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That may be no surprise, since a quarter of the estimated 6 million Muslims in the United States are converts.

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Delia Gallagher looks at two people who chose that path.

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Alison Poole says this phrase three times in Arabic, and then in English.

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There is no God. But God. And I bear witness. And I bear witness. That Muhammad. That Muhammad. Is the messenger of God. Is the messenger of God. And her conversion ceremony is complete. She's now a Muslim. Moments later, she'll marry Sammy and become Alison El Gamal. But Alison, who was raised a Southern Baptist in North Carolina, says faith, not marriage, made her want to become a Muslim.

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I think for a long time, I've been looking for something. There's been like a peace missing. Always one little thing that maybe wasn't right.

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At a ceremony marking the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, she explained why Islam appeals to her.

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I think because it's much more about peace. I'm praying five times a day. It's kind of hard to go out and say bad things or do bad things when you're praying five times a day.

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The imam who married Alison says he's seen more American converts recently, in part because of the prominence of Islam in the news.

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It may sound paradoxical, but what happens is that when something becomes more in the news, people tend to want to know about it.

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Alison says she was already on a spiritual quest when she began to hear a lot about Islam post 9-11.

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Barbara Cardibuke, another recent Muslim convert, says 9-11 also played a part in her conversion.

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After 9-11, I thought this is the time when people really have to start looking for real answers to get away from everybody fighting back and war.

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You have to start looking towards God.

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Barbara says through Islam, she found a one-on-one relationship with God she was unable to find as a Roman Catholic.

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I always felt when you go to church, you're praying to Jesus or you're doing Hail Marys.

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You know, I used to think, well, where's God?

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She says her family has been mostly supportive of her conversion.

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Alison says her family is completely behind her decision.

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It's a choice she's proud of and says she'll keep for life.

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Delia Gallagher, CNN, New York.