Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O’ Connor surprised the world when she announced that she has converted to Islam.
The “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer now bears the Muslim name Shuhada’ Davitt, where “Shuhada” means “martyr” in Arabic.
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Since converting, the singer has started to don hijab and often shares her knowledge about Islam on social media.
However, Davitt is not the the only Muslim celebrity in Hollywood. Here are 8 other famous Hollywood celebs that you may not realised were Muslim.
Zayn Malik
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqG4GoPHNhv/
Former member of British boy band One Direction, Zayn Malik was raised as a Muslim in a British Muslim family of Irish and Pakistani descent. As a child, he used to study Islam and frequented the mosque, but as he grew older, he began to lose faith. Previously, he told Vogue he no longer considers himself to be a Muslim as he does not follow the Islamic practices.
Gigi & Bella Hadid
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Supermodel sisters Gigi and Bella are Muslim and were raised observant by their immigrant father, Mohamed Hadid. Gigi and her sister Bella have been proudly vocal about their religion, especially in the current political climate. Bella had revealed that she is “proud to be a Muslim” as she reflected on her father’s history as a refugee.
Mahershala Ali
Oscar and Golden Globe winner Mahershala Ali was raised a Christian by his mother, but in 2000, he converted to Islam, changing his surname from Gilmore to Ali. Known for playing a drug dealer in the 2016’s “Moonlight”, Ali became the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar and he also got his second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Janet Jackson
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Pop singer Janet Jackson allegedly converted to Islam when she was married to Muslim husband Wissam Al Mana. During her marriage, the singer started to act like a traditional Muslim and was seen wearing proper Muslim attire like burkas and loose-fitting garments. But after her divorce, the singer went back to her usual sexy dress-up and it is not sure if she still identifies herself as a Muslim.
Ice Cube
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Rapper and actor Ice Cube converted to Islam in the mid-90s and was once associated with an African-American political and religious movement, the Nation of Islam. The rapper admitted that he does not practice the faith as much as he should, and calls himself a “natural Muslim”, explaining that his faith “is just between me and God.”
Aziz Ansari
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Actor-comedian Aziz Ansari was born to a Tamil Muslim family from Tamil Nadu, India. Though he was raised by Muslim parents, Ansari admitted many times that he’s not religious so he doesn’t practise Muslim teachings, and his parents are fine with that. His Netflix series “Master of None” sometimes explores the comedian’s relationship with his religion.
Nasim Pedrad
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Comedian Nasim Pedrad who is one of the a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” was born to a Muslim family, but similar to Ansari, she is a non-practicing Muslim. However, she has been very vocal about America’s Muslim ban and she would often uses her art to combat Islamophobia.
Akon
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Singer-songwiter Akon who is most known for his hit “Lonely”, is a self-proclaimed Muslim and spiritual man. The singer sometimes include his religious beliefs into his songs, however he revealed that entering the music industry was considered problematic by a number of people in his hometown in Senegal as music is considered “haram” AKA forbidden, adding that there’s always “a debate about Islam and music.”
