Please visit this Look at the convert stories section. Most of them are females.
Islam has a number of things helping it. They are all inter-related
a) Anti-clericalism and post-modernism in the West (for some reason is aimed more at Christianity and Judaism than Islam).
Christians are blamed for slavery, genocide, holding back science, subjugating women etc. The ‘free’ press goes to town with every wayward priest.
Judaism is closely aligned with Israel, seen by the left as racist and imperialist.
Post-modernism deems all religions to be the same; truths relative to individual (person/regional) experiences. Any attempt to argue the absolute truths of Christianity are generally brought down by howls of derision. Comes the cry: “Who are you to judge me?” or “Christianity is already ‘proven’ to be wrong by science.”
The Gay-lobby* are keen to wave the flag of ‘freedom’ against the oppressive Judeo-Christian world.
Christianity is blamed for most of the world’s wars. Even Hitler is made-out to have been Christian.
b) Islam is further immune from criticism by those ignorant of it or frightened to speak out
Just one example: In Holland a film director made a film about women in Islam and was stabbed to death
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_van_Gogh_(film_director
Islam is seen as a ‘victim’ of Western Imperialism. Any criticism of it is deemed to be further evidence of western imperialism; Islam is seen as the victim of Western intellectual bullies.
Even when Moslems strike out (as suicide bombers, etc.) they are said to be not typical of the religion as a whole. Any attempts to point out that Islam is in fact violent brings howls of derision from modernists (including liberal-thinking Christians who are already self-loathing and uncomfortable with discussions based on absolutes).
c) Islam itself offers false portrayals of itself (helped by the lack of ‘negative’ appraisals - see reasons above)
Lying for Islam is sanctioned. Oft cited is the ‘no compulsion in religion’ text… without any historic context (it was ‘abrogated’ by later texts). Modern apologists portray Islam as a peaceful faith. It is said to have spread peacefully, in contrast to the fact everyone knows how cruel the Crusades and the Inquisition were. Revisionists contrast Islamic Spain to that same country post re-conquest. They pretend that Islamic Spain was peaceful and pluralistic.
d) Oil
money from this has made Moslem powers very rich. They sponsor projects within the community of Islam and strengthen it’s cultural bonds. In the inter-related world economy this also limits some opposition to Islam as petro-dollars pay for silence.
e) Aspects of Islam itself
There are two-fold.
In the world of relativism Islam offers answers - any answer seems to do for some who are seeking some direction. Given the fact Moslems present a false image of their faith, many prospective converts are lead into the faith with a false understanding. Practice of submission and other ways of dulling the mind through prayers to a created being (not a God) makes one more (spiritually) susceptible to such forces.
Added to this there are vast prohibitions in Islam against conversion from it. This helps make sure that movement within religions is heavily in favour of increase in numbers. Everything from officially sanctioned policies of discrimination and persecution of non-Moslems, to laws in Islam regarding marriage to non-Moslems. Moslem men can marry non-Moslem women, but the wife is restricted in the practice of her faith, and the kids must be raised Moslem. Moslem women are not allowed to marry non-Moslem men.
You’re not allowed to preach the Truth in many countries, such as Saudi Arabia.
In some cases the fact Islam allows plural marriage (and historically concubinage) has allowed numbers to swell. There are forced conversions too.
Given all these things it truly is the power of God that people see the light and move to embrace Christ.
- I have a friend who is gay, and a communist (Trotskyist). He supports many arguments in favour of Islam. Even when I try pointing out that in a Moslem world he’d be executed for either being gay, or an atheist (and communist), he believes that I am just a neo-Imperialist.