my family didn’t accept it. But after some time, they gave up when they realized I wasn’t going to change my mind.”

MWC board member Hadiyyah Clark welcomed “the next generation of Muslim leaders to speak.”

Ma’ati Bey of Milwaukee:

“I’ve been a Muslim a long time but I took my shahada in 2022 at the Dawah Center. It changed my life. 

“I always do research before I go into anything. I had been doing research and had been in other schools of thought. Islam is for me.

“Why? Because of the freedom I feel. I love Allah and I love the teachings and I love sisterhood.

“I come to the revert iftar every year. I usually come with Sister Talibah and I participate in other events as well. I was at the Hanan fundraiser. I try to be a participant in my community and an advocate to help others as I can.”

Amanda Saran said she values the Islamic Resource Center’s library, its children’s programs and “the great librarian” Jenny Wegener.

“We are all reverts.”

Waleed Najeeb, Islamic Society of Milwaukee Religious Chair and Shura member, declared to those gathered for the MWC Revert Iftar, “All of us Muslims are reverts.

“At some point in your life, you have to revert. I was born Muslim and grew up in Syria. For many years, I didn’t have any questions about my faith. But when I arrived here 40 years ago, I had so many questions. I started researching, communicating with scholars and trying to get answers.

“I truly feel that 40 years ago, I had to restart. For everyone, there comes a time when you are going to revert to a better version of Islam.”

And “what I love about the Muslim Women’s Coalition is the way they changed the whole stereotype of Muslim women,” he added. “They have been working for decades, even before they had the Islamic Resource Center. Every function they do is very professional and unique. You learn from it, get a blessing from it. They deserve our support.”

Ma’ati Bey of Milwaukee chats with Bassel and Zayed Obeidat of Franklin as they go through the buffet line.

A revert from Milwaukee’s East Side who introduced himself as Jeremiah and noted he has been Muslim for most of his life said, “I think events like this are very important because they get the converts together. It’s good for networking so we can all meet and know each other and establish relationships between the converts and the people who have been Muslim for a long time.  

“Converts can feel lonely because they don’t have families that are Muslim. It is important to create these relationships so they feel they are part of a family.”

“What do you love about Islam?” asked MWC board member Hadiyyah Clark. “Something I like about being a Muslim is we get to celebrate Eid and Ramadan and live happy!” he responded.

Janan Najeeb thanked the Muslim Women’s Coalition board members and staff for their work in making the MWC Revert Iftar possible. She also noted there is a group for reverts in Wisconsin called “How’s It Going?” Group members connect in a WhatsApp chat and have occasional gatherings in the Greater Milwaukee area.

Doris Chebbi of Milwaukee, Sa’id Monka of Sheboygan and Victoria Garcia of Milwaukee thanked the Muslim Women’s Coalition for creating this event for reverts.

The Muslim Women’s Coalition gave reverts goodie bags that included prayer rugs, a small journal and pen, and a brochure about the Islamic Resource Center in Greenfield. They also gifted hijabs to women and toys to children.