KUALA LUMPUR: Controversial Irish singer Sinead O’Connor has announced her conversion to Islam, UK’s tabloid The Sun reported today.
The 51-year-old also revealed in a Twitter post that her new name is ‘Shuhada’, which means ‘martyr’ in Arabic.
The Nothing Compares 2 U singer also posted several images of herself wearing hijabs.
Shuhada, who changed her name to ‘Magna Davitt’ last year to “free herself from parental curses,” ignited speculation of her conversion on Thursday when a YouTube video of her performing the Islamic call to prayer went viral.
News.com.au reported that the mother-of-four told fans: “This is to announce that I am proud to have become a Muslim.
“This is the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian’s journey.
“All scripture study leads to Islam. Which makes all other scriptures redundant.
“I will be given (another) new name. It will be Shuhada.”
In the 1990s, Shuhada was ordained as a Catholic priest, and was quoted as saying that the Christian faith had helped her overcome personal turmoil. Her well-documented struggle with mental illness has become tabloid fodder over the years.
But according to The Sun, Shuhada became disillusioned with the Vatican over alleged child sex abuse cases, and called it “a nest of vipers.”
In her latest Twitter post, Shuhada encouraged fans to “Wear the hijab. Just do it.”
She has received an outpouring of support from Muslim fans on her social media accounts.