Pearl Atkinson, International and Area Studies senior
(photo by Kasey Chapman)
Pearl Atkinson wasn't raised in a religious family. In fact, both Christianity and God seemed distant from her as she was growing up in Lone Grove, Okla. The 29-year-old International and Area Studies senior says the Christian society she was raised in never felt like her own.
"My family didn't really practice religion, so I kind of went to church with friends, or sometimes my grandma would take us to different churches," she said. "All I knew growing up is that I believed in God."
After several years, however, Atkinson's simple belief in God would transform into something much more - a journey that began just after she graduated from high school.
"After high school I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with my life," she said. Because she wasn't financially able to attend college, Atkinson turned to the military.
"I felt like going into the military would be a great benefit to me because I'd get to serve my country, and also I'd learn discipline and other aspects of what it takes to be a citizen in this country."
At age 19, Atkinson began six years of active duty service as a supply specialist in the U.S. Army. Her service took her to Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan, and exposed her to Islam.
"Prior to coming to the University of Oklahoma, my only interaction with Muslims were Muslims that were overseas, Muslims that I came in contact with in Iraq and Afghanistan," she said. "Because I was not religious, it didn't matter to me what religion you were, it was what kind of person you were."
Atkinson came to the University of Oklahoma in the fall of 2008 and soon found herself confronted with the same religion she had discovered while in the military. After one of her classes was cancelled just two weeks into the semester, Atkinson searched for another course in order to remain a full-time student.
"The only thing that was open that seemed somewhat interesting was a class called Introduction to Islam," she said. It only took a few weeks before she realized she had discovered what she was looking for.
"I just knew it was for me," she said. "Nothing had ever clicked like that for me. Nothing had ever made sense like that for me, so that's how I initially came to find Islam."
Atkinson studied the religion for another year before she eventually converted to Islam in January 2010.
"Islam just seemed to give me a path of having my own relationship with [God]," she said.
As a Muslim for only 10 months, Atkinson continues to be confronted with the realities of her newfound faith and the reactions people have to her conversion.
"My Mom's really happy for me," she said. "She sees that I'm a better person now and that I'm happier and that I have more direction in my life."
Not everyone has been as supportive, Atkinson said, particularly in the military.
"I've had people tell me if I choose to associate with Muslims, then basically they don't want to be my friend anymore. It's painful that I served beside these people; I defended my country for seven years, and now I have to defend my religion," she said.
Atkinson said that those negative reactions are the result of common misconceptions about Islam. She thinks it is ignorant to associate 1.5 billion Muslims with the terrorist attacks carried out by a few extremists - something she thoroughly condemns.
"[Terrorists] choose to pick out certain scriptures and follow those only," she said. "They ignore everything else. They ignore the fact that you're not supposed to kill innocent people, that you're not supposed to kill women and children."
Even though she has faced opposition to being a Muslim, she remains committed to her faith and the role it will have in her future. Atkinson hopes to use her degree to help the less fortunate.
"I'm really interested in working with women and children in possibly a non-profit organization, and I'm looking to maybe go overseas, maybe Africa," she said. "I think there's plenty of work that could be done there in my field."
Although Atkinson felt distant from the Christian culture she was raised in, she has now found a faith all her own. The girl from Lone Grove who once felt distant from God now feels closer than ever thanks to the faith of Islam and the journey along the way.