Grégory Gonty, a 35-year-old social worker and Islamic studies scholar, converted to Islam at the age of 21. He holds a misbaha, the Muslim prayer beads, at his home in Asse (Belgium), December 5, 2025. ALINE DESCHAMPS FOR LE MONDE
Like many people, I have long asked myself metaphysical questions. We all know Immanuel Kant's three questions: What can I know? What should I do? What may I hope? [Critique of Pure Reason, 1781]. Personally, I found the answers within the Islamic faith. It is grounded in a belief in strict monotheism. What should I do? Good deeds. What may I hope? Life after death, as a reward for good deeds.
My father is Belgian, my mother is Luxembourgish. I grew up in the Liège region of Belgium, in a family that was Catholic, but not devout. I went through catechism, my communion and confirmation, but it didn't go any further than that. Religion wasn't really a topic of conversation at home.
My parents separated when I was 13. It was a difficult period for both my mother and me. A year later, we traveled together to southern Morocco; we needed a change of scenery. I had never been on vacation before. I never lacked anything, but I come from what you might call a "semi-modest" background. My curiosity about Islam was awakened during that decisive trip. It started, above all, for aesthetic reasons: the calls to prayer, the crafts, the Moroccan culture. I saw in them signs of beauty and harmony.
