National footballer of Sweden’s U19 Women team converted to Islam after meeting Turkish Muslim boy
STOCKHOLM – The goalkeeper for Sweden national team, Ronja Andersson, has been exposed to numerous threats and insults over the past seven months after converting to Islam, Anadolu Agency reported.
“I read the Holy Quran, I pray and fast,” the goalkeeper of Sweden U19 Women National Team said as she appeared on a TV show called Troll Hunter on Monday.
“I am proud and happy to be a Muslim.”
During the show, Andersson revealed that she has received numerous threats and insults over the past seven months.
In one case, a man sent her a hate letter to her home. This man appeared in Monday’s show and apologized to her.
Andersson also revealed how she decided to join Islam and take the shahada, or declaration of faith.
“I had a Turkish boyfriend when I was 15, and I learned about Islam from his family,” she said.
“When I went to Turkey with his family, I was so much impressed by the mosques.”
She added that she tried to practice the duties of Islam together with the Turkish family and decided to become a Muslim.
Andersson’s decision to become Muslim has faced huge criticism from people around her, including her family.
Yet, Andersson stressed that she was happy to become a Muslim.
Muslims make up between 450,000 and 500,000 of Sweden’s nine million people, according to the US State Department report in 2011.