I am a new muslim, married in Pakistan- I guess I am a moderate and yes I have read the Qoran, Do I pray- not as often as I should- in a formal sense and all the time in an informal sense. Am I a changed person – not really . I was a moderate Christian and we all ( whether we acknowledge it or not) fall under the control of one god which according to Islamic belief means we are all under Islam and Muslims acknowledge that there is only one God, recognize Mohommad (Peace be upon him) as god’s last messenger, pray five times a day, give alms and if they can afford make a pilgrimage to Mecca in their life. So as a Muslim in Pakistan I have adopted some of the local customs – as appropriate to the culture and concept of Islam. At Home I wear T shirts – discard my chador and Relax, In Islamabad I don a dupatta ( small shawl draped across the chest) – puttining it across my head for prayer and prayer call, In my village I wear my Chador ( literal translation sheet – shawl) on my head, when driving in GilgitI switch to a licra head scarf and dupatta which allows me to drive without the confinement of a chador. When its hot I dunk it in water for natural air conditioning especially in dry areas. I use it for picnics, as a curtain in hotels, to protect me and my children from the sun and unhygenic surfaces, for emergency clean ups, as a dress up toy for my young kids and any number of uses- including occasional baby hammock, grass collector, laundry collector, worlds biggest …