Sinead O’Connor has become the latest star to convert to Islam and change her name.
O’Connor has renounced Catholicism and insists she is now a “proud Muslim”, who wants to be known as Shuhada’ Davitt.
“This is the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian’s journey,” she writes in a statement. “All scripture leads to Islam. Which makes all other scriptures redundant.”
“I will be given (another) new name,” she added. “It will be Shuhada’.”
The Nothing Compares 2 U star also posted a video of herself singing the Adhan or Azan, the Islamic call to prayer, adding: “Here is my 1st attempt at singing the Azan. I got some pronouncition wrong (sic) because emotions took me from my page… but there’ll be hundreds of others onstage to come…”
The artist formerly known as Sinead also gushed about wearing her “first hijab”, which was given to her by a friend. The head-covering garment is traditionally worn by Muslim women.
“She (friend) got chills all over her body when I put it on,” the singer wrote. “Not gonna post a photo because is intensely personal. And I’m an ugly old hag. But I’m a very, very, very happy old hag.”
She later tweeted the photo of her wearing the clothing item.
Her conversion to Islam comes two months after Shuhada’ asked Pope Francis to present her with an official excommunication certificate, so she could officially leave the Catholic Church.
The outspoken hitmaker, who ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a 1992 appearance on U.S. sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, asked the current pontiff to grant her a meeting when he visited her native Ireland and officially kick her out of the church.
The musician was excommunicated by Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, but claims she has no proof.
She said at the time, “I have several times requested from the Vatican a certificate which I could proudly display to my grandchildren to prove that Ratzinger (Pope Benedict aka Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger) and his predecessor (Pope John Paul II) excommunicated me for being ordained,” she wrote in an open letter to Francis. “Can you please arrange it be brought with you on the plane and perhaps presented to me at Croke Park?”
O’Connor was excommunicated after she was ordained a priest by radical Tridentine bishop, Michael Cox, in 1999. She has also openly spoken about past abortions – a contravention of Canon Law.
She’s not the first musician to convert to Islam – folk singer Cat Stevens became Yusuf Islam in the 1970s and rappers Ice Cube, MC Ren, Raekwon, and Q-Tip, and singer Joe Tex have all reportedly become Muslims.
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