I was only 21 when I went to Cairo to marry the Egyptian student I'd met at a disco in London. I really thought that once I'd dragged him back here to his own quarter-acre and shagpile carpet and introduced him to Speight's, he'd forget all this religious stuff.
But I was wrong. His religion means more to him every year and he made his pilgrimage to Mecca more than a decade ago.
The news from overseas has been particularly hideous lately with the Boko Haram situation in Nigeria when 270 schoolgirls were taken and "liberated" by conversion to Islam.
In Iraq, the situation is diabolical with heinous acts carried out by this new Sunni group fighting against other Muslims of the Shiite sect.
Of course, we have our own soap opera at the Avondale Islamic Centre, with fighting factions in suburban Auckland.
Since September 11, 2001 it's been hard to be a Muslim in many situations. I know of many Mohameds, Ahmeds and Abdullahs living abroad who suddenly announce their change of name to something very Western and mainstream - like Mike, Phil or John.
Or there are the Arab Muslims who take on a new racial identity altogether and explain away their exotic accent and swarthy appearance as Greek or Italian.
And who can blame them? A recent AUT study, research for a book entitled Work and Worship by professor of diversity Edwina Pio, studied the impact of minority religions in the local workplace.
It demonstrated resistance among local employers to hiring Muslims. They viewed women in the hijab scarf and/or burqas with curiosity and avoidance, and had difficulty with men with Islamic beards.
The report showed that acceptance of Muslims and their way of living needs improvement among Kiwi employers. Many Muslim employees said they faced discrimination and negative stereotyping because of their faith.
I know many women who wear the hijab with style and pride as a badge of their identity. I know, too, my husband, his elderly father and four brothers are dedicated Muslims who love this country (particularly the All Blacks) and are very appreciative of our Kiwi lifestyle.
Every time we watch the news and see another deplorable act by jihadists we despair. What can the huge majority, the moderate Muslims, do in places like Iraq today?
If they go out and confront these insane zealots, they'll be labelled traitors and probably end up being killed in barbaric circumstances.
An imam at the Wellington Masjida in Kilbirnie recently told those gathered for Friday prayers the only way they could deflect all the negative connotations attached to the religion was to go forward proudly and be exemplary people - model Kiwi citizens.
Recently I was sitting in a business meeting with a group of men and just happened to mention I was married to a Muslim. The shutters came down almost immediately and I could feel I was being judged as one of those downtrodden females who have to walk five paces behind her spouse.
Most of the time I just can't be bothered defending the faith. It's not mine, but it certainly is unfairly maligned.
If I'm walking down the street and see a Muslim family, I usually give them a big grin or a salaam to make them feel they belong and are welcome here. I do get some questioning looks but will continue to do it.
Muslims are not our insidious enemy or the "scourge of the world" as I heard one local journalist describe them. The majority of the world's 2.08 billion Muslims are just like you and me, worrying about making ends meet and wanting the best for their children and their grandchildren.
Have a very happy and peaceful month of Ramadan.
Robyn Yousef is an Auckland writer.
