Filipino Women Converts to Islam: Their Identities and Life Choices

Taking on a biographical approach, this chapter looks at two Filipino women in Malaysia who are married to Malaysian men and have converted to Islam upon marriage. Based on semi-structured interviews done in March 2018, this study examines these women’s identity transformations as converts from Christianity (Catholicism) to Islam and how religion shapes their current identities. Moreover, it looks at how these women defined and redefined their family lives and how their newfound faith has influenced their life choices with regard to citizenship acquisition, return, and perceptions of “home.” For these two women, Malaysia has become “home” and return visits to the Philippines have been challenging in terms of cultural and religious practices; thus, “re-adjustments” need to be made. In addition, this study brings to light the cultural challenges of migrant women who are converted to Islam upon their return to their non-Muslim homeland.