Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

British Actress Inspired by Prophet’s (P.B.U.H) Life

Myriam François-Cerrah Embraces Islam

I embraced Islam after graduating from Cambridge. Prior to that I was a skeptical Catholic; a believer in God but with a mistrust of organized religion.

The Qur’an was pivotal for me. I first tried to approach it in anger, as part of an attempt to prove my Muslim friend wrong. Later, I began reading it with a more open mind.

The opening of Al-Fatiha, with its address to the whole of mankind, psychologically stopped me in my tracks. It spoke of previous scriptures in a way which I both recognized but also differed. It clarified many of the doubts I had about Christianity. It made me an adult as I suddenly realized that my destiny and my actions had consequences for which I alone would be held responsible.

In a world governed by relativism, it outlined objective moral truths and the foundation of morality. As someone who’d always had a keen interest in philosophy, The Qur’an felt like the culmination of all of this philosophical cogitation. It combined Kant, Hume, Sartre and Aristotle. It somehow managed to address and answer the deep philosophical questions posed over centuries of human existence and answer its most fundamental one, ‘why are we here?’ In the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), I recognized a man who was tasked with a momentous mission, like his predecessors, Moses (p.b.u.h.), Jesus (p.b.u.h.) and Abraham (p.b.u.h.). I had to pick apart much of the Orientalist libel surrounding him in order to obtain accurate information, since the historical relativism which people apply to some degree when studying other historical figures, is often completely absent, in what is a clear attempt to disparage his person.

I think many of my close friends thought I was going through another phase and would emerge from the other side unscathed, not realizing that the change was much more profound. Some of my closest friends did their best to support me and understand my decisions. I have remained very close to some of my childhood friends and through them I recognize the universality of the Divine message, as God’s values shine through in the good deeds any human does, Muslim or not.

I have never seen my conversion as a ‘reaction’ against, or an opposition to my culture. In contrast, it was a validation of what I’ve always thought was praiseworthy, whilst being a guide for areas in need of improvement. I also found many mosques not particularly welcoming and found the rules and protocol confusing and stressful. I did not immediately identify with the Muslim community. I found many things odd and many attitudes perplexing. The attention given to the outward over the inward continues to trouble me deeply.

There is a need for a confident, articulate British Muslim identity which can contribute to the discussions of our time. Islam is not meant to be an alien religion; we shouldn’t feel like we’ve lost all trace of ourselves. Islam is a validation of the good in us and a means to rectify the bad. Islam is about always having balance, and I think the Prophet’s (p.b.u.h.) message was fundamentally about having balance and equilibrium in all that we do.

The Prophet’s (p.b.u.h.) message was always that you repel bad with good that you always respond to evil with good and always remember that God loves justice so even when people are committing serious injustices against you, you have a moral responsibility and a moral obligation in front of God to always uphold justice and never yourself transgress those limits.

Prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h.) said: ‘Forgive him who wrongs you. Join him who cuts you off. Do good to him who does evil to you, and speak the truth even if it be against yourself.’

Islam’s beauty really becomes to its own when it becomes manifest, and it becomes manifest when you make it into a tool for the betterment of society, human kind, and the world.

The ideal from an Islamic perspective is for ethics to become lived ethics, to become an applied body of values, and not to remain, unfortunately as it often is, cloistered in the mosque of somewhere which is somehow divorced from reality.

Myriam Francois-Cerrah became popular when she was a child for acting in the 90’s hit film ‘Sense and Sensibility.’ Now she is gaining more popularity for being one of a growing number of educated middle class female converts to Islam in Britain.

She has recently contributed to a series of videos on Islam produced in the U.K. titled (Inspired by Muhammad (p.b.u.h.)).

«And they were guided to the Path of the most Praised One»

Dr. Ingrid Mattson

Ingrid Mattson, 48, is originally from Canada, and she holds a Ph.D. degree in Islamic studies. She is a political activist in North America. Dr. Mattson was born in Ontario, and she studied philosophy at the University of Waterloo and earned her Ph.D. in Islamic studies from the University of Chicago in 1999. Her subject was equality in Islam.

Presently, she works as professor of Islamic studies and director of the Macdonald Center for Islamic studies and Islamic-Christian Relations in the Hartford Institute in Connecticut State. She spent a period as Afghan refugee relief volunteer in Pakistan during the years 1987 and 1988. She was chosen in 2001 as Vice President then as President in 2006 of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), one of the most prominent Islamic organizations in the United States. Mattson earns a great deal of respect in religious and political circles in the United States. She was guest of honor in many celebrations by the U.S. Department of State. She also spoke at religious ceremonies for the Democratic Party’s National Convention in Denver in 2008 and in the inauguration ceremony for U.S. President Barrack Obama on January 20, 2009.

Mattson embraced Islam during the last year of her university studies.

Her Story with Islam:

She grew up as a non-practicing Christian, and the beginning of her thinking about Islam was through her passion for arts. Dr. Mattson narrates her trips to major museums in Toronto, Montreal and Chicago till she visited the Louvre Museum in Paris and was dazzled by the painting arts across stages of human history. Then she met a group of Muslims about whom she says,« I met people who never built statues or corporeal paintings for their God. When I asked them, they answered that Islam is very sensitive about paganism and person worship, that getting to know Allah is very easy: by contemplating on His creations. »

They were students from West Africa studying in a Paris suburb, and their excellent norms of conduct were the ones that attracted me to Islam. Their behavior was a translation of the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. I did not know at the time the Prophet or anything about Islam. They were characterized by beautiful humanitarian attributes, and they were very generous, sharing with me their food and housing. During my successive travels in the Islamic world, I sensed the same humanitarian characteristics, the love of giving, sharing, and generosity, so I came to know the Prophet Muhammad through his followers.

« When I traveled to Pakistan, I spent a period of time as Afghan refugee relief volunteer. There, I married a young Egyptian Muslim man, and we did not have a lot of money. Few days after our marriage, I returned to the camp of Afghan refugees. An Afghani woman approached me and asked me in a shy way to show her what my groom had gifted to me, but I showed her my modest ring and told her that I had to borrow the wedding gown. Signs of sorrow and pity showed on the woman’s face. A week later, the woman who had lost her husband and children and was expelled from her home returned to give me the traditional Afghani wedding gown. The gift which I received was the most exceptional than at any other time before. It was not the outfit but the indication of pure sympathy that was one of the sweetest fruits of true conviction. »

Dr. Ingrid goes on to say,« My husband used to tell me about the extent of his admiration of a particular Muslim Afghani woman, referring to her intelligence and generosity and how she was always keen about her tough trips to the refugee camps and orphanages, providing the Afghans with assistance and meals. When I finally met her, I found out that the woman was covering her entire body from top to tiptoes in the traditional Islamic garb. I realized with some amazement that my husband had never seen her before, nor did he ever see her face, yet he knew her from her behavior the impacts of which she had left on others. »

From these stances, Ingrid started her journey to get to know Islam which was concluded with her embracing Islam so she would thereafter set out seeking knowledge then making her way in the field of Islamic Da’wah.

Ingrid goes on to say,« In the summer of 1987, I was riding the train out to British Columbia to start a tree-planting job in the mountains. I had just finished my undergraduate degree in philosophy and had only recently begun my personal study of Islam. I came across Fazlur Rahman [al-Ansari]’s Islam in a bookstore a few days before my trip. Reading that book as I traveled across the Canadian prairies, I made the decision to apply to graduate school in Islamic Studies. His book sparked in me a keen desire to study the classical heritage of Islamic theology and law. Going a step further, I wrote a letter to Rahman (this was before we all used email) describing my situation and inquiring if I might be able to study with him. I dropped the letter in a post box somewhere in the Rockies and forgot about it until I returned east in August. There I found a hand-written note from him, inviting me to come to the University of Chicago to study with him. Rahman died before I arrived in Chicago, but it was his book and his encouragement that inspired me to start on the path to scholarship that I have found so rewarding.

Her Contributions:

Ingrid established the first Islamic religious program in the United States. In 2001, she was elected President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) which has about 20,000 members in the United States and Canada, and as many as 350 mosques and Islamic centers are affiliated with it. Dr. Mattson is regarded as the first woman to occupy this post in ISNA’s history. She tries to introduce the Islamic faith to the American people in a better way in order to stop the growing of Islam-phobia attitudes. She calls on the American news media, which has undertaken on its shoulders to distort Islam’s image and spread fear of the Muslims, to be more precise and objective in whatever it publishes and airs about Islam and Muslims.

Ingrid has said,« We try to introduce ourselves because we are looked at, as Muslim women, in a negative way, » rejecting what is said about the tough condition of woman in the Muslim society. Responding to fallacies of the Pope of the Vatican, Benedictus XVI, which reflect obvious ignorance of Islam, Ingrid says that she feels« disappointed » with the recent statements of the Pope about Islam, jihad, and violence. She explains saying,« The obvious connection between Islam and a religion in the essence of which violence is found is not true at all. If we start comparing between the violence that was committed in the name of the Church and that committed in the name of Islam, this comparison will take a great deal of time, » a reference to the Church’s Courts of Inquisition and Crusades.

Amongwhat she stated to the press is this:« Islam was not revealed only to the black and brown people. Strange! When a Black American becomes Muslim, they say that this is understood. But when I, the White American woman, embrace it, they say that I committed apostasy, as if I have to choose between my color and my religion of Islam. »

Ingrid applied the same to the subject ofhijab , regarding that there are different views in this subject. Should women uncover her hair, face, shoulders, arms or feet? She explained saying thathijab means covering. The Sunnah says,« A Muslim woman has to cover her body outside her home. » Ingrid says that the Western civilization has tried to establish that seeing and touching are among means to getting to know the truth. This manifested itself when they depicted their gods through sculpture and painting. But the Islamic civilization does not accept optical representation as a means to remember and honor Allah and to honor people. Knowing Allah lies in contemplating on the greatness of His creation and creative might.

Instead of drawing Prophet Muhammad, we find the Prophet’s name inscribed in mosques side by side with Allah’s Attributes and verses of The Holy Qur’an. The best visual representation of the Prophet and his Sunnah is by keeping his traditions alive.

«... And they were guided to the Path of The Most Praised One»

Sean Oliver Stone:« Embracing Islam does not mean abandoning Christianity or Judaism but recognition of Muhammad who is the continuation of both of these creeds, and my God remains the same, One having no partner. »

Sean Stone, 27, son of Oscar winner international producer Oliver Stone, has embraced Islam and the Shiite Ja’fari School of Thought in Iran on the 14th of February of this year as he was filming a documentary. He pointed out that he accepted a new name for himself« Ali Sean » .

But Sean stressed that embracing Islam does not mean abandoning Judaism or Christianity in which he was born. Rather, according to him,« It means accepting Muhammad as the Prophet just as I accepted other. »

Ali Sean has visited many places in Iran in order to shoot a documentary film there about the Sufi poet and thinker Jalal ad-Din al-Rumi. He expressed his being greatly influenced by al-Rumi’s Sufi ideas with which he became familiar through a married couple owning an American movie production company.

It must be pointed out that Sean’s father, producer Oliver Stone, is a follower of the Jewish faith, whereas his mother follows the Christian Church.

Below is an interview which American CNN satellite television channel conducted with Sean showing the reasons why Sean embraced Islam:

Tell us, Sean, what happened in that trip to Iran? What tempted you to embrace Islam?

- Well, I would not call it temptation! The whole thing is that I agreed and accepted Muhammad as a Prophet just as I accepted other prophets. As you know, before I went to Iran, I was familiar with the practices of the Islamic faith. I read The Qur’an and studied Islam in both Oxford and Princeton universities alike, so I felt that Islam is an extension for the Jewish and Christian heritage. Muhammad is a Prophet just like Abraham and Jesus, peace with them; therefore, simply, why do we not make this public? I announced this publicly instead of keeping it a secret inside me. In fact, this is the only thing which now makes me a Muslim.

So, I understand from you that your interest in converting to Islam started before you went to Iran?

- For me to become a Muslim is not strange or unacceptable so I would be put on trial for it. I did not abandon Judaism or Christianity, and I still in my worship believe in the same God Whom I used to worship before, the One without a partner. My goal is to help the Americans and the West understand Islam. Hopefully, they will absorb the fact that Islam is not a facet of fascism. For example, Muhammad Ali, one of our boxing champions, was a Muslim. But now the situation has changed, and it is closer to phobia than to Islam. I feel that all beliefs must be recognized, just as is the case with Christianity and Judaism.

So, you do not deny or substitute your being a Jew or a Christian with your new religion, Islam, yet you say that you merged Islam into all of that? But let me ask you this: Conversion means leaving something in favor of something else, and the Holy Bible says specifically that you cannot serve two masters; so, how do you explain your conversion to Islam does not necessarily mean your abandonment and desertion of your parents’ God? How do you answer that?

- Well, as I said before, my conversion to Islam is through my acceptance of Muhammad as Prophet and Messenger, and Muhammad is the continuation of these messengers; so, we have to accept this. Saying so, we become Muslims, for Muhammad’s faith is the continuation of the path which the followers of Judaism and of Christianity have undertaken. I always emphasize that I believe in one God Who is the same God of the Jews and of the Christians, and you choose how to worship that God. I, for example, have chosen to serve Him by prostrating to Him. You know that even in both Christian and Jewish religions, there are many sects and churches for the same faith.

It seems that Sean’s conversion to Islam will be followed by the conversion of the famous Irish Catholic actor Liam John Neeson. It seems that this speeding wave of conversion to Islam in recent years comes as a result of the fierce image which Western news media tries to market about Muslims in the aftermath of the September 11 incidents and the successive wars on Iraq and Afghanistan.

Neeson had stated to the British Sun newspaper that during his visit to Turkey to shoot a film, the sound of the adhan five times in the day almost drove him insane, but as time passed by, his soul became at ease with that sound, causing in his depths a wonderful feeling, and he said that that feeling was absolutely the most beautiful.

So, will Liam catch up with Sean? Islam’s gates are always open for everyone!

British Liza George Hutchinson: «Why I Accepted Islam?»

● Please introduce yourself to our readers.

- My name isLiza George Hutchinson , 23, born in London. I studied politics, economics, Spanish, English, and French at the Southbank University in London. I have been married to Isam Ahmed Fayed for five years.

When did you embrace the Islamic Faith?

- Allah blessed me with guidance, so I accepted the religion of Islam in January of 1989 at the Islamic Center in Luzon (Switzerland) through the efforts of Brother Ka’bah and Swiss Sister Lubaba. The story started when I met some Lebanese folks in Geneva during my presence there. I used to work as a nanny. Isam was from Luzon, and he invited me to learn more about this religion because I wanted to know what Islam really is since the news media in my homeland used to depict Islam differently from its reality deliberately distorting its image. As far as I am concerned, I did not know about Muslims anything other than they do not drink wine and do not eat pork. What prompted me to go to Luzon was the brothers and sisters were very nice, and they demonstrated to me the true picture of Islam. In Luzon, Br. Ka’bah, who is in charge of the center there, talked to me, and I had many questions. I found with him the answers for them. I did not find anything in his talk and explanation which is rejected by sound reason. I did not find any illusion or lies in Islam, only legitimate facts based on sound reason. Two hours after the session, I accepted the Islamic faith and pronounced the two Shahadas.

How did your life continue after that?

- After that, I started learning the science of religion from my husband, Isam. One of the Muslim sisters at the Islamic Center in Luzon used to send Shari’a-related lessons from time to time. Meanwhile, I had to leave Switzerland in order to study my university study in London. Through one of my husband’s friends there, I was able to continue my study of the Islamic Shari’a. I studied there for about one year the essential religious sciences which are mandatory on every adult Muslim. Luckily, there is a prayer area for the Muslims at the university where I was studying, and we used to celebrate every Friday and during the days of the Month ofRamadan . British Muslim converts and Pakistanis used to participate with us in these celebrations. Then I moved to study in France.

Do you speak Arabic?

- Unfortunately, I do not speak Arabic, but I have the desire to learn it Insha-Allah because it is the language of The Holy Qur’an and of the people of Paradise and the best of languages.

How was your relationship with your family after embracing Islam?

- I can describe my relationship with them as being good. I treat them well in an attempt to convince them to embrace Islam. This is what I hope for them, because Islam is the path to salvation.

Tell us about the social life image in your homeland.

- The social life in my homeland has two faces: an outside one, which we see in the beautiful things such as gardens, etc., and that everything is available for us... I mean if one sees these things, he wishes to spend all his lifetime in this country... But if we look at the inside, we do not see but disgusting things: There are drugs, adultery, AIDS and a huge tear-up in the family life. We see scattered family members. When a boy or a girl becomes 16, he/she leaves his/her family and does not visit them except on occasions; therefore, we read every day in newspapers about persons dying without anyone knowing whose sons they are; so the newspapers inquire about anyone who knows them so they may go to bury them, and this is disgusting.

In Islam, the matter is quite different: There are family ties, and this is something very beautiful and important, and we miss it in Europe.

How is your relationship with the Muslims at the Islamic Center in Switzerland?

- My relationship is very good; Praise to Allah. What I notice about them is that they stick to their religion and are cemented among themselves. They do whatever they can to help each other.

What are your plans for the future?

- Among the things for which I plan is to live permanently in Lebanon, Insha-Allah, because I am expecting a baby to be born to me soon. I have agreed with my husband, Isam, to return after a period of time to settle in Lebanon in order to teach our children. Many of my female Muslim friends have returned from Switzerland to Lebanon, and so has the family of my husband, Isam Fayed, in Beirut. I would like to live with them in order to feel the warmth of a family.

Sister Asiya Abd Al-Zahir

Why I Embraced Islam?

Islam has been described as being the religion ofFitrah , the innate nature of all humans. It is not surprising therefore when we discover that Islam is being accepted by millions of reverts around the world as the only pure way of life a person can follow. Statistics show that out of every 5 who revert to Islam, 4 are females. This blows away the false concept that Islam is a repressive religion for women. The following is an account of a sister who submitted to Allah as her Lord, took Islam as her religion, and Muhammad (s.a.w) as her Messenger.

I have always, since developing an ability to think deeply, believed in the existence of a single Creator, on whom everything that exists is dependent. Though my parents are Buddhist, from the age of 13, to this Creator, I have steadfastly prayed and yielded guidance from every day that I can remember. Yet, being schooled within a Christian environment, I naturally identified myself as a Christian. Sadly, my knowledge of Islam was minimal. I perceived it as a bizarre religion, limited to only a few underdeveloped nations, most of which were in the Middle East, and which endorsed an astoundingly suppressive lifestyle, particularly for women. Muslim women, I presumed, were considered inferior, a passive domestic slave, bashed often, and forced to compete among four for her husband’s affections, which he could withhold from them all if he wanted to. The majority of these ideas I developed from hearsay, interactions with others I assumed knew what they were talking about, and a few documentaries on Iran and Saudi Arabia I watched on television.

As I entered university nearly three years ago, I came into contact with quite a number of Muslim students from various backgrounds. Strangely enough, even to myself, I was drawn to them and developed a curious inclination to learn and understand more about their religion. I observed how content they seemed and was very impressed by their openness and warmth towards myself and each other, but more importantly with their pride in belonging to a religion which holds many negative connotations.

I gradually became fascinated with Islam, and through a process of education, developed a greater respect for it than even my beloved Christianity. I was stunned at how wrong my previous conception had been and became particularly overwhelmed at the tremendous entitlements, equality, and acknowledgment Islam provided for women. I realized the reality of the Islamic lifestyle and the truth concerning that feeble American innovation termed« Islamic fundamentalism » .

It is said that any person who possesses the faculty of reason and an open mind should recognize logic and truth when he/she encounters it, and so it was in my case.

More and more, literature, signs, and evidence were revealed to me, and more and more, my intellect was stimulated, and my heart warmed. I wanted to know everything about Islam and felt already a sense of brotherhood with and belonging among its followers.

What impressed me the most was how practical Islam is - how it encompasses a rule and a lesson for almost every facet of living. And by the sheer grace of God, I at last understood the faults of the Christian theology and of the concepts I had previously accepted unquestioningly. At midday, on August 4th, 1994, before over 20 witnesses, I recited theshahadah and became an official Muslim.

I shall never forget the bliss of that day and how much my life has turned around in only a year’s time.

I have often been asked what it is like to be a revert and of the difficulties I must endure. Though I do not wish to dwell on this topic, as pity is not my priority, I shall give some examples of what I have been through.

The period up till the end ofRamadan was, by far, the hardest to get through.

Family disputes took place almost daily; I was showered with verbal abuse, ridicule, and threats. On many occasions, my room was physically torn apart, books mysteriously disappeared, and slanderous phone messages were sent to my friends and their parents.

There have been times I have been locked out of home and forced to abstain from dinner as pork was deliberately served. Even to this day, all my mail is opened before I have the chance to do so myself. Apart from my housing and meals, I must provide for myself financially. My readings, as my conversations over the phone, are done in privacy. My writings and my visits to mosques or other Islamic venues must always be concealed. I am similarly not able to visit friends very often as I may be« brain-washed » even more.

I cannot perform my prayers until I am sure no one is around. Nor can I express my excitement and celebration duringRamadan . I cannot share the joy at knowing yet another sister has put onHijab , nor can I discuss the lesson I have learned this day or the speech given by an Islamic scholar/scientist. Moreover, I must continually defend the Muslims and the Islam portrayed on the media and fight against the stereotypes my parents stubbornly maintain.

To see their expressions of disgust at myself is almost unbearable. I am now insecure as to my parents’ affections and constantly worry of how much I am hurting them. Through the entire Month ofRamadan , my mother spoke to me not once. I had to hear her say time and time again at how I had betrayed the family. My pleading with her otherwise was to no avail. I am told over and over again that what I have done is unforgivable, and if any of our relations or already few friends knew, my parents would surely be outcasts.

However, I do not claim to have a miserable life. I am more content and at peace now than I ever have been. My purpose in relating all of this is to try to display the opportunities that many of you have which are so often taken for granted, so little taken advantage of, but so precious to many reverts like myself. To reflect on these hardships alone would imply I have gained nothing by becoming a Muslim other than pain. On the contrary, Islam has given me already so many vast rewards; I shiver to think of how much more wonderful the gifts of Paradise would be.

At the time of my reversion, although I had accepted Islam as being true, I had no idea of the vast internal changes it would incur upon me. Even I am astounded at how much I devour knowledge, how Islam is in my thoughts every waking moment, how compelling I feel my responsibility is to the Ummah, and how much more of a Muslim I became every month.

It is as if one’s life in Islam progresses and spreads to encompass and govern every cellular and spiritual dimension in oneself.

Abu Huraira (r.a.a.) narrated that: Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w) once said:« Allah said: ‘... and My slave keeps coming closer to Me... then I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grasps, and his legs with which he walks ‘« [Sahih Al-Bukhari]. This is precisely my experience.

Remarkably, from one religion, I have gained a profound insight into the operations of human behavior and sociology, as well as geophysics and astronomy. As I mature, it becomes clearer and clearer to me that again and again, it is Islam that has already answered the social and economic dilemmas of our time.

Over the past year, I have developed quite an extensive breadth of Islamic knowledge and have studied ayahs of The Holy Qur’an in much finer detail. Not once have I come across anything which would make me doubt, for even one minute, the authenticity of The Qur’an and the relevance of lslam for contemporary society. This has been the only religion I have ever been completely sure of and am surer of each day that I serve.

Furthermore, I have established my identity, I am more confident of myself; a stronger woman and person of color, I am more aware of my existence and more secure in my battles.

If I have achieved anything through this article, my hope is that it is that I have depicted the greatness and mercy of our Glorious Sovereign, who makes all things possible. Allah (s.w.t.) says:{ He guides there with whom He pleases } . [S.393, V.23] Truly, I have been blessed to be one of those who have personally received the light and whose heart has been ordained to accept it.

Famous French Singer

‘Diam’s - Melanie Georgiades ’ embraces Islam, and wearsHijab

Famous French singer Diam’s has announced in a newly-published autobiography that she has embraced Islam and decided to wear hijab. Amid a nationwide debate in France surrounding attitudes towards the Islamic veil, or Hijab, a French rapper, has surprised fans by announcing her conversion to Islam and choosing to wear a headscarf.

Mélanie Georgiades, known as Diam’s, has gone through what onlookers have described as a« complete transformation » from an image she had prior to 2009.

Since 2009, Diam’s had been unusually absent from the mainstream rap scene, prompting more than three years of controversy over her whereabouts, despite making the odd public appearance with her scarf.

The book tells about Diam’s life, hardships, conversion to Islam, and choosing to wearHijab .

« In the height of success, I suffered from a major depression and visited different psychologists, but none of them could help me, » she says in her book.

Diam’s, whose real name is Mélanie Georgiades, said she found that the way out of depression was in saying prayers and reading The Qur’an.

The 32-year-old artist said she embraced Islam during a visit to the Mauritius Island in 2008, when she also decided to wearHijab and open a center to support orphans.

But recently the French rapper made her first television appearance with her new image.

Diam’s appeared in an exclusive TV interview with French TV station TF1 to talk about a past experience with drugs, including hallucinating narcotics and being in a mental asylum until she discovered the« serenity of Islam. » The rapper said the religion was introduced to her by coincidence, when she saw a Muslim friend praying.

Diam’s said she has been married for over a year and is now a new mother, moving far away from her drug-related past.

In her TV interview, she said her« conversion to Islam was the result of a personal conviction, after understanding the religion and reading The Holy Quran. »

When asked about wearing theHijab in France, a country which has banned the Niqab, she said:« I believe that I live in a tolerant society, and I don’t feel hurt by criticism, but by insults and stereotyping and ready-made judgments. »

Asked by her host about why she is wearing aHijab while many Muslim women don’t wear it and don’t find it to be a religious obligation, she answered:« I see it as a divine order or a divine advice, this brings joy to my heart, and for me this is enough. »

Stardom?

Diam’s said that by converting to Islam she gained comfort, adding that stardom doesn’t fit in with her life anymore, adding« This has warmed my heart, as I know now the purpose of my existence, and why am I here on Earth. »

Discussing how her life was like before her conversion to Islam, Diam’s said:« I was very famous, and I had what every famous person looks for, but I was always crying bitterly alone at home, and this is what none of my fans had felt. »

She added:« I was heavily addicted to drugs, including hallucinating narcotics and was admitted to mental asylum to recover, but this was in vain until I heard one of my Muslim friends saying ‘I am going to pray for a while and will come back,’ so I told her that I want to pray as well. »

Recalling that moment, Diam’s said:« It was the first time that I touched the floor with head, and I had a strong feeling that I have never experienced before, and I believe now that kneeling in prayer shouldn’t be done to anyone but Allah. »

Islam, a religion of tolerance

Diam’s said that she moved to Mauritius to read The Quran and have a better understanding of Islam, discovering during her retreat the tolerance of Islam.

When asked by her host about her views on Islam and those who commit all the murders and atrocities pretending to be doing it in the name of religion, she answered:« I think we should differentiate between the ignorant and the knowledgeable, and the ignorant should not speak about what he doesn’t know; Islam does not allow murdering innocent victims the way we see it nowadays. »

Rabbi of Makhachkala synagogue embraced Islam

● Every person has a different way of coming to the Truth. ForMoisha Krivitsky , this way led through a faculty of law and a synagogue. The lawyer-to-be becomes a Rabbi, and then he converts into Islam and finds himself in prison.

● Today Musa (this is the name he has adopted when he became a Muslim) lives in a small mosque in Al-Burikent, a mountain area of Makhachkala and works as a watchman in the Central Juma Mosque.

Musa, tell us, did you find the way easily?

- With great difficulty. It was hard then, and it isn’t much easier now. When you go deeply into Islam and its inner meaning, you understand that this religion is very simple, but the way that leads to it may be extremely difficult. Often, people don’t understand how a person could be converted into Islam from the other side, as it were. But there are no other sides here: Islam is everything there is, both what we imagine and what we don’t imagine.

Musa, as a matter of fact, we were given this fact as a certain sensation: a Rabbi has turned Muslim.

- Well, it has been no sensation for quite a long while already; it’s more than a year that I did this. It was strange for me at first, too. But it wasn’t an off-the-cuff decision. When I came into Islam, I had read books about it; I had been interested.

Did you finish any high school before coming to the synagogue?

- Yes, I finished a clerical high school. After graduation, I came to Makhachkala and became the local Rabbi.

And where did you come from?

- Oh, from far away. But I’ve already become a true Dagestan, I’ve got a lot of friends here - both among Muslims and people who are far from Islam.

Let’s return to your work in the synagogue.

- It was quite a paradoxical situation: there was a mosque near my synagogue, the town mosque. Sometimes my friends who were its parishioners would come to me - just to chat. I sometimes would come to the mosque myself, to see how the services were carried out. I was very interested. So we lived like good neighbors. And once, duringRamadan , a woman came to me - as I now understand, she belonged to a people that were historically Muslim - and she asked me to comment the Russian translation of The Quran made by Krachovsky.

She brought the Quran to you - a Rabbi?!

- Yes, and she asked me to give her the Torah to read in return. So I tried to read The Quran - about ten times. It was really hard, but gradually I began to understand and to get a basic notion of Islam. That woman had brought back the Torah. It turned out to be very difficult for her to read and understand because religious literature requires extreme concentration and attention.

Musa, and when you were reading the translation, you must have begun to compare it with the Torah?

- I had found answers to too many questions in The Quran. Not to all of them, of course, because it wasn’t the Arabic original, but the translation. But I had begun to understand things.

Does it mean that you couldn’t find some answers in Judaism?

- I don’t know; there’s Allah’s will in everything. Apparently, those Jews who became Muslims in the times of the Prophet (P.B.U.H) couldn’t find some answers in Judaism but found them in Islam. Perhaps, they were attracted by the personality of the Prophet (P.B.U.H), his behavior, and his way of communicating with people. It’s an important topic.

What exactly where the questions that you couldn’t find answers to in Judaism?

- Before I came into contact with Islam, there were questions which I had never even tried to find answers to. Probably, an important part here had been played by comparing The Quran and The Bible. There is a key phrase, well-known to those who are familiar with religious issues:« Follow the Prophet who is yet to cometh » . And when I studied Islam, I understood that the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is the very Prophet to be followed. Both the Bible and the Torah tell us to do it. I haven’t invented anything here.

And what does the Torah say about the Prophet (P.B.U.H)?

- We won’t be able to find his name in the Torah. But we can figure it out using a special key. For example, we can understand what god this or that particular person in history worships. The formula describing the last Prophet (P.B.U.H) is that he would worship One God, the Sole Creator of the world. The Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) matches this description exactly. When I read this, I got very interested. I hadn’t known anything about Islam before that. Then I decided to look deeper into the matter and see whether there were any miracles and signs connected with the name of the Prophet (P.B.U.H). The Bible tells us that the Lord sends miracles to the prophets to confirm their special mission in people’s eyes. I asked the Alims about this, and they said: Here is a collection of trueHadiths which describe the miracles connected with the Prophet (P.B.U.H). Then I read that the Prophet (P.B.U.H) had always said that there had been prophets and messengers before him; we can find their names both in the Torah and in the Bible. When I was only starting to get interested, it sounded somewhat strange for me. Well, my own actions led to what happened to me. Sometimes I get to thinking: why did I read all this? Perhaps, I should say the Tawba (a prayer of repenting) right now for having thoughts like that.

Should I understand you, Musa, that you now feel a great responsibility for becoming a Muslim, or do you have some other feelings?

- Yes, responsibility, but something else as well. I can’t put my finger on it now. When a person knows Islam well, he’s got both his feet firmly on the ground. Islam helps a person. I would be insincere if I said that all the Dagestan are such knowing Muslims. We sometimes talk about it in the mosque, and I like to say that there are not so many real Muslims in Dagestan - only the ustaths (learned theologians) and their students, and the rest of us are just candidates. I can’t say that we do what the Sunna requires; we are only trying to; and when we don’t do what we should, we try to invent some clever excuses. These efforts should have better been applied to doing our duty. It’s hard for me to watch this. Sometimes I’m distracted by what is happening around me, as well. I haven’t got strength enough to fight this, and the weakness of my nature shows clearly here. I can’t say I’m totally helpless, but I have no right to say that I’ve achieved anything in Islam. I’ve only got torments. When I understood that I had to become a Muslim, I thought that Islam was a single whole - one common road or a huge indivisible ocean. Then I saw that there were a lot of trends in Islam, and new questions appeared. All these trends are like whirl pools; they whirl and whirl... It’s very hard! If a person tells you: Look, we fulfill all theHadiths . We only understand The Quran correctly. Then you follow this person, because you think that he speaks true things, and because you want to please Allah. But then, after a couple of months, you understand that these claims were false. Allah controls us. And you think: if this way is the right way, then why is there something that goes the wrong way? I hope to get the right answers soon.

At this moment, our conversation was interrupted by a stunningly beautiful azan. People started arriving to the mosque. We rose and hastened for the prayer, too.