and as "Networker" had said earlier,
Learn more about being a Muslim first. It might not be as bad as
you think. 
I've re-read this thread and I can clarify some doubts about
Islam from some points of view.
Circumcision
As said by someone earlier, girls are Not circumcised.
For boys and guys, you'll be surprised!
In Islam, it is makruh for
the guys to be intact. That means that it is preferable and well
favored by God that circumcision be carried out but it is
NOT Haram
That means guys, you can concentrate on other matters first if you
are really attracted to the universal Religion. It is possible to
convert to Islam without being circumcised. You can then mull over
this issue when you are Muslim and decide when you are ready for it
otherwise.
Of course, there are issues like cleanliness and if you are able to
keep that area spick and span always. It could be that this is one
of the reasons that God had wanted to make it easier for the
guys.
There is a quote from one companion of the final Prophet (peace be
upon him) which goes that
One day the Prophet (pbuh) came upon 2 graves & God had told
him that one occupant was undergoing a suffering in the grave
because he had been backbiting and inciting enmity amonst friends
falsely. The second was suffering in the grave simply because he
was careless and always had traces of urine on himself!
If you wanna know more and if there are rebuttals from other
Muslims, you're welcome to write to me.
Muslim Name
Again, a lot of people will be surprised to know that many
'traditional' Christian names have respective 'Muslim' (Arabic)
equivalents.
Who said that you can't keep your
Chinese/Indian/any-other-race/nationality name? If you like, your
equivalent Muslim name or new one, can be inserted as an Alias in
your IC or other ID, keeping your original name intact.
eg John=Yahya, Jonah=Yunus, Joseph=Yusuf, Abraham=Ibrahim
Michael=Mikhail, Moses=Musa, Gabriel=Jibrail
Daniel=Danial, David=Daud, Adam=Adam;
Mary=Mariam/Miriam, Alicia=Aisyah
and many of the guys names also have gal equivalents in
Arabic
So you can also assure your parents that their lineage will be
intact as it is allowed for your children to assume/retain your
surname. There are millions of China-Muslims, some of them my
friends; they and myself can confirm this 'non-issue'.
Pork
greengoblin mentions
Healthier life style... no
pork... pork very dirty
i will just post a dialog from an informed source here - sorry
if it's a bit long..
Good scientific explanation
Bob: Tell me why is it that a Muslim is very particular about the
words
Halal and Haraam; what do they mean?
Yunus: That which is permissible is termed Halal and that which is
not
permissible is termed Haraam and it is the Quran which draws
the
distinction between the two.
Bob: Can you give me an example?
Yunus: Yes, Islam has prohibited blood of any type. You will agree
that
chemical analysis of blood shows that it contains an abundance of
uric
acid, a chemical substance which can be injurious to human
health.
Bob: You're right about the toxic nature of uric acid, in the human
being
it is excreted as a waste product and in fact we are told that 98%
of the
body's uric acid is extracted from the blood by the kidneys and
removed
through urination.
Yunus: Now I think that you'll appreciate the special prescribed
method of
animal slaughter in Islam.
Bob: What do you mean?
Yunus: You see, the wielder of the knife, whilst taking the name of
the
'Almighty', makes an incision through the jugular veins, leaving
all other
veins and organs intact.
Bob: I see, this causes the death of the animal by a total loss of
blood
from the! body, rather than an injury to any vital organ.
Yunus: Yes, were the organs, example the heart, the liver, or the
brain
crippled or damaged, the animal could die immediately and its blood
would
congeal in its veins and would eventually permeate the flesh. This
implies
that the animal flesh would be permeated and contaminated with uric
acid
and therefore very poisonous; only today did our dietitians realize
such a
thing.
Bob: Again, while on the topic of food; Why do Muslims condemn the
eating
of pork or ham or any foods related to pigs or swine.
Yunus: Actually, apart from the Quran prohibiting the consumption
of pork,
bacon (pig flesh); in fact the Bible too in Leviticus chapter 11,
verse 8,
regarding swine it says, "of their flesh (of the swine, another
name for
pig) shall you not eat, and of their carcass you shall not
touch;they are
unclean to you." Further, did you know that a pig cannot be
slaughtered at
the neck for it does not have a neck; that is according to its
natural
anatomy. A Muslim reasons that if the pig was to be slaughtered and
fit for
human consumption the Creator would have provided it with a
neck.
Nonetheless, all that aside, I am sure you are well informed about
the
harmful effects of the consumption of pork, in any form, be it pork
chops,
ham, bacon.
Bob: The medical science finds that there is a risk for various
diseaseas
the pig is found to be a host for many parasites and potential
diseases.
Yunus: Yes, even apart from that, as we talked about uric acid
content in
the blood, it is important to note that the pig's biochemistry
excretes
only 2% of its total uric acid content, the remaining 98% remains
as an
integral part of the body.
So, guys and gals, I hope this clears up some misconceptions of
Islam and you're welcome to write to me if you have questions. See
what I can do to quench your thirst. 
