With the introduction Georgette holds her hands deep in the sleeves of her djellaba. She refuses the outstretched hand. “You should not take this personally, but since I am Muslim, I get no strangers anymore. I will only touch my husband. Not that I have wedding plans. What should a widow of 92 ? ” Then splashes Georgettes loud laugh . The roaring laughter of “Muhammad Maddah” is still on.
Georgette and Mohammed are already more than 40 years neighbors. Two years ago Georgettes was put by her family in a nursing home; wanted to quit, Muhammad suggested that his neighbor could come to live with his family. That was not a problem as Muhammad’s wife, son and two daughters knew Georgette all throughout their lives. Muhammad had actually just lost his own mother. and Georgette might lessen that loss.
“ I was attracted to Islam,” says Georgette. “I saw these people pray together. I saw how caringly they interact. How they talk to each other. How important family is to them. Totally different from my cold family. Since my conversion, I have not heard from my 72 year old daughter. “
Of God apart
Last summer Georgette went with Mohammed's family for visit to Morocco. That was Ramadan, the fasting of the Muslims. “I knew what fasting is, because I’m Catholic. I was baptized, went to the nuns school, was twice married at church and have attended my two husbands' ecclesiastical burial. During my working life I was a maid in a Jewish family. But religion has never touched me. On the contrary. I lived quite apart from God. On my fifth birthday I smoked my first cigarette and my last on my 78th. On my seventh drank my first glass of alcohol and before my conversion I drank half a bottle of wine every day. That was a habit from my first marriage with an Italian fighter pilot, who was killed in the war . “
During her participation in Ramadan last year, a deep religious feeling awakened in Georgette. She was shocked.So late in life, a completely new experience !. For the first time she felt in touch with something higher. With Allah. She felt His openness. His love. She asked Him for the healing of a friend and the rescue of a little boy who was on the wrong track. Her two request were granted... That was a sign to Georgette; to convert to Islam.
Women helped Georgette to thoroughly wash herself. That was a ritual. “Then they continued to kiss me. So glad they were because I was a sister of them. I've never been kissed so much – you probably know by women – as since entering Islam. There are somethings that I must leave. Beverage, tobacco, pork and – it is not easy for a woman – even makeup, routine use of makeup in public. Previously I put the makeup always in thick layers. “
Back in Belgium, they went to the big mosque in Brussels for a certificate for Noor Islam – that is the new name of Georgette. The mosque in Brussels reported the conversion of the then 91-year-old Belgian woman immediately to the mosque in Mecca. Wherein they plunged into the archives but found no older converts. Immediately, the king of Saudi Arabia them informed that an envoy was sent to Berchem with a gold watch for Georgette. Plus an invitation to next year at his expense to come to Mecca, for Hajj. The Saudi television will follow her. But the VRT was for them. Famous Everyone turned in a report on Georgette.It’s a dirty question, but they had to ask Was Georgette paid something for conversion to Islam? She looks strict and then again that loud laugh: “Money has nothing to do with it. I took this decision entirely voluntarily. Everyone is free to do so. Others should follow my example. “
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