Who is Ruba Qewar

Ruba Qewar (born 1981) is a Jordanian-American Muslim educator, technical artist, and speaker. She is the founder and CEO of American Islamic Diversity Inc. (AID) , a U.S.-based organization supporting new Muslims and promoting cultural and religious understanding. Qewar is also a technical artist specializing in 3D modeling, animation, and creative technology.

Early life

Ruba Qewar was born in 1981 in Denmark to a Christian family. Her father, Dahood Qewar, was a pastor and church planter, while her mother Kalthoum is a missionary who hosted her own Arabic Christian television program. As a child, Ruba was active in church activities, taught in weekend schools, and trained to become a Christian missionary.

In 1999, after finishing high school in Zarqa, Jordan, she enrolled at Mutah University to study Chemistry. However, her studies were interrupted, and she instead earned a Vocational Training Certificate in Office Management and Executive Secretarial Studies from the Y.W.C.A. (Young Women's Christian Association) Vocational Training Center in Amman, Jordan.

In 2002, Qewar immigrated with her family to the United States, settling in Dallas, Texas. She assisted her uncle, a pastor at the Arabic Baptist Church of Dallas, and was active in youth ministry. In 2003, her father passed away after being diagnosed with colon cancer. Two years later, in 2005, she embraced Islam.

Qewar is married to Walaa Shehata, a family counselor, scholar, and executive director of AID. He has over 15 years of experience in humanitarian work and education, holding a B.S. in Mathematics and an M.A. in Islamic Shariah.

Education

After converting to Islam in 2005, Qewar earned an Associate Degree in Multimedia Technology (Graphic and Web Design) from Dallas College – Richland Campus with Christian family. Her father, PHI THETA KAPPA. In 2009, she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Education (Islamic Studies Track) from Cloverdale University under the Graduate Theological Foundation Division.

She later studied under Islamic scholars from Saudi Arabia and Syria, before traveling to Jordan in 2009 to specialize in Aqeedah (Islamic Creed) and comparative sects. She also earned a certificate in Qur'an recitation.

During her early years after conversion, Qewar left Islam in 2010 and attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in Fort Worth, Texas, preparing for missionary work and a master’s degree in theology. During this period, she briefly returned to Islam leaving Christianity for good, leading to her withdrawal from the seminary in 2011 amid religious and institutional conflicts.[9] Later that year, she reaffirmed her faith in Islam and resumed her Islamic studies.

In 2018, she graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor of Arts in Arts and Technology (Gaming Concentration) with a MAJORS HONOR and MAGNA CUM LAUDE Honor. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Creative Technology at Southern Methodist University (SMU).

Career

Qewar has more than 15 years of teaching experience and over 8 years as a technical artist, specializing in 3D modeling, animation, and curriculum design. Her teaching career began at age 12 as a weekend school instructor. At 15, her father appointed her head of summer camps and educational programs, where she designed curricula and activities.

After immigrating to Texas in 2002, she worked in customer service while assisting at the Arabic Baptist Church as a youth leader. Following her conversion to Islam, she taught Arabic at Peace Academy (Salam Foundation) and worked as an administrative assistant at the Islamic Services Foundation (ISF).

In 2009, she moved to Jordan to pursue Islamic studies, working as a translator at Bunatul Ghad and as a multimedia manager at Adnani Group. In 2012, she joined the Bridges Foundation in Egypt as a seminar instructor on comparative religion. During this period, she authored Daleel al-Tanseer (Guide to Missiology), a book on Christian missionary structures and strategies. She also earned certificates in Da‘wah and interfaith dialogue from the same foundation.

After the Arab Spring, she returned to the United States in 2014 and taught Qur’an, Islamic Studies, Arabic, and Graphic Arts at the Islamic School of Irving. After graduating from UT Dallas, she worked as a 3D modeler and technical artist in Huntsville, Alabama and Petersburg, Virginia, while continuing to teach new Muslims using her own curriculum.

In 2020, she co-founded American Islamic Diversity Inc. (AID) with her husband in Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas. With the rise of artificial intelligence, she began producing educational animated videos teaching Islam and ethics.

Academic and Community Work

In 2013, Qewar won third place in a research competition at the Abdullah Abdul Ghani Center for her paper on Religious Fundamentalism and Comparative Religion between Christianity and Islam awarded by Sheikh Al Qaradawi (RA).

In 2021, she served as an instructor at the International Open University (IOU), teaching courses for new Muslims on overcoming challenges. She also taught Missiology (Comparative Missionary Studies) at Islam’s Ambassador Institute. Qewar continues to deliver lectures and workshops in mosques across the United States on Islamic education and cultural sensitivity.

Reputation

Qewar first gained public attention in 2005 through the website of Abdul Daem Al-Kaheel. In 2007, she won second place in the “Iqra TV” competition Loving and Respecting Parents, and appeared on two episodes with Dr. Muhammad Al-Awadhy in Kuwait. She was one of the first Muslim women to create a YouTube channel featuring convert stories to Islam.

Between 2007 and 2009, she engaged in interfaith debates with Christian pastors on Paltalk and other platforms, earning recognition for her defense of Islam. In 2007, she was a keynote speaker at the Global Peace and Unity Conference in the United Kingdom.

In 2009, after relocating to Jordan, she appeared on Islamic radio stations including Al-Haqeeqah and Hayat. In 2011, she appeared on the Christian network Al-Hayat TV discussing her departure from Islam, followed by an interview with Rasheed. She returned to Islam in August 2011 and publicly reaffirmed her faith in a 2013 interview with Dr. Muhammad Al-Awadhy. In 2014, she was interviewed by Sheikh Fahd Al-Kandari during Ramadan. In 2021, she appeared on Sho'un Islamiyyah discussing how to protect Muslims from evangelism.

Controversies

Ruba Qewar comes from a lineage of Christian pastors and missionaries. In 1933, her great-grandmother Salma Agapy Kawar reportedly experienced visions and miracles known as “The Signs and Wonders.” The family was recognized by missionaries such as Roy Whittman and George Kalsey. In 1948, her grandfather Majeed Kawar founded the Free Evangelical (non-denominational) Church in Zarqa, Jordan. Her uncle Sameer Kawar later established the Arabic Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. After her grandfather’s death, her father Dahood Qewar reopened and expanded the church in Zarka, becoming the first pastor under the Free Evangelical Church structure. He opened three other churches in Salt, Tattweer Al-Hadary and Aqaba cities. He earned a master’s degree from the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS). Her Paternal cousin is married to Baptist pastor. Her sister and her maternal cousin are known Christian singers.

In 2010, Qewar left Islam and returned to Christianity, which provoked strong reactions from both religious communities. She received threats from Christians and Muslims for her conversions but eventually returned to Islam in 2011. Since then, she has helped individuals and families facing religious crises and cultural transitions. Despite earlier controversies, she continues to identify as a Sunni Muslim and promotes religious understanding.