Stop Hating! Top 15 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were Muslim
Lately, there has been a lot of hate thrown toward the Muslim community. An act of terror occurs and immediately we forget that we are all a part of the “Great American Melting Pot” where everyone is different and these differences are praised.
Sure, some Muslims have committed heiness crimes in this country and my heart goes out to the friends and family members of all of those people who may have fallen victim to these actions, but a few bad apples should not spoil the name of the bunch.
Our nation was founded on religious freedom and no group deserves to be negatively stereotyped based on their faith.
Muslims come in many different shapes and sizes. After all, Islam is the second biggest religion in the world.
Here is a list of celebrities that you probably didn’t know identify as Muslim.
Shaquille O’Neal is an Islam convert. His first and middle name, Shaquille Rashaun, even mean “little warrior” in Arabic. In 2010, he made his faith public when he vocalized his plans to go on the sacred Muslim pilgrimage, hajj.
Akon, born Aliaune Damala Akon Thiam, is a self-proclaimed Muslim and spiritual man. The “Sorry, Blame It On Me” rapper even gives a shoutout to Allah in one of his songs, “Senegal.”
T-Pain, Faheem Rashad Najm, was raised ina muslim household prior to becoming a famous rapper. Although his religious views can be a little questionable at times, he still claims to be a muslim, for the most part.
Mike Tyson, heavyweight boxing champion, changed his name to Malik Abdul Aziz and converted to Islam while in jail.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who is perhaps one of the best basketball centers in history is also a devout muslim. Abdul-Jabbar changed his name from Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. after converting to Islam.
Busta Rhymes, is also an Islam convert, but his song “Arab Money” got a lot of negative critique from British and American Muslims around the world.
Malcolm X fought strongly for black power and black nationalism as a Muslim. He was a leader of the Nation of Islam before being assassinated in 1965.
Khalil Kain is not only the fine young man that stole our hearts in the movie “Juice,” but he is also a Muslim.
Muhammad Ali, aka “The Greatest,” was one of the first famous Americans to identify as a Muslim. After converting to Islam from Christianity, Ali was not afraid to make his religious views public before becoming one of the most remarkable boxers of all time.
Omar Epps has kept his religious views pretty private. However, many people believe that he is, in fact, an African-American Muslim, because his middle name is “Hashim.”
Snoop Lion converted to Islam back when he was “Snoop Dogg” in 2009. He was very vocal and proud about joining the Nation of Islam, but now he practices rastafarianism.
Dr. Oz, Mehmet Cengiz Oz, not only gives us practical medical advice to apply to our daily lives, but is also a Turkish-American Muslim.
Iman Abdulmajid, former fashion icon, was born in Somalia and speaks five languages. Although she has faced criticism for marrying non-Muslim men, she identifies as a Muslim woman.
Dave Chappelle converted to Islam back in 1998. His struggle to balance his faith with his comedy played a major role in the ending of his show.
Janet Jackson recently converted to Islam this year after marrying her husband, billionaire Wissam al Mana. Rumor has it that her new faith has caused her to quit the entertainment industry. Her brother, Jermaine Jackson, converted to Islam years ago, and there has been a lot of speculation about the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, being a Muslim prior to his death also.
