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Rabat – Russian national Kzanya Ivica, coach of the Moroccan National Team for Diving and Underwater Activities, converted to Islam on Friday in the Ibraheem Khalil Mosque in the California neighborhood of Casablanca.
The Russian woman took the Shahada (the Islamic declaration of faith affirming the oneness of God and the acceptance of Muhammad as His prophet) in the presence of hundreds of worshippers and some of her Muslim friends.
Although Islam does not require new converts to adopt Muslim names, Ivica reportedly decided to change her name to Khadija after she proclaimed the Shahada after Friday prayer.
The Russian convert said that she was ready to proclaim the Shahada some time ago, but she was not able to do so until Friday, expressing her happiness after announcing her new religion.
Immediately after pronouncing the Shahada, the Russian coach said that she would be “a good person, help, and be on the right way.”
“Islam is a very peaceful religion and very kind,” she said, adding that she has never seen a religious book that tells “everything around you and still correct in our century.”
The photo of the Russian convert receiving the Quran from the imam of the Ibraheem Khalil Mosque went viral on social media.
According to the imam, Ivica accepted Islam after the good treatment she received from all the people she met in Morocco and its moderate understanding of Islam, which represents an International model against extremism and radicalism.
Last Ramadan, a number of non-Muslim foreigners announced their conversion to Islam in various Mosques around Morocco.
Thanks to its worldwide leadership in promoting tolerant Islam, Morocco has become one of the top destinations for foreigners seeking to learn about and convert to Islam
