Abu Hadi

Reading about the lives of the Imams(عليه السلام) and what they taught I came to the firm conclusion that 
1) The Imams represented the truth and Haqq sent by Allah(سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) to mankind and they were the true and rightful successors of Prophet Muhammad((صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)).
2) The Caliphs ( except Imam Ali when he was Caliph for a few years) represented Imperial power. The goal of Imperial power is to expand and retain power over people, nothing else. The Caliphs used religion when it suited them in that goal and discarded religion when it didn't. A brief look at Islamic History will make that clear.
3) There can be no reconciliation between these two systems, ie the Divine system and the Imperial system. The Imams only cooperated with the Imperial system to preserve the lives of their followers and keep them from being wiped out because they knew that during the time of Ghaib Al Kubra (our present time) that true Islam would only be preserved(in the dhahirri sense ) vis a via their sincere followers. May Allah(سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) make all of us their sincere followers 

Then why is it that all the Imams were martyred and their killers were the agents of the caliph. That doesn't sound like a positive relationship to me 

From what I know source code was downloaded approx 35,000 times before it was taken down. It is all over the world because the Internet is all over the world

I posted this because I want sisters who are on the fence about wearing hijab to imagine a scenario. You are asleep in the middle of the night then your phone starts going off. You try to ignore it and go back to sleep, but it keeps going for 10 minutes. Then you pick it up 
When you open your social media you start seeing tons of messages from your friends. OMG. What did u do ? What a ... 
Then u open the posts and see those images of u. But you know you never took those pictures. Thoughts start racing through your mind. You start to sweat. Maybe pass out. Then you realize this isnt a nightmare. I am awake. This really just happened. You then start to panic
I can tell you right now that the only time you can prevent this from happeneing is now. The only way you can prevent it is by wearing proper hijab. If u think it can’t happen to you it can. Something to think about 

The reason why is because Photoshop doesn't have the ability to make very convincing fakes. Photoshop relies on the user to clip, adjust, etc parts of the image to fit the surrounding color, lighting, etc. People are not very good at doing this and also not good at figuring out angles and shapes based on previous examples. Newer technologies has allowed the computer itself to 'learn' how to do this perfectly by using thousands, or sometimes millions of examples of human forms and shapes and how they interact with light and how this light reflects off surrounding objects. It can also 'guess' what covered parts of the anatomy would look like without clothes, even if those parts are clothed in the photograph. This is something that photoshop and other image editing programs cannot do. In the previous versions of AI, those 'guesses' were not accurate enough to be convincing. But with current AI technologies using lots of computing power (which is now more widely available to the average person) it is a lot more convincing.  AI is different than manual, human driven image editing in a fundamental way, in that it can do millions of tries and find the best one (something that would take humans a lifetime to do one image)  and it can 'learn' over time which is the best one, based on input from it's programmer, the human. It can then internalize that information into it's own program (also called 'model building') so that next time the program runs, the starting point for it's guesses will be much more accurate. Repeat this process a few times and you will have something that is so accurate that most people who looked at it will not think it is a fake. They will think it is real. The guy who made this program integrated those technologies into one piece of code and released it to the public. That is the part that is troubling. 
So it is a few steps beyond what was actually possible a few years ago, even when someone who is an expert in using Photoshop could do, and most of the people who attempted to make these 'fakes' using the manual, non AI process were not experts so it was obvious to most people that these were fakes. 

I live in the US, one of the wealthier countries where Shia live, although there are many poor Shia here, contrary to what people think. 
If you live somewhere like Pakistan or India where 99% of the people are poor, it makes sense that you wouldn't know anyone who pays khums. 
If you live in the US, Europe, Australia, Canada, then about 30% of the Shia from my experience are not poor. They are either middle class or wealthy, i.e. they pay all their expenses for the year and have money left over, which they save. 20% of that money should be paid in khums. If they don't pay (and they have the savings), they are committing a major sin and they are in fact robbing the poor people (because this is what khums is for, to help the poor and the needy) and also robbing Imam Zaman(a.f.s). 
I know that most of the middle class and wealthy people, even in the US, etc, don't pay khums and their doing major sins. Imam Ali((عليه السلام)) said that if even 10% of the people who were supposed to pay khums payed it, there would be no poor people. 

What I was trying to say is that many women work because they need the money to pay bills. That is one group. There is another group, which I think is also many, who work not because they need the money to pay bills (the husband earns enough to do this) but because either they don't feel valuable as a spouse unless they earn money or they want the money to upgrade their lifestyle and feel that upgrading their lifestyle gives them value. I am talking about this second group not the first one you were talking about 
The problem isn't them working ( so long as they fulfill their other responsibilities) or even the upgraded lifestyle,  the problem is that they feel like they need to earn money or have an upgrade lifestyle to be considered a valuable human being and member of society. The fact that they feel this way is a result of brainwashing

That is the whole point. It would cause some disruption in the economy, short term, but because you are reducing the labor supply, that means demand for labor would go up (basic supply and demand curve) and thus wages would go up. This is just macro economics 101. 
I am not saying all women should drop out, there are some exceptions. There are some households where the women is the sole provider for the family due to the husband being disabled, etc. There are others where the women is in a job that is critical for the community (like a specialist doctor, scientist working on a particular vaccine that is needed, etc). This is a small minority though. 
For some women who say 'Well I want to work outside the house and I enjoy it', Here is my response.
A large part of this opinion is due to subtle brainwashing by the feminist society we live in, in the West and this is also making it's way East, but more gradually. The brainwashing is that you constantly hear from the media, other women, sometimes men, etc, that 'You need to be economically productive in order to be a valuable person'. In other words, the only people that have value are those who are making money. So women enjoy working, most of the time not actually the job but they enjoy the fact that they are 'validated' in other words they see themselves as valuable based on this un-Islamic and actually inhumane premise that 'You need to be productive (i.e. make money) in order to be a valuable person'. 
This concept is un Islamic because Islam says that every human being is valuable because they were created by Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) and empidid with the 'Ruh' or the spirit Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) created. It is the 'Ruh' that gives us value as a human being, not the clay that we came from and not how 'productive' we are in making money. In addition, in Islam the most valuable people are the ones with the most taqwa (continuous awareness that they are being observed by Allah(s.w.a)). 
In Islam, we have a model for the ideal marriage and the ideal family, and that is the marriage and family of Imam Ali((عليه السلام)) and Fatima Zahra((عليه السلام)). This model is as much relevant today as it was at that time, 1400 years ago. Rasoulallah(p.b.u.h) designated their roles in the marriage. Imam Ali((عليه السلام)) took care of everything outside the home (working, making money, providing for the family financially, dealing with outsiders, etc) and Fatima((عليه السلام)) took care of everything inside the house (maintaining the household as a warm and inviting place, daily care for the children, etc). This is one of the reasons behind the revelation of the famous hadith of Kisa.
Yes, it is for those individuals but also for that marriage and family structure to show people that this is the ideal we should work toward, not just in terms of these individuals and their qualities but also because of this marriage and family structure and its qualities. 
The problem with this model is not the model, but the problem is that in the West the outside role (of Imam Ali) is glorified to a level which it does not deserve and the inside role (of Fatima) is being denigrated and lowered to a level which it does not deserve. In Islam, both the inside role and the outside role are of equal value and both need to be done in order to create a happy and integrated society. 
In Islam, a man works and provides for the family not because it is glamorous or fulfilling emotionally but he does it because it is his duty as the man of the family. That's it. Most men do not love their job or get fulfilled by them. Most jobs are difficult and filled with many ongoing problems and issues which cause stress and in the worst case actually humiliate the man (such as having an abusive boss, which is more common than you think). He does this because it is his jihad in this life fe sabilillah. Also I know raising and caring for children is difficult and exhausting and most women do not love it. They love their children but the process of raising children and maintaining a house is not easy. It is real work, unlike what the feminists say. They only think it is not real work because they have either never done it (i.e. they hire maids, eat out at restaurants, or they are a very sloppy housekeeper and ignore their children) or are very bad at it. This is the jihad of the women and that is why there is the famous hadith 'heaven is at the feet of the mother'. Because being a good mother and fulfilling these responsibilities is not an easy thing at all. 
The 'West' and this attitude of 'making money equals a valuable person' is toxic and we are all suffering the consequences of it now. See how elderly people are treated in the West as one example. It is an absolute crime. These men and women who have worked their whole lives to help the society are discarded in their later years by the society. They are put in facilities which are basically prisons (elder care facilities) where they are 'cared' for by minimum wage workers who are not skilled at their jobs and don't really care about them and they are abandoned by those who are supposed to care for them, ie. ther families. This is because they are not contributing economically to the society, i.e. they are not making money for anyone so they are discarded. This is one example but there are others, like the growing homeless population most of whom are mentally ill. 
So we should not look to the West when deciding which model we should follow in a marriage. We should look to Islam which already has a model that actually works for everyone, not just the young, healthy, and economically privileged. 
Also, I'm not saying Muslim couples who find themselves in the situation where they both have to work should feel bad like they are not good Muslims. Especially in this modern world where there is so much chaos going on at every level, sometimes you just have to hang on and grit your teeth and try to get thru life any way you can (that is halal of course). At the same time, as Muslims, we should at least know what the correct model for a marriage is (i.e. Ali and Fatima) and try our best to work toward that. If we never get there, then that is the will of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) but at least we had a correct model and are working toward that, and this is what the true meaning of jihad is. 

Right, one of the things it did is increase the number of the workforce without significantly increasing the amoung of jobs. It increased labor supply without increasing the demand for labor. It's the basic supply and demand curve. As supply goes up and demand doesn't also go up, prices / wages go down. This is what happened in the late 60s (when women entered the workforce in large amounts) up until today. Inflation goes up because people are buying more things (two incomes) so demand goes up for that but wages don't go up with that demand because there is an oversupply of workers in many industries, except the highly skilled labor, like doctors. So we have what we have now, which is increasing prices but not increasing wages. In addition, everyone thinks they have to be a doctor or an engineer to live a decent life (some of that is real and some is exaggerated) whereas my grandfather supported 4 children, never went to college, had a nice house with a pool, a car, lived in a nice neighborhood (in California, lol) and his wife, my grandmother never worked outside the home. He worked in construction (He was a carpenter). Try doing that today, it's pretty much impossible and especially impossible (if that term actually makes sense to people, lol) in California, where I grew up. That makes me extremely sad and homesick at the same time. 
This is to the benefit of big corporations only, because with being able to charge more but not having to pay their workers more, they make huge profits which is why you see the stock markets keep going up despite there being an economic crisis. The big corporations don't put their profits back into the economy but hide them in offshore bank accounts and hire accountants to oviscapte how much money they are making (i.e. the Panama papers). This should be obvious to everyone by now. Corporations and big businesses work for their own interests and not for the interests of the people. This is not just happening in the US but all over the world. 
This is why I keep saying that, at least Muslims, shouldn't spend their money buying Coke and Pepsi, KFC, McDonalds, Armani, Maybelline cosmetics, etc. They should buy local brands, at least do that. Besides helping the people of Gaza you will also be helping Muslims in general and the people of the world in general by not exacerbating the problem which already exists. 
 
If a large number of women decided to stay home (this would have to happen all at once), and most women want to stay home anyway, you would immediately see wages go up. Prices might not come down immediately but they would over time. The problem would be in the short term, i.e. how do I pay my bills for this month and next month, and that's usually all most people think about. 
 

Salam Sister, so sad to hear that. You are in my Duas
Yes, you can definitely do it. Do the detox but also you need to severe ties with those around you who are addicts. This isn't easy, but its probably the only way you will stop for good. When I reverted, most of the people I was hanging around with were addicts(either drugs, alcohol, or both). I knew that if I wanted to stay clean, I needed to get away from those people. I did and made new friends and alhamduillah haven't touched any alcohol or drugs in almost 20 years. It is possible, but you have to be willing to go the extra mile and then some more. 

Bismillah Ar Rahman, Ar Rahim
 
This is in response to some recent videos I have watched on Youtube that were very inspirational and made me think. The first is by Sayyid Mustafa Qazwini. It was given a few years ago, I think 7 years ago but is still very relevant. Here is the speech. 
 
May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) continue to bless Dr. Mustafa Qazwini and his family. I really get inspired by his speeches and he is doing a great service to the Muslim community in America and in my home state of California. Even though I have lived in Michigan for 20 years, I will always consider California, and particularly the L.A. metro area to be my home. Being a revert myself, and someone who was born and raised in California, I would like to respond to a few of his points. 
First, in general he is correct that most reverts to Islam, especially Shia reverts do not attend masjid or go to Islamic centers on a regular basis. They are in general isolated from the wider community, which is a huge problem that needs to be addressed and if it isn't addressed will undermine the growth of Islam in the US. Some of these issues have to do with the reverts themselves, and some have to do with the muslim community. 
The point that I agree with him about 100% is the fact that the main problem about Islam not being appealing to Americans in general is that America is a very materialistic society. Most Americans feel that the source of their happiness or misery is in material things. This could be greater wealth, a better house, a better job, drugs / alcohol, consumer goods, social status, etc. The focus of the society is on attaining happiness thru gaining that material thing that makes you feel 'good' or 'happy'. This is promoted constantly thru the media and most people buy into it and spend the vast majority of their time trying to attain that 'thing', material thing that will make them happy and satisfied. Companies and Corporations benefit tremendously from this aggressive pursuit of that 'thing' by selling that 'thing' to the people or pretending like they are selling it. The government also benefits thru collecting taxes on the labor that Americans do in this pursuit. So this is now the consensus in America, that I will pursue that 'thing' and you will pursue that 'thing' for you and this will lead to happiness and satisfaction. 
Religion has been pushed to play a very minor role in society. So most Americans think of religion as something 'optional' you do if you have the time, or if it makes you feel 'good'. If you don't have the time, or it doesn't make you feel 'good' then it is perfectly fine to discard it, since it doesn't make much difference anyway. So a religion like Islam, which makes demands on a person, daily demands like prayer and fasting during the month of Ramadan, refraining from alcohol, refraining from pre marital relations, and talks about punishment from God if someone doesn't do these things is something that most Americans find 'extreme', 'demanding', and something they don't have the time or energy for. In addition, there are efforts made by the media to portray Islam as extreme and 'backward' and something that would be a negative if it were adopted widely in society. 
So considering all that, it shouldn't surprise anyone that the vast majority of Americans are not interested in becoming Muslim, Shia, or even hearing about Islam. The surprising part to me is that we, as Muslims and followers of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) have completely failed in making the counter argument and doing advocacy for Islam and teaching of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) amoung the wider, non Muslim population. There are a few exceptions to this, and these exceptions are some of the Sunni brothers and sisters who are doing this. I haven't seen a Shia group in the US actively doing this. This is the sad part. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that the vast majority of reverts to Islam are Sunni. That is because they are the ones doing the dawa to the non muslims and we (followers of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) are not). That is the only reason. 
The ones who revert into Shia Islam are 'one off' cases like myself, and another like this dear sister, whose video I will post below. Please listen to her story, it will give you lots of inspiration. 
 
I disagree with the Sayyid's point about 'Revert Centers'. I actually don't think there should be centers specifically for Reverts. If we do that, we are just making another 'Ethnic Social Club' for Americans just like some masjids are actually just 'Ethnic Social Clubs' for Arabs, Iranians, Pakistanis, etc. The role of the masjid in Islam is much greater and more profound than this. I think we need to take steps to integrate Reverts into our existing Masjids by making them feel safe, welcome, and feel like their specific needs and issues are being addressed and they are getting the help they need. We don't need more buildings, we need to change our behavior. I will explain with a few points below. 
I will address a few points about what I think we could do to improve our programs and make them more appealing to reverts
1. Language. I actually think this is the most important one. Whenever we have an alim who starts a speech or a program, they begin with a few minutes of Dua, Quran, and Salawat. This is all in Arabic and it lasts for sometimes up to 10 minutes. Me being someone who has some familiarity with Arabic and Dua and Quran, I understand what he is saying, but most reverts, especially new reverts, don't. They walk in, assume this is an Arabic program, and then leave. They are not going to sit there thru an entire program in a language which they don't understand (based on their assumption that it is an Arabic program). This further increases their isolation. I understand the importance of doing these dua and Salawat, and Ziyarat before the program, but I think they could be shortened to less than a minute, beginning with the Balsama (Bismillah Ar Rahman Ar Rahim), then a short Salawat or a short dua or ayat from the Quran. This will fulfill the obligation and set the tone, and will also make the programs more accessible to Reverts.
2. Personal Interaction / Mentoring. More than half of reverts do not feel welcome when they walk into the masjid or center. They are either looked at with suspicion, ignored, or treated like a museum exhibit for people to stare and point at. None of these types of interactions make them feel welcome and make them want to run out of the building at the earliest opportunity. I think it would be very simple for a masjid to have a mentoring program for new reverts. When they walk into the masjid, there could be a sign or something saying 'New Revert To Islam. Are you interested in participating in our mentoring program?'. Maybe they could fill out a survey or it would have contact information for a Revert Liaison for the Masjid that is interested in working with new reverts (gender appropriate, men for men, women for women) and has the background / language skills to understand their particular issues. I know many not so new reverts like myself that would be interested in volunteering to be a mentor for such programs. 
There are other things that the regular brothers and sister who attend could do to make reverts feel more comfortable, like maybe not staring at them, or not automatically assuming that they are Police / FBI / CIA. They should be treated like any other member of the community and should be assumed to be what they appear to be (a revert to Islam with no pre set agenda) unless there is very strong evidence pointing in the other direction. There are other things which I could post in another thread. 
3. Program timing and frequency. Don't start programs late in the Evenings on weekdays. Most Americans don't stay up late on weekdays. For example Ramadan programs in this area begin after Iftar, at 9:30 or 10:30 at night. Most Americans work from 9 to 5 and they need time before work to get to work, get the kids ready, etc, which means most wake up around 6:30 or 7. If they are at the Masjid till midnight or later and then have to get home, they will be sleep deprived and this will affect their work. Starting programs at 6:30 or 7 would be better, even during Ramadan. Make the programs shorter, more frequent, and more focused on specific issues that affect the lives of reverts. Most Americans, coming from the church background, are used to going to religious programs at least once a week, and the programs lasting 45 minutes to an hour at most.  
4. Support services that are specifically aimed at new reverts. They should know that if they walk into the masjid, it will be a safe place for them, and their specific needs will be addressed, if the masjid / center has the resources to address them. So if they need help in any sort of way, that there is someone there who will listen to them and attempt to fulfill their needs and if they can't, at least they will try to point them in the direction on someone who can. This applies generally to Muslims, and not only to reverts. A masjid should be a place where people go for solutions to their problems, not just spiritual problems, but any problems they may be having in their life. It should not only be a place where people go to do Salat, Majalis, then leave. 
5. Reverts as Decision Makers at Masjids / Centers. Most masjids don't have any reverts in decision making roles. There needs to be revert representation on things like Boards of Directors, Executive Committees, etc if the person is qualified for the role. 
There are other points which I could post, but I think this is enough for now. 

Besides what was said above, which I agree with, there is another aspect to it. We live in a world where there are many things going on, that if you focus on them too much, you can get depressed. There are also things going on in everyone's life that are, let's say, less than pleasant. Everyone has problem and issues going on in their life. These things sometimes feel overwhelming and the person thinks they will never end and / or may get worse. The trick to not letting these things get you depressed is to wake up every morning and say to yourself, 'I will work hard and do what I can do to solve / alleviate / lessen these problem and issues I am having. Beyond that, I will leave it to Allah(s.w.a)'. And this is the meaning of the famous ayat, 
 
 مَن كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًا...
وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَـٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدْرًا
''And unto everyone who is conscious of God, He [always] grants a way out [of unhappiness], and provides for him in a manner beyond all expectation;  and for everyone who places his trust in God He [alone] is enough. Verily, God always attains to His purpose: [and] indeed, unto everything has God appointed its [term and] measure.
Holy Quran Surat 65 2-3
 
 

In Islam, relationship between a man an women fall into exactly 3 categories, there is no fourth, fifth, etc. 
Non Mahram. Not close relatives, Not husband and wife. In this relationship, men and women can talk and interact with each other, but the relationship is restricted. For example, they cannot chat freely, but their interactions must be limited to certain topics such as work related, school related, social work / charity projects, simple courtesies (hello, goodbye, etc). Anything that would normally occur between a 'couple' in the Western Definition is not allowed, except the above. 
Mahram. Close relatives. In this relationship, there are less restrictions, for example all the normal type of interactions that happen in the West between say, brother and sister or Aunt and nephew are allowed. 
Married. Husband and Wife. Probably not much explanation needed about this. 
So you could say that 'dating' is a fourth category that is not allowed because it is not defined by a contract and not sanctioned by God(s.w.a) and because it is not defined and not sanctioned, can and does lead to corruption of society. 

Bismillah Ar Rahman Ar Rahim
 
The main reason we should be hopeful is that the Zionists are extremely predictable. Their only concern is to steal land to create their 'Greater Israel'. In order to do that, they must oppress the people in a severe way in order to either kill them, expel them, or make them live as slaves to them in their own land. 
They did this in Palestine, and in Lebanon already. Many are too young to remember, but in 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon. They bombed civilians and military infrastructure, like what they are doing now in Syria. That is the first stage. The second stage was that they started rounding up any men, or even some women, who they thought might oppose them and either kill them or put them in prison. This will start happening in Syria soon, if it has not already happened. They will either do it directly, or use their proxies, HRT and those groups. In Lebanon, they used the now destroyed SLA (South Lebanon Army) to do this. Once they do this, they will used tactics to 'break' the people like public humiliation, defunding or destroying of schools, masjids (except the ones they control), hospitals, cultural heritage sites, etc. Then they will erect walls, barriers, and checkpoints to make moving around almost impossible, like what they have done in Palestine. This is the third stage. Once they feel the people are broken and humiliated, then they will bring in their settlers and start building Zionist only settlements, the fourth stage. The fifth stage is where settlements are seen as 'normal' and part of the country and then they will annex the land, and this is what will probably happen to the West Bank under Trump. 
When it reached the third stage in Lebanon, Hezbollah was born. So it didn't go to the fourth or fifth stage. 
We know exactly what they are going to do in Syria. What we also know is that every time they did this, it lead to a resistance movement being formed. I believe that there will be an organic, Syrian (not Lebanese or Iranian) resistance movement that will begin soon. This movement will be 'supercharged' because they don't have to start from scratch (zero) like what happened in Palestine and Lebanon. They will already have support from other local resistance movements who can teach them advanced weapons and tactics. This will happen because if you are a young man now in Syria and you are not firmly aligned with ISIS, Qaeda, and HRT, you will be getting a visit soon. At that point, you're only choice will be to resist or die or spend the rest of your life in prison. These will be the only options. It has happened twice already, take a lesson from that. 
I believe that this movement will lead to the eventual real freedom for Syria and it's people as opposed to the fake freedom that is now being pushed. This is a step in the process of preparing for the arrival of Imam Zaman (a.f.s), InShahAllah. The coming days will be difficult, but I believe the end will be good. 

Bismillah Ar Rahman, Ar Rahim
 
This is in response to some recent videos I have watched on Youtube that were very inspirational and made me think. The first is by Sayyid Mustafa Qazwini. It was given a few years ago, I think 7 years ago but is still very relevant. Here is the speech. 
 
May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) continue to bless Dr. Mustafa Qazwini and his family. I really get inspired by his speeches and he is doing a great service to the Muslim community in America and in my home state of California. Even though I have lived in Michigan for 20 years, I will always consider California, and particularly the L.A. metro area to be my home. Being a revert myself, and someone who was born and raised in California, I would like to respond to a few of his points. 
First, in general he is correct that most reverts to Islam, especially Shia reverts do not attend masjid or go to Islamic centers on a regular basis. They are in general isolated from the wider community, which is a huge problem that needs to be addressed and if it isn't addressed will undermine the growth of Islam in the US. Some of these issues have to do with the reverts themselves, and some have to do with the muslim community. 
The point that I agree with him about 100% is the fact that the main problem about Islam not being appealing to Americans in general is that America is a very materialistic society. Most Americans feel that the source of their happiness or misery is in material things. This could be greater wealth, a better house, a better job, drugs / alcohol, consumer goods, social status, etc. The focus of the society is on attaining happiness thru gaining that material thing that makes you feel 'good' or 'happy'. This is promoted constantly thru the media and most people buy into it and spend the vast majority of their time trying to attain that 'thing', material thing that will make them happy and satisfied. Companies and Corporations benefit tremendously from this aggressive pursuit of that 'thing' by selling that 'thing' to the people or pretending like they are selling it. The government also benefits thru collecting taxes on the labor that Americans do in this pursuit. So this is now the consensus in America, that I will pursue that 'thing' and you will pursue that 'thing' for you and this will lead to happiness and satisfaction. 
Religion has been pushed to play a very minor role in society. So most Americans think of religion as something 'optional' you do if you have the time, or if it makes you feel 'good'. If you don't have the time, or it doesn't make you feel 'good' then it is perfectly fine to discard it, since it doesn't make much difference anyway. So a religion like Islam, which makes demands on a person, daily demands like prayer and fasting during the month of Ramadan, refraining from alcohol, refraining from pre marital relations, and talks about punishment from God if someone doesn't do these things is something that most Americans find 'extreme', 'demanding', and something they don't have the time or energy for. In addition, there are efforts made by the media to portray Islam as extreme and 'backward' and something that would be a negative if it were adopted widely in society. 
So considering all that, it shouldn't surprise anyone that the vast majority of Americans are not interested in becoming Muslim, Shia, or even hearing about Islam. The surprising part to me is that we, as Muslims and followers of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) have completely failed in making the counter argument and doing advocacy for Islam and teaching of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) amoung the wider, non Muslim population. There are a few exceptions to this, and these exceptions are some of the Sunni brothers and sisters who are doing this. I haven't seen a Shia group in the US actively doing this. This is the sad part. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that the vast majority of reverts to Islam are Sunni. That is because they are the ones doing the dawa to the non muslims and we (followers of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) are not). That is the only reason. 
The ones who revert into Shia Islam are 'one off' cases like myself, and another like this dear sister, whose video I will post below. Please listen to her story, it will give you lots of inspiration. 
 
I disagree with the Sayyid's point about 'Revert Centers'. I actually don't think there should be centers specifically for Reverts. If we do that, we are just making another 'Ethnic Social Club' for Americans just like some masjids are actually just 'Ethnic Social Clubs' for Arabs, Iranians, Pakistanis, etc. The role of the masjid in Islam is much greater and more profound than this. I think we need to take steps to integrate Reverts into our existing Masjids by making them feel safe, welcome, and feel like their specific needs and issues are being addressed and they are getting the help they need. We don't need more buildings, we need to change our behavior. I will explain with a few points below. 
I will address a few points about what I think we could do to improve our programs and make them more appealing to reverts
1. Language. I actually think this is the most important one. Whenever we have an alim who starts a speech or a program, they begin with a few minutes of Dua, Quran, and Salawat. This is all in Arabic and it lasts for sometimes up to 10 minutes. Me being someone who has some familiarity with Arabic and Dua and Quran, I understand what he is saying, but most reverts, especially new reverts, don't. They walk in, assume this is an Arabic program, and then leave. They are not going to sit there thru an entire program in a language which they don't understand (based on their assumption that it is an Arabic program). This further increases their isolation. I understand the importance of doing these dua and Salawat, and Ziyarat before the program, but I think they could be shortened to less than a minute, beginning with the Balsama (Bismillah Ar Rahman Ar Rahim), then a short Salawat or a short dua or ayat from the Quran. This will fulfill the obligation and set the tone, and will also make the programs more accessible to Reverts.
2. Personal Interaction / Mentoring. More than half of reverts do not feel welcome when they walk into the masjid or center. They are either looked at with suspicion, ignored, or treated like a museum exhibit for people to stare and point at. None of these types of interactions make them feel welcome and make them want to run out of the building at the earliest opportunity. I think it would be very simple for a masjid to have a mentoring program for new reverts. When they walk into the masjid, there could be a sign or something saying 'New Revert To Islam. Are you interested in participating in our mentoring program?'. Maybe they could fill out a survey or it would have contact information for a Revert Liaison for the Masjid that is interested in working with new reverts (gender appropriate, men for men, women for women) and has the background / language skills to understand their particular issues. I know many not so new reverts like myself that would be interested in volunteering to be a mentor for such programs. 
There are other things that the regular brothers and sister who attend could do to make reverts feel more comfortable, like maybe not staring at them, or not automatically assuming that they are Police / FBI / CIA. They should be treated like any other member of the community and should be assumed to be what they appear to be (a revert to Islam with no pre set agenda) unless there is very strong evidence pointing in the other direction. There are other things which I could post in another thread. 
3. Program timing and frequency. Don't start programs late in the Evenings on weekdays. Most Americans don't stay up late on weekdays. For example Ramadan programs in this area begin after Iftar, at 9:30 or 10:30 at night. Most Americans work from 9 to 5 and they need time before work to get to work, get the kids ready, etc, which means most wake up around 6:30 or 7. If they are at the Masjid till midnight or later and then have to get home, they will be sleep deprived and this will affect their work. Starting programs at 6:30 or 7 would be better, even during Ramadan. Make the programs shorter, more frequent, and more focused on specific issues that affect the lives of reverts. Most Americans, coming from the church background, are used to going to religious programs at least once a week, and the programs lasting 45 minutes to an hour at most.  
4. Support services that are specifically aimed at new reverts. They should know that if they walk into the masjid, it will be a safe place for them, and their specific needs will be addressed, if the masjid / center has the resources to address them. So if they need help in any sort of way, that there is someone there who will listen to them and attempt to fulfill their needs and if they can't, at least they will try to point them in the direction on someone who can. This applies generally to Muslims, and not only to reverts. A masjid should be a place where people go for solutions to their problems, not just spiritual problems, but any problems they may be having in their life. It should not only be a place where people go to do Salat, Majalis, then leave. 
5. Reverts as Decision Makers at Masjids / Centers. Most masjids don't have any reverts in decision making roles. There needs to be revert representation on things like Boards of Directors, Executive Committees, etc if the person is qualified for the role. 
There are other points which I could post, but I think this is enough for now. 

I wanted to address another point which the Sayyid mentioned in OP. He said that Islam is not the fastest growing religion in the US and that this is a myth based on an old study (which he names in his speech). He said the purpose of this study was to 'scare' certain groups in the US to start taking action against Muslims.
A few points on this
While the US Government does not collect data on religious affiliation in it's official census that it conducts every 10 years, there have been other studies such as 
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/#:~:text=But while Islam is currently,the end of this century.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/10/politics/muslim-population-growth-second-religious-group-trnd/index.html
The majority of the studies show that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the US. The number of Muslims in the US is expected to triple in the next 25 years. These numbers don't tell the whole story and you need to look a little closer at this issue to get the correct perspective.
1. The number of Muslims currently in the US is a small percentage of the population. Most studies say between 3 and 7%. 
2. The other major religious groups in the US, i.e. Christians and Jews have large populations that are either stable or shrinking, i.e. not much growth is expected in these groups within the next 25 years. 
3. If Muslims are say 5% of the US population, even if this triples in the next 25 years, to 15%, Muslims would still be a minority, though a more significant one. 
This growth is due almost exclusively to the fact that Muslim families tend to have more children than the general population, and to some extent also this is due to immigration from Muslims countries, although this (immigration) has been slowing down in recent years due to Trump's Muslim ban, which he partially implemented (and which Biden isn't doing much to change, btw) and the fact that immigration to the US amoung most other groups is down due to tightening immigration laws. 
In the 1960s, 70s, and into the early 1980s there was a large wave of immigration to the US from Muslim countries. It is the children of these immigrants, mostly, and their children which is responsible for the growth of the Muslim population in the US. The Revert community is a tiny minority within the general Muslim community, and he is correct that the percentage of reverts in the Muslim community (US born brothers and sisters with non muslim parents) is not growing. The main reason is not complicated. I'll explain
If you look at Rasoulallah(p.b.u.h) and Imams of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)), they were the instrument for reversion of many individuals. The only criteria was that those individuals were sincere (i.e. has Iklas) and they had exposure to the Prophet and Imams((عليه السلام)). This was all that was necessary. The ones who reverted were convinced of the truthfulness of the religion by two things, The knowledge and the Aklaq of the Imams((عليه السلام)). Their knowledge convinced the mind, their Aklaq convinced the heart.
For most people, the vast majority, the heart needs to be convinced first, then the mind. That is why the majority of reverts in the US are women who reverted after being married to a Muslim man who was practicing. This convinced their heart, because of his Aklaq, then the mind became convinced. I am one of those rare cases where my mind was convinced before my heart about the truth of Islam, then my heart became convinced quite a bit later. If we want to know how good our Aklaq is, as an Ummah in the US, we need to look at the number of reverts. If the amount is small, that means we have alot to work on in our Aklaq. We have alot to work on. 
One of the main reasons for this is that there is this myth about the religion that is perpetuated on the Internet and other places (I have heard it on ShiaChat many times). The  myth is that having good aklaq is optional, and having good aklaq is not a requirement of being a good Muslim/a. It is like 'extra credit' on and exam. This is perpetuated by Muslims who believe that Islam is a religion that was revealed for robots. You just pray,fast, pay your khums, go the Hajj, etc robotically, with no feeling and no comprehension of what you are doing and the meaning behind it. Just do the acts, physically, and you are a good Muslim. 
They don't realize that Muawiya and Yazid(la) prayed, they fasted, read Quran, they went to Hajj, they gave charity. THe Khawarij did those things also. They did all those things, yet were they 'good muslims'. Absolutely not. We know this for sure. It is because they had the deen mechanically with no Iklas, no sincerity, and no aklaq. The 'optional' things are the goal of the other things. The mechanics of the deen (prayer, fasting, hajj, khums, etc) are only vehicles or stepping stones for us to get to the point or the goal of the religion, which is to have good Aklaq and then have the Iklas and the strong Iman and Taqwa. That is the goal. The emphasis in the community is on the mechanics of the religion and how someone appears in the community. The mechanics are important, but as long as we don't have the real goal in mind, we will never reach it. 

Bismillah Ar Rahman, Ar Rahim
 
This is in response to some recent videos I have watched on Youtube that were very inspirational and made me think. The first is by Sayyid Mustafa Qazwini. It was given a few years ago, I think 7 years ago but is still very relevant. Here is the speech. 
 
May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) continue to bless Dr. Mustafa Qazwini and his family. I really get inspired by his speeches and he is doing a great service to the Muslim community in America and in my home state of California. Even though I have lived in Michigan for 20 years, I will always consider California, and particularly the L.A. metro area to be my home. Being a revert myself, and someone who was born and raised in California, I would like to respond to a few of his points. 
First, in general he is correct that most reverts to Islam, especially Shia reverts do not attend masjid or go to Islamic centers on a regular basis. They are in general isolated from the wider community, which is a huge problem that needs to be addressed and if it isn't addressed will undermine the growth of Islam in the US. Some of these issues have to do with the reverts themselves, and some have to do with the muslim community. 
The point that I agree with him about 100% is the fact that the main problem about Islam not being appealing to Americans in general is that America is a very materialistic society. Most Americans feel that the source of their happiness or misery is in material things. This could be greater wealth, a better house, a better job, drugs / alcohol, consumer goods, social status, etc. The focus of the society is on attaining happiness thru gaining that material thing that makes you feel 'good' or 'happy'. This is promoted constantly thru the media and most people buy into it and spend the vast majority of their time trying to attain that 'thing', material thing that will make them happy and satisfied. Companies and Corporations benefit tremendously from this aggressive pursuit of that 'thing' by selling that 'thing' to the people or pretending like they are selling it. The government also benefits thru collecting taxes on the labor that Americans do in this pursuit. So this is now the consensus in America, that I will pursue that 'thing' and you will pursue that 'thing' for you and this will lead to happiness and satisfaction. 
Religion has been pushed to play a very minor role in society. So most Americans think of religion as something 'optional' you do if you have the time, or if it makes you feel 'good'. If you don't have the time, or it doesn't make you feel 'good' then it is perfectly fine to discard it, since it doesn't make much difference anyway. So a religion like Islam, which makes demands on a person, daily demands like prayer and fasting during the month of Ramadan, refraining from alcohol, refraining from pre marital relations, and talks about punishment from God if someone doesn't do these things is something that most Americans find 'extreme', 'demanding', and something they don't have the time or energy for. In addition, there are efforts made by the media to portray Islam as extreme and 'backward' and something that would be a negative if it were adopted widely in society. 
So considering all that, it shouldn't surprise anyone that the vast majority of Americans are not interested in becoming Muslim, Shia, or even hearing about Islam. The surprising part to me is that we, as Muslims and followers of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) have completely failed in making the counter argument and doing advocacy for Islam and teaching of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) amoung the wider, non Muslim population. There are a few exceptions to this, and these exceptions are some of the Sunni brothers and sisters who are doing this. I haven't seen a Shia group in the US actively doing this. This is the sad part. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that the vast majority of reverts to Islam are Sunni. That is because they are the ones doing the dawa to the non muslims and we (followers of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) are not). That is the only reason. 
The ones who revert into Shia Islam are 'one off' cases like myself, and another like this dear sister, whose video I will post below. Please listen to her story, it will give you lots of inspiration. 
 
I disagree with the Sayyid's point about 'Revert Centers'. I actually don't think there should be centers specifically for Reverts. If we do that, we are just making another 'Ethnic Social Club' for Americans just like some masjids are actually just 'Ethnic Social Clubs' for Arabs, Iranians, Pakistanis, etc. The role of the masjid in Islam is much greater and more profound than this. I think we need to take steps to integrate Reverts into our existing Masjids by making them feel safe, welcome, and feel like their specific needs and issues are being addressed and they are getting the help they need. We don't need more buildings, we need to change our behavior. I will explain with a few points below. 
I will address a few points about what I think we could do to improve our programs and make them more appealing to reverts
1. Language. I actually think this is the most important one. Whenever we have an alim who starts a speech or a program, they begin with a few minutes of Dua, Quran, and Salawat. This is all in Arabic and it lasts for sometimes up to 10 minutes. Me being someone who has some familiarity with Arabic and Dua and Quran, I understand what he is saying, but most reverts, especially new reverts, don't. They walk in, assume this is an Arabic program, and then leave. They are not going to sit there thru an entire program in a language which they don't understand (based on their assumption that it is an Arabic program). This further increases their isolation. I understand the importance of doing these dua and Salawat, and Ziyarat before the program, but I think they could be shortened to less than a minute, beginning with the Balsama (Bismillah Ar Rahman Ar Rahim), then a short Salawat or a short dua or ayat from the Quran. This will fulfill the obligation and set the tone, and will also make the programs more accessible to Reverts.
2. Personal Interaction / Mentoring. More than half of reverts do not feel welcome when they walk into the masjid or center. They are either looked at with suspicion, ignored, or treated like a museum exhibit for people to stare and point at. None of these types of interactions make them feel welcome and make them want to run out of the building at the earliest opportunity. I think it would be very simple for a masjid to have a mentoring program for new reverts. When they walk into the masjid, there could be a sign or something saying 'New Revert To Islam. Are you interested in participating in our mentoring program?'. Maybe they could fill out a survey or it would have contact information for a Revert Liaison for the Masjid that is interested in working with new reverts (gender appropriate, men for men, women for women) and has the background / language skills to understand their particular issues. I know many not so new reverts like myself that would be interested in volunteering to be a mentor for such programs. 
There are other things that the regular brothers and sister who attend could do to make reverts feel more comfortable, like maybe not staring at them, or not automatically assuming that they are Police / FBI / CIA. They should be treated like any other member of the community and should be assumed to be what they appear to be (a revert to Islam with no pre set agenda) unless there is very strong evidence pointing in the other direction. There are other things which I could post in another thread. 
3. Program timing and frequency. Don't start programs late in the Evenings on weekdays. Most Americans don't stay up late on weekdays. For example Ramadan programs in this area begin after Iftar, at 9:30 or 10:30 at night. Most Americans work from 9 to 5 and they need time before work to get to work, get the kids ready, etc, which means most wake up around 6:30 or 7. If they are at the Masjid till midnight or later and then have to get home, they will be sleep deprived and this will affect their work. Starting programs at 6:30 or 7 would be better, even during Ramadan. Make the programs shorter, more frequent, and more focused on specific issues that affect the lives of reverts. Most Americans, coming from the church background, are used to going to religious programs at least once a week, and the programs lasting 45 minutes to an hour at most.  
4. Support services that are specifically aimed at new reverts. They should know that if they walk into the masjid, it will be a safe place for them, and their specific needs will be addressed, if the masjid / center has the resources to address them. So if they need help in any sort of way, that there is someone there who will listen to them and attempt to fulfill their needs and if they can't, at least they will try to point them in the direction on someone who can. This applies generally to Muslims, and not only to reverts. A masjid should be a place where people go for solutions to their problems, not just spiritual problems, but any problems they may be having in their life. It should not only be a place where people go to do Salat, Majalis, then leave. 
5. Reverts as Decision Makers at Masjids / Centers. Most masjids don't have any reverts in decision making roles. There needs to be revert representation on things like Boards of Directors, Executive Committees, etc if the person is qualified for the role. 
There are other points which I could post, but I think this is enough for now. 

I wanted to address another point which the Sayyid mentioned in OP. He said that Islam is not the fastest growing religion in the US and that this is a myth based on an old study (which he names in his speech). He said the purpose of this study was to 'scare' certain groups in the US to start taking action against Muslims.
A few points on this
While the US Government does not collect data on religious affiliation in it's official census that it conducts every 10 years, there have been other studies such as 
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/#:~:text=But while Islam is currently,the end of this century.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/10/politics/muslim-population-growth-second-religious-group-trnd/index.html
The majority of the studies show that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the US. The number of Muslims in the US is expected to triple in the next 25 years. These numbers don't tell the whole story and you need to look a little closer at this issue to get the correct perspective.
1. The number of Muslims currently in the US is a small percentage of the population. Most studies say between 3 and 7%. 
2. The other major religious groups in the US, i.e. Christians and Jews have large populations that are either stable or shrinking, i.e. not much growth is expected in these groups within the next 25 years. 
3. If Muslims are say 5% of the US population, even if this triples in the next 25 years, to 15%, Muslims would still be a minority, though a more significant one. 
This growth is due almost exclusively to the fact that Muslim families tend to have more children than the general population, and to some extent also this is due to immigration from Muslims countries, although this (immigration) has been slowing down in recent years due to Trump's Muslim ban, which he partially implemented (and which Biden isn't doing much to change, btw) and the fact that immigration to the US amoung most other groups is down due to tightening immigration laws. 
In the 1960s, 70s, and into the early 1980s there was a large wave of immigration to the US from Muslim countries. It is the children of these immigrants, mostly, and their children which is responsible for the growth of the Muslim population in the US. The Revert community is a tiny minority within the general Muslim community, and he is correct that the percentage of reverts in the Muslim community (US born brothers and sisters with non muslim parents) is not growing. The main reason is not complicated. I'll explain
If you look at Rasoulallah(p.b.u.h) and Imams of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)), they were the instrument for reversion of many individuals. The only criteria was that those individuals were sincere (i.e. has Iklas) and they had exposure to the Prophet and Imams((عليه السلام)). This was all that was necessary. The ones who reverted were convinced of the truthfulness of the religion by two things, The knowledge and the Aklaq of the Imams((عليه السلام)). Their knowledge convinced the mind, their Aklaq convinced the heart.
For most people, the vast majority, the heart needs to be convinced first, then the mind. That is why the majority of reverts in the US are women who reverted after being married to a Muslim man who was practicing. This convinced their heart, because of his Aklaq, then the mind became convinced. I am one of those rare cases where my mind was convinced before my heart about the truth of Islam, then my heart became convinced quite a bit later. If we want to know how good our Aklaq is, as an Ummah in the US, we need to look at the number of reverts. If the amount is small, that means we have alot to work on in our Aklaq. We have alot to work on. 
One of the main reasons for this is that there is this myth about the religion that is perpetuated on the Internet and other places (I have heard it on ShiaChat many times). The  myth is that having good aklaq is optional, and having good aklaq is not a requirement of being a good Muslim/a. It is like 'extra credit' on and exam. This is perpetuated by Muslims who believe that Islam is a religion that was revealed for robots. You just pray,fast, pay your khums, go the Hajj, etc robotically, with no feeling and no comprehension of what you are doing and the meaning behind it. Just do the acts, physically, and you are a good Muslim. 
They don't realize that Muawiya and Yazid(la) prayed, they fasted, read Quran, they went to Hajj, they gave charity. THe Khawarij did those things also. They did all those things, yet were they 'good muslims'. Absolutely not. We know this for sure. It is because they had the deen mechanically with no Iklas, no sincerity, and no aklaq. The 'optional' things are the goal of the other things. The mechanics of the deen (prayer, fasting, hajj, khums, etc) are only vehicles or stepping stones for us to get to the point or the goal of the religion, which is to have good Aklaq and then have the Iklas and the strong Iman and Taqwa. That is the goal. The emphasis in the community is on the mechanics of the religion and how someone appears in the community. The mechanics are important, but as long as we don't have the real goal in mind, we will never reach it. 

Having a child with a disability most likely means that your more resilient, smarter, more resourceful, more patient, and more compassionate than most. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) never tests us with anything greater than we can bear, and most parents couldn't bear that test unless they had those qualities. 

Bismillah Ar Rahman, Ar Rahim
 
This is in response to some recent videos I have watched on Youtube that were very inspirational and made me think. The first is by Sayyid Mustafa Qazwini. It was given a few years ago, I think 7 years ago but is still very relevant. Here is the speech. 
 
May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) continue to bless Dr. Mustafa Qazwini and his family. I really get inspired by his speeches and he is doing a great service to the Muslim community in America and in my home state of California. Even though I have lived in Michigan for 20 years, I will always consider California, and particularly the L.A. metro area to be my home. Being a revert myself, and someone who was born and raised in California, I would like to respond to a few of his points. 
First, in general he is correct that most reverts to Islam, especially Shia reverts do not attend masjid or go to Islamic centers on a regular basis. They are in general isolated from the wider community, which is a huge problem that needs to be addressed and if it isn't addressed will undermine the growth of Islam in the US. Some of these issues have to do with the reverts themselves, and some have to do with the muslim community. 
The point that I agree with him about 100% is the fact that the main problem about Islam not being appealing to Americans in general is that America is a very materialistic society. Most Americans feel that the source of their happiness or misery is in material things. This could be greater wealth, a better house, a better job, drugs / alcohol, consumer goods, social status, etc. The focus of the society is on attaining happiness thru gaining that material thing that makes you feel 'good' or 'happy'. This is promoted constantly thru the media and most people buy into it and spend the vast majority of their time trying to attain that 'thing', material thing that will make them happy and satisfied. Companies and Corporations benefit tremendously from this aggressive pursuit of that 'thing' by selling that 'thing' to the people or pretending like they are selling it. The government also benefits thru collecting taxes on the labor that Americans do in this pursuit. So this is now the consensus in America, that I will pursue that 'thing' and you will pursue that 'thing' for you and this will lead to happiness and satisfaction. 
Religion has been pushed to play a very minor role in society. So most Americans think of religion as something 'optional' you do if you have the time, or if it makes you feel 'good'. If you don't have the time, or it doesn't make you feel 'good' then it is perfectly fine to discard it, since it doesn't make much difference anyway. So a religion like Islam, which makes demands on a person, daily demands like prayer and fasting during the month of Ramadan, refraining from alcohol, refraining from pre marital relations, and talks about punishment from God if someone doesn't do these things is something that most Americans find 'extreme', 'demanding', and something they don't have the time or energy for. In addition, there are efforts made by the media to portray Islam as extreme and 'backward' and something that would be a negative if it were adopted widely in society. 
So considering all that, it shouldn't surprise anyone that the vast majority of Americans are not interested in becoming Muslim, Shia, or even hearing about Islam. The surprising part to me is that we, as Muslims and followers of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) have completely failed in making the counter argument and doing advocacy for Islam and teaching of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) amoung the wider, non Muslim population. There are a few exceptions to this, and these exceptions are some of the Sunni brothers and sisters who are doing this. I haven't seen a Shia group in the US actively doing this. This is the sad part. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that the vast majority of reverts to Islam are Sunni. That is because they are the ones doing the dawa to the non muslims and we (followers of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) are not). That is the only reason. 
The ones who revert into Shia Islam are 'one off' cases like myself, and another like this dear sister, whose video I will post below. Please listen to her story, it will give you lots of inspiration. 
 
I disagree with the Sayyid's point about 'Revert Centers'. I actually don't think there should be centers specifically for Reverts. If we do that, we are just making another 'Ethnic Social Club' for Americans just like some masjids are actually just 'Ethnic Social Clubs' for Arabs, Iranians, Pakistanis, etc. The role of the masjid in Islam is much greater and more profound than this. I think we need to take steps to integrate Reverts into our existing Masjids by making them feel safe, welcome, and feel like their specific needs and issues are being addressed and they are getting the help they need. We don't need more buildings, we need to change our behavior. I will explain with a few points below. 
I will address a few points about what I think we could do to improve our programs and make them more appealing to reverts
1. Language. I actually think this is the most important one. Whenever we have an alim who starts a speech or a program, they begin with a few minutes of Dua, Quran, and Salawat. This is all in Arabic and it lasts for sometimes up to 10 minutes. Me being someone who has some familiarity with Arabic and Dua and Quran, I understand what he is saying, but most reverts, especially new reverts, don't. They walk in, assume this is an Arabic program, and then leave. They are not going to sit there thru an entire program in a language which they don't understand (based on their assumption that it is an Arabic program). This further increases their isolation. I understand the importance of doing these dua and Salawat, and Ziyarat before the program, but I think they could be shortened to less than a minute, beginning with the Balsama (Bismillah Ar Rahman Ar Rahim), then a short Salawat or a short dua or ayat from the Quran. This will fulfill the obligation and set the tone, and will also make the programs more accessible to Reverts.
2. Personal Interaction / Mentoring. More than half of reverts do not feel welcome when they walk into the masjid or center. They are either looked at with suspicion, ignored, or treated like a museum exhibit for people to stare and point at. None of these types of interactions make them feel welcome and make them want to run out of the building at the earliest opportunity. I think it would be very simple for a masjid to have a mentoring program for new reverts. When they walk into the masjid, there could be a sign or something saying 'New Revert To Islam. Are you interested in participating in our mentoring program?'. Maybe they could fill out a survey or it would have contact information for a Revert Liaison for the Masjid that is interested in working with new reverts (gender appropriate, men for men, women for women) and has the background / language skills to understand their particular issues. I know many not so new reverts like myself that would be interested in volunteering to be a mentor for such programs. 
There are other things that the regular brothers and sister who attend could do to make reverts feel more comfortable, like maybe not staring at them, or not automatically assuming that they are Police / FBI / CIA. They should be treated like any other member of the community and should be assumed to be what they appear to be (a revert to Islam with no pre set agenda) unless there is very strong evidence pointing in the other direction. There are other things which I could post in another thread. 
3. Program timing and frequency. Don't start programs late in the Evenings on weekdays. Most Americans don't stay up late on weekdays. For example Ramadan programs in this area begin after Iftar, at 9:30 or 10:30 at night. Most Americans work from 9 to 5 and they need time before work to get to work, get the kids ready, etc, which means most wake up around 6:30 or 7. If they are at the Masjid till midnight or later and then have to get home, they will be sleep deprived and this will affect their work. Starting programs at 6:30 or 7 would be better, even during Ramadan. Make the programs shorter, more frequent, and more focused on specific issues that affect the lives of reverts. Most Americans, coming from the church background, are used to going to religious programs at least once a week, and the programs lasting 45 minutes to an hour at most.  
4. Support services that are specifically aimed at new reverts. They should know that if they walk into the masjid, it will be a safe place for them, and their specific needs will be addressed, if the masjid / center has the resources to address them. So if they need help in any sort of way, that there is someone there who will listen to them and attempt to fulfill their needs and if they can't, at least they will try to point them in the direction on someone who can. This applies generally to Muslims, and not only to reverts. A masjid should be a place where people go for solutions to their problems, not just spiritual problems, but any problems they may be having in their life. It should not only be a place where people go to do Salat, Majalis, then leave. 
5. Reverts as Decision Makers at Masjids / Centers. Most masjids don't have any reverts in decision making roles. There needs to be revert representation on things like Boards of Directors, Executive Committees, etc if the person is qualified for the role. 
There are other points which I could post, but I think this is enough for now. 

From what I have seen, the average time it takes when u are actively looking is a about 2 to 3 years. When I say actively looking I mean making a list of all the places and events you think a large number of Shia women would be at. Then go to those places / events as much as you can and talk to those women. You can talk without being creepy or inappropriate. You just have to practice. The best way to practice is to do it
The main point is don't force anything. If she is interested the conversation will naturally lead in the direction of marriage. If she isn't interested the discussion will not go there. Most women are extremely good at steering conversations in a certain direction they want it to go in. 
If u find u have to force the conversation in that direction then respectfully and politely move on. If u do this at least once per week for even a few months you will succeed. The key is to just keep doing it and don't give up hope or get depressed if it doesn't work the first few times. Then u stop and have to start again later. It will take a lot longer that way
There is a stigma in some communities around non mahram even having appropriate conversations. I think this is ridiculous and it serves as yet another barrier to halal marriage.

Bismillah Ta'la
'A believer should always be between fear and hope'. Imam Sadiq((عليه السلام))
What this means in practical terms is that you should fear nothing but your own sins and hope for nothing except Allah(s.w.a)'s mercy. 
Fear your own sins because these are the only things that can possibly stop you from having a wonderful experience, both in this life and the next. When you sin, ask Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) to forgive you and take practical steps toward not committing the sin again. Then you have done your responsibility. It is true that we don't actually know whether Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) will forgive us, but we know that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful and He(s.w.a) has imposed mercy on himself. That should give you hope and enough fear to avoid sin, which is the purpose of the fear in the first place. To stop you from destroying your own soul thru sinful acts. 
As for the other things like family pressures, demands at work, social stigma, etc, these are things you should not be afraid of. If your family is constantly bothering you, minimize your contact with them but don't cut it off completely. By lessening the contact, you are telling them that I don't approve of the way you are treating me, and sometimes they get the message. Sometimes they don't and if they don't then your life will be happier with minimal contact, believe me because I am talking out of personal experience. 
For pressures as work, if your job is too stressful, look for another job or lessen your hours and downgrade your lifestyle so that you can survive on less. A stressful job can completely ruin your life and affect your deen. Try to get into a place where you can be at a happy medium. 
As for the rules of religion, they are there to protect you either from harmful people in society or protect you from destroying your own soul. They are like the skin on your body. Your skin protects your internal organs and from diseases which are out in in the environment. Abandoning religion or the rules of religion is like removing your own skin. Now your protection from these harmful things is gone, and one of those things or mulitple things will make their way into your heart and your soul and destroy you. You might be physically alive, but with a dead soul and a dead heart, and there are millions of people walking around in this world like this. They exist only to chase after their imaginary desires. This is the life of a zombie, not a human being. The human being was meant for much more than that. 
Also, there are the wajib and the mustahab, the haram and the makrooh. If you do the wajib (which are not very many) and avoid the haram (which are also not very many) then you will be safe in this life and the next and will enter paradise with honor, so if you do that you have absolutely nothing to worry about in the next life. If you don't do a wajb or do a haram, then ask Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) to forgive you with sincerity and try to avoid do that in the future and you will be the same as if you never did it. The mustahab and avoiding the makrooh (additional rules) are only there as an opportunity for us to make additional spiritual progress, and they are like extra credit, not required. No harm will happen to you if you don't do them, but you will get additional spiritual benefits if you do them. 
 

Salam, 
First, as muslims, and as Shia of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)), InShahAllah, we have a duty to follow the example for Rasoulallah(p.b.u.h) and the Imams of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)). If you look at the marriages of Rasoulallah, first, you will see that he married virgins and non virgins, single women and divorced or widowed women, and most of the women he married were either divorced or widows. 
His first marriage was with Hazrat Khadijah((عليه السلام)), the Glittering Lady. He lived with her alone for twenty-five years. It was the prime time of his youth and constitutes two-thirds of his married life.
Then he married Sawdah bint Zam'ah whose husband had expired during the second migration to Abyssinia. Sawdah was a believing lady who had migrated on account of her faith. Her father and brother were among the most bitter enemies of Islam. 
At the same time, he married 'Ayishah bint Abu Bakr, 
Then he emigrated to Medina and began spreading the word of Allah. Thereafter, he married eight women, all of them widows or divorcees, all old or middle-aged
We can go thru each of the Imams and find a similar pattern 
From Quran
…And whosoever fears Allah…He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine.
The Holy Quran 65:2-3
After a difficulty, Allah will soon grant relief.
The Holy Quran 65:7
So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily with every difficulty there is relief. Therefore, when you are free (from your immediate task), still labor hard. And to your Lord turn (all) your attention. 
The Holy Quran 94:5-7
AND MY FAVORITE ONE
Do you think that you will enter paradise without such trials as came to those who passed away before you? They experienced suffering and adversity and were so shaken in spirit that even the Prophet and the faithful who were with him cried, “When will Allah’s help come?” Ah, verily the help of Allah is near.
The Holy Quran 2:214

Bismillah Ta'la
As many of you know, I reverted to Islam when I was 21 years old. I was raised before that as a Christian. 
I grew up in Los Angeles and this is where I was living when I reverted. In LA, there is no 'central muslim area' like there is in other cities. Also, the Muslim community in LA is extremely diverse. The group I was around, in the beginning were Arabs, specifically Egyptians, Palestinians, and Lebanese. Most of the guys were students and this was in the south part of the LA area. 
In the beginning, I was like most reverts. I didn't know enough about the religion to make any kind of decision about Sunni/Shia and which one was right and I wasn't leaning in any particular direction. In fact, I was more of a 'Quranist', i.e. non sectarian, but after a few discussions with the brothers I found this was not a tenable position to take as a Muslim for the simple reason of fiqh. Issues of prayer, fasting, hajj, etc, and how the fatawa were slightly different between different mathahib and since I couldn't follow all of them (i.e. I had to pray in a certain way, fast in a certain way, etc) I had to follow one so I began doing research and having discussions. 
There was one particular discussion that I had with my friends, two were Sunni (Palestinian and Egyptian) and one was Shia (Lebanese). It was about Ghadir Khum, a subject that has been discussed alot, alot on this site. I didn't have any of that information when I first reverted, and in fact this site didn't exist when I first reverted and the Internet even was a new thing. I got most of the information thru books that I bought, some I got for free, and thru discussions with muslims. I wasn't aware of the two good books on the subject that are translated into English (Peshawar Nights and 'Then I was guided'). At that time, there wasn't many book on the subject that were translated into English (this is the mid 90s)
So in the discussion, I realized that all the guys, Sunni and Shia, accepted this hadith, that it was authentic, the circumstances that it occured in, and the fact that Rasoulallah(p.b.u.h) said 'Whoever I am his Maula, Ali is his Maula'. It was after that the discussion got heated at the point where it usually get's heated, about the meaning of the word 'Maula'. I was just listening, but after hearing about the merits of Imam Ali((عليه السلام)), the close relationship between Rasoulallah(p.b.u.h) and Imam Ali((عليه السلام)), the fact that Rasoulallah(p.b.u.h) raised Imam Ali((عليه السلام)), that Imam Ali((عليه السلام)) was a brave warrior and a natural leader, and that he was Rasoulallah(p.b.u.h)'s son in law, I could not accept that the word Maula means 'Friend'. To gather all those Muslims together, in the heat of the day, in the middle of the desert, to hold up Imam Ali((عليه السلام).)'s hand for all to see, to tell those that had left to come back, to erect a pulpit, etc, etc, to say 'Ali is my friend' ? I really couldn't believe that these guys who I was friends with could believe that. 
I actually called the Egyptian guy stupid for believing that. Of course, that was rude and I wouldn't do that again knowing what I know now about aklaq and how sensitive this issue is. I apologized for that but he didn't accept my apology and in fact after that day I never spoke to him again, not because I didn't want to but he didn't want to speak to me. What they didn't understand is that I was the only one there who did not have all the 'cultural baggage', so I could see the issue very clearly. This is a kind of 'super power' that reverts have as compared to those who were born into the religion. I did some more research on the subject of Ghadir and found that the only really correct and acceptable meaning of 'Maula' given the circumstances of the speech of Rasoulallah(p.b.u.h) is 'Leader' and not 'Friend'. The meaning is 'Whoever I am his leader, Ali is his leader'. Once I heard and understood that statement of Rasoulallah(p.b.u.h), the I realized this is my obligation, as a respect to Rasoulallah(p.b.u.h) to take Imam Ali((عليه السلام).) as my leader. So I did and this is why I am Shia. 
Today, more than 20 years later, I am even more convinced that I made the right decision. 

Salam. This is a difficult one and this situation is exactly why I always advise brothers not to marry a women who they are not physically / sexually attracted to. 
Having said that, there are some ways you can increase your chances of a successful marriage. I have posted these points before and please don't be offended if some of them don't apply to you, these are just general advice. 
1. Do not watch sexually explicit content / porn. The main effect these types of media on your brain is that it raises your threshold for 'attractiveness'. So then you will not be attracted to any real, non surgery enhanced , non ai filter enhanced women. This includes your wife. I think this is one of the main reasons why this type of content is haram. It breaks up families and there is mountains of scientific research on this topic, mostly from non muslims. 
2. Have a real conversation with your wife about this and see if there is anything she can do for you or you can do for her to enhance your attractiveness to each other. If she needs to lose weight, gain weight. Also, cosmetic surgery is not haram and if you think it will help you be more attracted to her, and you can afford it and it won't put her health at risk, then you should do it. This sounds kind of extreme, and if you don't feel comfortable then you can disregard that advice
3. If there is any way she can change the way she dresses, makeup (around mahram of course), etc. 
4. Attractiveness between husband and wife is not purely a physical thing. It grows over time as your relationship and love develop and you trust each other more. Attractiveness is partially a spiritual connection so it doesn't fully depend on physical characteristics. Keep that in mind.