December 26, 2005

Michael Jackson joins the ummah

Yup you heard me, Michael Jackson King of Pop has apparently embraced Islam after a visit to Bahrain according to Expressen, a swedish newspaper. He is chummy with the old King of Bahrain and has now confessed to his past sins and read the shahada or testimony every muslim should have read; "There is no god but Allah , Mohammad is His messenger". His new career move? singing anasheed, religious songs in arabic. I wonder what his next song will be? "It don't matter if you're sunni or shi'a" perhaps?

http://expressen.se/index.jsp?a=494757 (in swedish)

When Cat Stevens became muslim, the muslim ummah rejoiced. When Mohammad Ali became muslim, the muslim ummah rejoiced. Back in the late 80's a rumour flew through the muslim world; "Michael Jackson has embraced Islam!!!"

I remember being so happy about it, a muslim kid in the west I was, where the mention of Michael Jackson would bring some sort of positive feeling inside people. The rumour was quickly denounced and life moved on, and we all remembered the day when Michael Jackson almost became muslim.

Today, nearly two decades later, I am finally conforonted with the news again. Although it seems more complicated than that since some claim the Islam he has converted to is that of the african/american Nation of Islam. Generally they are not accepted as part of the mainstream Islam (due to among other things, only accepting black people as true muslims) and are said to have supported MJ during his recent trial.

Perhaps MJ figured, "I am already taking so much crap from the world so I might as well join another group that is heavily bombarded both left, right and centre; "MUSLIMS!!!!
Yeah Michael, thanks alot. As if life as a muslim wasn't hard enough already.

What's next? Pinochet joining in?

3 comments:

Abdul-Halim V. said...

Asalam-alaikum, cool blog. But are you sure that Michael Jackson became Muslim? I thought Jermaine Jackson had converted some time ago. But then I thought that the Michael Jackson story was just a garbled version of that.

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

Salams abdul halim. Well naturally I cannot be hundred percent sure..It was written in both al bahrainiyyah and a swedish newspaper, and it seemed real enough...naturally one never knows... but the way things are in the world these days, I am not surprised if it's true...

Ann said...

Assalaamu alaikum,

He's been living in Bahrain since that trial ended, and his brother is a Muslim and close to someone in the royal family there. I heard a while ago that he was building a masjid there or something? If he did take the shahada, insha'allah it will help him get himself straightened out. And insha'allah he's joining the Muslim ummah and not the "Nation of Islam".