Blue-eyed Marly Melsh grew up in Iowa with loving parents who believed in a higher power and encouraged her to be open-minded and seek out the truth. Melsh attended a Christian college in Iowa before landing a job in Minneapolis with CommonBond Communities, a nonprofit that provides affordable housing. After arriving here, Melsh began meeting Muslims. "The whole community in general impressed me," said Melsh, who works with children of east and west African immigrants in Campfire USA's after-school program at a CommonBonds Communities apartment. She officially converted in August during Ramadan, the month of fasting, and now wears a hijab and prays five times daily. "I found a lot of truth in Islam that I couldn't find in other religions," said Melsh, who describes herself as a logical thinker. "Everyone's human, but I just saw a lot of caring acts."
"I Found a lot of Truth"
Rites of passage a weekly photo journal
March 20, 2011 at 4:53PM
It’s too soon to tell how much the immigration crackdown is to blame.
