She Left Islam for Jesus: Fariza Gulomikova

About this episode

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