The Catholic Morning Show · Iowa Catholic Radio

From Islam to Catholicism: A Powerful Conversion Story with Mohammed Karmi - 04/10/2026

April 10, 2026·13 min·1 clip

Mohammed Karmi felt his heart beat for the first time when reading about John baptizing Jesus.

The episode opens with Deacon Mark Campbell hosting from The Catholic Morning Show, welcoming Mohammed Karmi just days after Karmi was received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. Karmi grew up in Lee Summit and Kansas City, Missouri, in a Middle Eastern family, and was a devout Muslim for the first 26 years of his life. He describes his conversion as a two-year process that began through an encounter with a Catholic man named James during a period of shared grief. James, described as a PhD scholar, challenged Karmi to read the Gospel of Matthew from a Christian perspective rather than as a skeptic. During the passage describing John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, Karmi says he experienced what he could only describe as the presence of the Holy Spirit — a physical feeling he had never encountered before. Karmi explains that his theological background began about four years ago when he studied Eastern religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism, and he also held informal studies and traveled to the Middle East. He emphasizes that his conversion was not a leap of blind faith but was driven by what he calls a mountain of historical and archaeological evidence for the life, ministry, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. He specifically cites first- and second-century historians like Josephus who were hostile to Christianity but still acknowledged Jesus and his deeds. After moving back to Osceola in December, Karmi found St. Bernard's church and met Father Thomas, an Indian priest who connected with him over the challenges of converting from an Eastern religious background. Father Thomas mentored Karmi through RCIA and held his hand through the entire process. Karmi's pre-existing study of church fathers like Augustine and Aquinas meant the doctrinal portion of formation was less challenging for him; he focused instead on learning the liturgy and the Mass. At the Easter Vigil, Karmi received baptism, confirmation, and first communion in a single night, which he describes as the happiest day of his life. He recounts crying for an hour straight and describes the experience using a scriptural reference to God replacing a heart of stone with a heart of flesh. He says he is still on a spiritual high. When asked about his family's reaction, Karmi notes he has already evangelized several Muslims and that his family is taking the news better than he anticipated, though his father remains the greatest challenge. He attributes his ability to overcome fear of rejection to the example of the disciples and church fathers who were cast out from their communities, and frames his witness in terms of valuing Christ's approval over human acceptance.

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