Dec 17, 2004 2 min read

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) – Some Jehovah’s Witnesses, known for their door-to-door evangelizing, have been learning Arabic as part of an effort to convert Muslims. Jehovah’s Witnesses say 30 to 40 people have learned Arabic, and they make trips into Arab-American neighborhoods on at least a monthly basis.

“In six months, we have learned to read Arabic and to actually go out and give presentations,” said Recina Ward, who travels from her home in Westland to Kingdom Hall, which is shared by Jehovah’s Witness congregations in Dearborn and Detroit.

Similar activity is occurring in New York, California and in other areas where there is a substantial Arab and Muslim population.

“This sort of thing is happening more and more, especially since Sept. 11,” said Eide Alawan, a Muslim activist affiliated with the Islamic Center of America. “When they come around, most of the people in my neighborhood are courteous enough to say thank you very much.

“Our people like to enter conversation with them; to challenge them, so to speak. They try to convert us. And maybe we try to convert them. With people praying five times a day, maybe Islam is something that should interest them.”

Detroit and the suburb of Dearborn are home to one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most visible Arab-American communities, which has a sizable Muslim population.