- In Islam, God is not a father.

God is the ultimatejudge and he sits apart

from us judging absolutelyevery single thing that we do.

- [Narrator] Hetia's parents emigrated

from Iran to the US insearch of the American dream.

They found it.

Hetia grew up among the wealth

and opulence of Beverly Hills

but she says it wasn't enough.

- It never was fulfilling.

I actually felt really guilty

about having what the world would describe

as just about everythingand yet being sad.

And I always wondered whatwas that space in my heart

that made me feel empty.

- [Narrator] While in college at UCLA,

she hoped religion would fill the void.

Her dad pushed her to Islam

and her boyfriend tookher to a local mosque.

- It was somewhat of an extreme mosque

and they had all theseprinciples about politics

and what it would be like to turn America

into a Muslim nation

and very, very antisemitic.

And I thought to myself,

oh, this is terrible,I don't want anything

to do with this.

If this is religion, Iwant nothing to do with it.

- [Narrator] Repulsed by Muslim extremism

and still wanting to know God,

she joined a different branchof Islam called Sufism.

- A mystical practice in Islam,

which is all about love and harmony

and finding a personalrelationship with God

and I thought okay, this is perfect.

This is where I could find peace

and where I can find thatrelationship with God.

- [Narrator] After law school,Hetia began writing reports

on Muslim extremism.

Her work led her to theFBI and career working

with government agenciescombating terrorism.

- It was a natural fit for me

to be in Islam and in these communities

and studying them

and working againstextremism at the same time.

I really felt that I wascontributing to my country

and my faith.

- [Narrator] She gotmarried and had a daughter.

For years, Hetia maintaineda strict adherence

to Islamic law.

- It was this never-ending attempt

to control your fleshly desires,

your behavior in an effortto draw closer to God.

You're always afraid of whathe's gonna do to judge you

and it's not about love at all.

You were constantly praying to a God

that didn't answer you.

- [Narrator] Eventually,she became frustrated

that despite her efforts,

Islam gave her no assurance of salvation.

- What they were telling me

is the most importantgoal I had in my life,

I didn't know if I was ever gonna achieve

and that weighed on me extremely heavy.

And as I grew older

and as my daughter grew older,

this heaviness was intolerable.

- [Narrator] Then one day,after 22 years in Islam,

Hetia took off her head covering.

Her imams said her eternaldestination was now certain.

- They told me I wasgonna hang from my hair

for an eternity in hell fire

'cause I took my head cover off.

So despite the uncertainty ofnot being promised salvation,

because I'd done this one thing

to decrease my external religiosity,

they said I was gonna spendan eternity in hell fire.

And that was unacceptable.

And I left Islam.

It was devastating.

It was devastating.

I felt that I had nobearings underneath me.

I felt really, really lost.

- [Narrator] Hetia longedto have God in her life.

While online, she watched a video

of a Christian pastor

who spoke about having a relationship

with God through Jesus.

She was moved and confused.

Soon after, she prayed a desperate prayer.

- I was on my knees, I was inritual prayer form of Islam,

down with my head on theground and just crying,

and saying can you pleasereveal yourself to me

because I am so utterlyconfused on who you are.

And it was in one of thoseprayers in my bedroom

that I audibly heard the voice of Christ.

And he said, "Hetia, it's me."

And it was extraordinary.

To this day, I can tell youas if it happened yesterday.

I knew from that moment on,

I would never be the same.

- [Narrator] She continuedwatching the pastor online

and started reading the Bible.

- The Bible came aliveas the Quran never did.

I could hear God speak to me

and I knew he was speaking directly to me

'cause he was usingthe Quran as an example

of why the Quran was not correct

and why his word in the Bible was true.

I got to a point where I was like I have

to accept that Jesus is Lord.

I have to accept that he has saved me.

And I was praying one day

and I just felt the Lord say to me,

"Daughter, you don't haveto be afraid anymore."

- [Narrator] Hetia wassoon baptized at the church

she had watched online.

She says she now has arelationship with God

she never thought possible.

- And I catch myself all the time

when I'm struggling

where he's like, "Daughter,just walk with me."

And it's just His way oftelling me don't be afraid.

I have plans to prosperyou and not to harm you,

to give you goodness, togive you a life filled

with love and with joy

and don't be afraid."

- [Narrator] She shares herjourney about receiving the love

of God through Jesus

in hopes of reaching otherswho long to know Him.

- He's been with me the whole time.

I wonder, at times I ask him why I had

to experience certain things

but he's used all of mypast in order to do it

and it wouldn't have beenpossible 25 years ago,

it wouldn't have beenpossible with that girl

in Beverly Hills to do whatHe's calling me to do now.

And so I am forever at his feet.