Maryam You Narae (유나래), famously known as one half of the Internet duo Durian Kimchi, has openly shared her journey as a South Korean Muslim convert. The Internet celebrity previously spoke about her commitment to wearing the hijab, even sharing how empowered she felt to cover up.
However, her journey to becoming a Muslim wasn’t always as easy as it seems. Maryam has spoken up about the comments she received from fellow Koreans and even Malaysians, doubting her dedication to her religion. In a recent interview with local news outlet Sinar Harian, Maryam shared a shocking revelation regarding her earliest fasting experience.
According to Maryam, when fasting during Ramadan in South Korea, she received many offers for food from her acquaintances. She explained, “I worked at a hospital at the time. They gave me food because they cared for me. (But) when I refused their offers, they couldn’t understand why.” Unfortunately, Maryam’s colleague then force-fed her the food, which happened to be non-halal, because they were worried she wasn’t eating.
The restaurant owner said she quickly spit out the food to avoid breaking her fast and committing a sin. However, Maryam wasn’t too angry at what happened because she understood her South Korean colleagues’ lack of knowledge regarding Islam and fasting. She said, “Here (in Malaysia), everyone knows about Ramadan, fasting and understands about Islam. So you can’t compare to other countries.”
For those curious, Maryam converted to Islam in 2019 whilst still living in South Korea. After marrying her husband, Ryzal Ibrahim, in the same year, the couple moved to Malaysia in 2020. While learning about Islam and being a good Muslim hasn’t been easy, we’re proud that Maryam stayed strong despite all the challenges.
Source: Sinar Harian
