LONDON: Outspoken Irish singer Sinead O’Connor has announced she has converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada.
Having adopted the name Magda Davitt last year, the 51-year-old is now called Shuhada Davitt.
She also changed her Twitter avatar to a black-and-white image of the Nike Swoosh logo and the slogan: “Wear a hijab. Just do it.”
“This is to announce that I am proud to have become a Muslim. This is the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian’s journey,” she tweeted.
“All scripture study leads to Islam. Which makes all other scriptures redundant. I will be given (another) new name. It will be Shuhada.”
Her Twitter account says the singer now lives in “Direland.”
O’Connor’s 1990 hit “Nothing Compares 2 U” became a global hit, with her haunting voice, shaved head and single-tone outfits turning her into both an enigmatic and captivating figure.
But her career began to falter after she tore up a picture of the late Pope John Paul II while appearing as a musical guest on US television in 1992.
She said she was protesting sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, but her gesture was roundly condemned in the media and she was eventually forced to apologize.
Yet her fight against the Catholic Church continued, and in 1999 O’Connor was ordained as a priest by a breakaway church based in the French city of Lourdes.
Catholicism does not sanction priesthood for women.
O’Connor told Billboard magazine in 2014 that she was still ordained but had stepped away from priesthood because “I’m not interested in causing more trouble than I already am.”
Singer Sinead O’Connor converts to Islam
Singer Sinead O’Connor converts to Islam
- O’Connor’s 1990 hit “Nothing Compares 2 U” became a global hit, with her haunting voice, shaved head and single-tone outfits turning her into both an enigmatic and captivating figure
Essex man takes on charity endurance challenge for children in Gaza
- Mark Watson, 63, is undertaking a “virtual Sumud” journey from his Essex home town in Harlow to Gaza, covering 2,287 miles
LONDON: A man in England has launched a demanding charity challenge to raise funds for children affected by the war in Gaza.
Mark Watson, 63, is undertaking a “virtual sumud” journey from his Essex home town in Harlow to Gaza, covering 3,680 km running, walking, swimming, cycling and rowing.
He is raising money for Medical Aid for Palestinians, a UK-based humanitarian organization that probides healthcare to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied territories.
“I have felt helpless day after day seeing images of countless children in Gaza with broken bodies and missing limbs and witnessing their unbearable suffering,” Watson said on his JustGiving page.
“I have been inspired by the courage of those who took part in the global sumud flotilla and all of the activists who have put their lives and freedom at risk supporting the Palestinian people and so I am raising funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians.
“My challenge is to complete a virtual sumud from Harlow, where I live, to Gaza. Running, walking, swimming, cycling and rowing I will cover the 2,287 miles as quickly as I can.
“I am an unfit, overweight 63-year-old, so I’m not going to break any records, but the Arabic word Sumud means steadfastness and perseverance, and I will give it my all.
Watson added: “I hope to be joined by people I love and admire along the way, so please support my fundraiser. Every donation, however small, will help save the lives of Palestinians.”
As of Jan. 3, his fundraising effort had reached 12 per cent of its £5,000 ($6,733) target.
The war in Gaza began after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign in Gaza, which local health authorities say has resulted in the deaths of more than 71,000 Palestinians, widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and a severe humanitarian crisis.
International aid agencies have repeatedly said that children are among the most affected, facing injury, displacement, malnutrition and limited access to medical care.
Watson said he was inspired by activists and humanitarian efforts supporting Palestinians and hopes his challenge can make a small contribution to saving lives.
