Famous people that are muslims:
With ISIS being plastered across the pages of every major news
outlet you can find, the Islamic faith has been getting a very bad rap
as of late. What the mainstream media fails to portray whatsoever,
however, are
any of the positive aspects that the religion delivers.
Over and over, the Western world is informed about another suicide
bombing, beheading or war relative to the apparent beliefs of Islam.
There’s far more to it than that though. Not every Muslim is
anti-American and out to cause others bodily injury – in fact, it’s kind
of nuts that the sentiment has even gotten to that level. The faith
constitutes the world’s second largest religious group, with 62% of
practicing Muslims living in South-East Asia. Interestingly enough, a
recent study by Pew Research Center found there to be more Muslims
living in the United Kingdom than Lebanon, and more in China than Syria.
Bet the news didn’t tell you that.
10.Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson decided to convert to Islam in order to marry her husband,
billionaire Wissam Al-Mana. While the R&B songstress is known for
her racy lyrics and sensual videos, she has since moved to Qatar and
spends the majority of her time in the Middle East. While Al-Mana is
co-owner of the largest luxury fashion company in Qatar, Jackson has
been spotted by paparazzi covered in traditional Muslim dress including a
black jilbab (loose-fitting garment) and a hijab (headscarf).
9. Mark Tyson
In 1992, Mike Tyson was convicted of r^pe and spent three years in
prison. It was there that he began to explore his spiritual side and
took a great interest in Islam, converting at the end of his term. Since
then, he’s tweeted about and taken a trip to Mecca – which is
considered to be the Jerusalem of the religion. He’s also married to a
Muslim woman and says that the spirit of the religion has changed his
life. He doesn’t pray five times a day as is required by devout
followers, but claims that the principles of Islam keep him on track.
8. Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O’Neal was born into the Muslim faith. His first name means
“Little One” (ironic given his height) and middle name, Rashaun, means
“Warrior” in Arabic. The retired basketball star has always vocalized
that he supports every religion and that it doesn’t matter which one you
abide by, as long as you are following a certain set of principles in
life. He has expressed his interest in someday participating in the
sacred Muslim ritual of Hajj in Mecca. The Islamic ritual is a
pilgrimage to the holy city that all Muslims are expected to take once
in their lifetime.
7. Akon
Akon was born Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam and was raised by a
Muslim family in Senegal and then the United States. He claims to be a
devout practitioner of the religion, yet his hyper s*xualized videos and
lyrics have caused outrage among the Islamic faith internationally. The
rapper believes that all Muslim men should have four wives and uses the
religion to justify his polygamous beliefs. Yes, you read that right –
Akon has three wives. He’s also been the subject of much controversy
after allegations were made that he had engaged in s*xual acts with
underage girls. We wonder what his fellow Muslims would think about
that.
6. Ice Cube
Ice Cube, real name O’Shea Jackson, was raised in California and
converted to Islam in the 1990s. He’s quite a bit murkier about his
religious beliefs than the rest of the Muslims on this list. On the
sleeve of his album, Death Certificate, he once wrote “The best place
for a young black male or female is the Nation of Islam”. Nowadays, he
claims he was never part of the Nation of Islam but rather treated his
faith as a relationship between him and God and didn’t pray or go to
mosques. Perhaps his beliefs have dwindled due to the controversy
surrounding the religion in recent years.
5. Dr OZ
Dr. Oz was born in the United States to Turkish parents. His mother was
extremely devoted to Islamic rituals while his father didn’t believe
that praying five times a day and attending mosques fit into their new
American lives. To this day, the famous surgeon and talk show host says
that he still feels confused about his religious beliefs due to his
parents’ divided views. He abides by a “mystical form of Islam” –
whatever that means.
4. Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle has publicly dealt with many forms of race, religion and
political views in his standup comedy act, but chooses not to discuss
his own religious views very often. The comedian and actor converted to
Islam in the 1990s, but feels as though talking about the faith in his
work would take away from it and lead people to associate his flaws to
being a Muslim. Chappelle’s older brother first converted to the
religion, which lead him to do the same after seeing how much it had
guided his brother and made him a better person.
3. Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn Talented actress Ellen Burstyn was raised Catholic but
converted to Islam in her thirties after leading a troubled life. She
lived through an abusive childhood, three failed marriages and many
career struggles before getting in touch with her spiritual side and
meeting her mentor, a Sufi teacher. The religion is a dimension of Islam
and she credits it for helping her get her life back on track, focus on
her career and bring dimension to her Academy Award-winning roles.
2. Iman
The famous model was born in Somalia and her name, in Arabic, means
“Faith”. The term “Iman” is also a widely recognized Islamic concept,
detailing the six articles of faith within the religion. In her
biography I am Iman, the beauty details how she struggled with her
career in the fashion industry as it went against all principles of her
beliefs. She discusses how Islamic women are taught to treat their
bodies as temples, yet by modelling she was letting people all around
the world have access to hers. She has since become a motivational
speaker and counsels youth who have body image and self esteem issues.
1. Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg is probably the least likely candidate to become a
Muslim, which is why we’ve capped off our list with him. The rapper
confessed to being a Mormon in 2008, before rapidly converting to Islam
in 2009 following an appearance at the Nation of Islam’s convention in
Chicago. After numerous arrests, an accomplice to murder charge and a
love for drugs in his career’s earlier days, Snoop Dogg proclaimed
himself a changed, spiritual man. His jaunt with Islam didn’t last long –
he changed his name to Snoop Lion and converted to Rastafarianism
shortly after.
Sources: pewforum.org
