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My Spiritual Journey Through Islam, Christianity & Beyond

As a British-born Sierra Leonean, I grew up hearing jokes from one particular uncle who described himself as a ‘Chris-Mus’ – aka half Christian and half Muslim. Let me explain why. He grew up amongst my Muslim great-uncles who were born during the colonial era and chose to marry women from what were considered as ‘good families’ with similar colonial backgrounds who happened to be Christians. As a result, my mum and her cousins grew up attending High Anglican Church in the centre of Freetown for Easter, Christmas, christenings, weddings and funerals, but also enjoyed the jollof rice, aso ebi (matching family outfits) and monetary gifts at the end of Ramadan.

My mum and her cousins did not leave the celebration of both dominant faiths behind when they migrated to the UK, and by the time I was eight months old I was christened at an Anglican church in Brixton surrounded by the six god parents who could be present, as my mum could not turn down the offers. These godparents have been a core support network throughout the decades, and have not only encouraged and supported me, but cautioned me in moments of panic. But my story of faith is not straight forward.