From Islam to Krsna
Recently, I heard the following tale of how a follower of Islam became a devotee.
He was a member of the PLO and an associate of Arafat. But he gave up his involvement in the PLO because of some things he disagreed with. He went to Germany to study at a university. One night he got drunk at a bar. Just to his right, on the table in front of him, was a magazine that someone had left: Back to Godhead. He was so drunk that he couldn't read it, and eventually passed out. The bar owner found his address on him and had someone take him home. When he got home he still had the magazine and was trying to figure out where he got it. Then he started reading it and was amazed. This magazine answered questions that he had not been able to find answers for in the Koran or elsewhere.
He was frustrated with material life, so he took the address to the temple and visited. Devotees preached to him, impressed him, and he asked if he could join. When they heard that he was a former member of the PLO they decided that having him at the temple may mean trouble, so they politely said that he could not join and explained why.
Disappointed but determined to join, he pleaded for the next three days with the devotees to let him join. But they would tell him "Sorry," although they were impressed with his sincerity.
He had heard about the Sunday feast, so he attended it, and when he arrived, he went to the brahmacari asrama and locked himself in the bathroom and shaved up.
Some devotee eventually knocked on the door. From inside the bathroom came the voice of someone determined to surrender: "I'm not coming out until you agree to let me to stay". They complied, and he happily became a member, and after some time received initiation. His name became Ravanari Das. He became a good preacher and translated many of Prabhupada's books into Arabic.
All glories to the transendental distribution of Prabhupada's books and BTG's! (that sometimes even end up in bars to make devotees)
