How did Damian Clairmont become Mustafa al-Gharib?
Source: Ottawa Citizen:
Clairmont came from an Acadian family living in Calgary. News sources showed that he went from an up-and-coming athlete to a troubled teenager. Following his conversion to Islam, it was said that he was beginning to show signs of progress. Then the story shifts. He tells his family that he is going to study Arabic in Egypt while actually joining the ranks of Jabhat al-Nusra. On Jan. 14, 2014, Clairmont became the second Canadian fighter to be killed in Syria.
I’m a convert to Islam, so this news piqued my curiosity. I, like Clairmont, converted in my early 20s. I had my struggles before coming to the religion and sought solace in my new path. This seemed to be the case for Clairmont. His Islam came from a desire to transform his habits and his way of life. The transformation, though, is paired with a particular vulnerability characterized by an openness of heart and a desire to learn.
In my own experience, I found teachers quickly, who not only taught me the basics of the religion, but acted as mentors and spiritual guides. These were and still are the people I rely upon in shaping my Islam. Did Clairmont have someone who transformed him into Mustafa al-Gharib? This is an important question. Conversion is all about transformation. Conversion is a process of becoming and it is this process that must be understood by both the Muslim community and the Canadian community at large.
An important traditional concept that must be revived is tarbiyah, which, as my teachers have taught, is defined as formal education and spiritual training. Of course, tarbiyah is relative to the student’s ability.