How I converted to Islam Yvonne Ridley

Yvonne Ridley (born 23 April 1958) is a British journalist and Respect Party activist. She was captured by the Taliban in 2001, and converted to Islam after release, later becoming an outspoken opponent of Zionism and vocal critic of Western media portrayals of the War on Terror.Yvonne Ridley came to prominence on 28 September 2001, when she was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan whilst working for the Sunday Express. n the days before the start of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, refused an entrance visa, she decided to follow the example of BBC reporter John Simpson, who had crossed the border anonymously in a burqa. he entered on 26 September and spent 2 days undercover in Afghanistan. It was on her return, traveling with her guides, that she was uncovered when the donkey she was on bolted and her camera was seen by a Taliban soldier.[9] She was accused of being a spy, which carried a death sentence, and at the very least faced jail for illegally entering Afghanistan, She was accused of being a spy, which carried a death sentence, and at the very least faced jail for illegally entering Afghanistan. During her captivity she was asked by one of her captors to convert to Islam; she refused, but gave her word she would read the Quran after her release. Once freed, she kept this promise and read the Quran looking for an explanation of the Taliban's treatment of women, only to find there wasn't any. Instead she decided it was "a magna carta for women", saying, "the Koran makes it clear that women are equal in spirituality, worth and education. What everyone forgets is that Islam is perfect; people are not She converted to Islam in the summer of 2003, claiming that her new faith has helped put behind her broken marriages and a reputation as the "Patsy Stone of Fleet Street"