Conversion Documented: Unpacking Portrayals of Converts to Islam in Young Europeans Converting to Islam and My Muslim Husband

This article textually analyses the representations of European converts to Islam in Young Europeans Converting to Islam (2023) and My Muslim Husband (2023). It argues that these documentaries, in which we hear directly from converts, function as counter-narratives to the mainstream image of converts by providing progressive representations. The two documentaries screen the journeys of European converts from various countries towards finding answers in Islam. They are represented as independent individuals who make their own choices and decisions in contrast to the widespread claim that converts are brainwashed. Their perceptions of Islam are heterogeneous, confirming the plurality of Islam, unlike its ideological construction as a homogenised religion characterised as being incompatible with Western societies. Through such representations, the documentaries provide alternative lenses through which to see converts to Islam and also debunk homogenised Western perceptions of Islam and Muslims.