ORONO, Maine — A conservative Christian from South Carolina who converted to Islam will speak Friday and Saturday at events sponsored by Muslim Student Association at the University of Maine.
The organization holds an event every spring to educate and raise awareness about Islam.
Yusha Evans, who now lives in Minneapolis, will lecture at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Room 137 of Bennett Hall at the university on the purpose of life. He will speak at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Islamic Center of Maine, 151 Park St., Orono. His topic is titled “How to Gain Allah’s Pleasure.”
Evans, now 30, was on his way to becoming a minister and enrolling in Bob Jones University in his hometown of Greenville, S.C., when he encountered a Muslim who brought him to a Friday service and gave him a copy of the Quran in 1996. Two years later, Evans converted to Islam, according to information on his website yushaevens.com.
“I finally feel I have made a real connection with something greater than myself,” he said of his conversion. “I feel with Islam that a connection has finally been made with the creator, and when you feel a connection like that, there’s no way it cannot change you.”
Evans, who was born Joshua Evans, now travels extensively lecturing and conducting workshops about Islam. Last week, he took part in a program at the University of Missouri St. Louis, according to information on his website. He also has founded two Islamic television stations in North America.
In addition to lecturing, Evans runs a martial arts academy in Minneapolis. He is married and the father of three, according to his website.
Converting from Islam to Christianity in the Middle East gets you stoned to death or beheaded.
Where on earth did you hear that, you ignorant fool. Jews and Christians from all over europe went to be part of the Muslim empire while it ruled spain.
no reason to be mean,you could have just let her know the info without the name calling.
You sound like a very kind and tolerant hater ! NOT
Pretty hot temper for no reason. Go figure.
Islamic Spain was a multi-cultural mix of the people of three great monotheistic religions: Muslims, Christians, and Jews.
Although Christians and Jews lived under restrictions, for much of
the time the three groups managed to get along together, and to some
extent, to benefit from the presence of each other.
It brought a degree of civilisation to Europe that matched the heights of the Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance.
Outline
In 711 Muslim forces invaded and in seven years conquered the Iberian peninsula.
It became one of the great Muslim civilisations; reaching its summit with the Umayyad caliphate of Cordovain the tenth century.
Muslim rule declined after that and ended in 1492 when Granada was conquered.
The heartland of Muslim rule was Southern Spain or Andulusia.
Periods
Muslim Spain was not a single period, but a succession of different rules.
The Dependent Emirate (711-756)The Independent Emirate (756-929)The Caliphate (929-1031)The Almoravid Era (1031-1130)Decline (1130-1492)
Audio journey
The Alhambra Palace, the finest surviving palace of Muslim Spain, is
the beginning of a historical journey in this audio feature, In the Footsteps of Muhammad: Granada.
Although they lived ‘under restriction’s. Haha Yeah, it’s called dhimmitude! Such a lovely way to live. Ugh. You should be ashamed for making excuses for such human rights abuses! I guess you think it was an honor for Christians to have their son’s taken away to be Janissaries to fight in the Muslim’s Jihad too huh? And being Muhammed’s child bride was an honor as well? It’s all a matter of how you look at it, right Orwell?
The Muslims of that era treated Jews and Christians far, far better than the Christians treated Jews and Muslims. In Muslim Spain, dhimmi were second-class citizens. In Christian Spain, non-Catholics were treated like vermin: persecuted, tortured, imprisoned and eventually banished.
Well, good for them, how do Muslims treat others, even of other sects, TODAY? When they have the numbers or power to persecute, they do, unto genocide, (look at Egypt today just for one example, there are many, many more), and it is on-going and never-ending. The worst thing is, though, is that Muslims are in denial of, or they agree with, this persecution. Always portraying themselves as the victims, no matter what, unwilling to confront the parts of Islam that inspire and lead to this persecution, and not allowing others to either. Islamophobia charges come into play if anyone does. So, until Muslims admit their faults, of their past and present, as a first step, and seek to really change that, it doesnt really matter, does it, of if they treated others better or worse than Christians hundreds of years ago? I see it as a cop-out.
I’ve known a number of Muslims, and all of them were much more tolerant and respectful of members of different faiths than quite a few of the Christians I’ve known.
Maybe if you tried to look beyond your prejudices and actually tried to learn something about the realities of modern Islam, you might be a little less eager to denigrate all one and a half billion members of a religion that’s different from your own.
First not all Muslims persecute others or commit genocide anymore than Christians do.
Second Christians have been guilty of the same thing over time and in some parts of the world still are.
People (or religions) that live in glass houses need to learn not to throw stones.
His parents must be so proud. Ugh. Martial arts? Mhm. Jihad training camp is probably more like it.
Sounds like it will be interesting. I would really like to hear more of his story, and why he decided to choose Islam. I’m definitely going to go.
So glad to see someone on here who hasn’t been quick to judge but has rather taken the initiative to go out and learn! It’s so easy to bash others behind a computer screen before the event has even taken place, but it takes a motivated, and truly educated individual to physically go out and satisfy their curiosity. I will see you there, Sarah008!
Ben Laden was a well educated person, too! Is it not true that when the stuff hits the fan, and that if you are not Muslim, your life will be taken? Is it not the Muslim belief that Christians need to be exterminated? Isn’t this Muslim movement in large part responsible for our present situation? It doesn’t help that our “President?” has Muslim beliefs that go way beyond what he purports to be. HELLO!!!
And those “Muslim beliefs” would be what?
And please remember that after the attacks of 9/11 then President G.W. Bush said the Muslim religion was NOT our enemy.
And maybe after he is done speaking he can give a short lesson in Martial Arts! haha That would be fun too :)
If a Jew that converted to Christianity wanted to speak, it would be picketed by liberterrorists for sure.
This would be a great event for anyone that has questions! I know I’ll be bringing a few! Living in Maine, we are so limited. Our viewpoints are hardly diverse and I’d like to see more of an effort towards interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue!
please, if you have negative, preconceived thoughts that will result in hateful commentary and criticism, I advise you attend the event with an open mind. Make the effort to educate yourself before you hate…
This guy shouldn’t be allowed by our State University System to be given the floor-not on this subject!! Liberalism at it’s best/worse! Is this what you really want for our youth?
“This guy shouldn’t be allowed by our State University System to be given the floor-not on this subject!!”
Ah he isn’t. The Islamic Center of Maine is not on University property. You would have known this if you had read the article.
And if you are referring to Muslim Student Association then UMaine would have to remove ALL religious student organizations from the university property and dissociate the university from ALL religious groups too. Is that what you want?