As musicians, politicians and fans remember Sinead O’Connor, some Muslims are disappointed that the Irish singer and lifelong activist’s religious identity is not being highlighted in tributes.
UK police on Wednesday said the 56-year-old was found unresponsive in her London residence on Wednesday and that there her death was not being treated as suspicious.
Since the news of her death, Muslim fans of the 90s superstar have said her conversion to Islam, a cornerstone of her identity, was inspiring, but that some media reports have failed to note her religious beliefs in obituaries.
O’Connor, whose chart-topping hit “Nothing Compares 2 U” helped her reach global stardom, converted to Islam in 2018.
“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,” the songstress tweeted on October 19, 2018.
At that time, O’Connor tweeted selfies donning the Muslim headscarf, the hijab, and uploaded a video of her reciting the Islamic call to prayer, the azan.
She took on the Muslim name Shuhada’ Davitt – later changing it to Shuhada Sadaqat – but continued to use the name Sinead O’Connor professionally.
One social media user said imagery of the singer without the hijab points to the glaring lack of Muslim reporters in newsrooms.
Meanwhile, some said that O’Connor was an inspiration for queer Muslims globally.
In 2000, she came out as a lesbian during an interview. But the singer, who was married to multiple men throughout her life, later said that her sexuality was fluid and that she did not believe in labels.
Some found joy in O’Connor’s conversion growing up, seeing themselves represented, while others, just learning about her Muslim identity at the news of her death, also took inspiration.
O’Connor was no stranger to controversy.
A lifelong nonconformist, she was outspoken about religion, feminism, and war, as well as her own addiction and mental health issues.
In 2014, she refused to play in Israel.
“Let’s just say that, on a human level, nobody with any sanity, including myself, would have anything but sympathy for the Palestinian plight. There’s not a sane person on earth who in any way sanctions what the f*** the Israeli authorities are doing,” she told Hot Press, an Irish music magazine.
Her iconic shaved head and shapeless wardrobe defied early 90s popular culture’s notions of femininity and sexuality.
In 1992, she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a television appearance on Saturday Night Live, vocal against the Catholic Church’s history of child abuse.
The late former star was also a firm supporter of a united Ireland, under which the United Kingdom would relinquish control of Northern Ireland.
because unless that thing they're told to do involves having specific sex organs, it has nothing to do with their sex. Like, if it says women should stay at home and care for the kids, while men go work and earn the money-- that's bigoted; there's no real reason for that except that it results in compliant, financially dependent women. Abuse flourishes in this type of scenario.
I agree, but Islam doesn't really differ from other religions in that way. They tell people what to do. One thing Islam does do differing from other Abrahamic religions is that it also defines the rights of both parties for example women are entitled to financial support in marriage. Women are also entitled to divorce in abusive marriages. Both rights don't really effectively function in fundamentalist Islamic theocracies. Like the person who you answered their Islam is often its own thing.
That doesn't change that it limits both parties' liberties to be themselves but that is pretty much given when it comes to religions. As is with Christianity, people pick and choose Islam. But it is less of an oppressive religion on religious text basis than people usually think.
I am an atheist. I do, usually, try to let the religious do their own thing as long as they're not forcing other people, but as far as I'm concerned, all religions make just as much sense as people that believe in astrology. I just wish society would start treating religion like astrology. Imagine the SCOTUS reaction if someone from Hobby Lobby suggested they couldn't provide birth control healthcare coverage because mars was in retrograde and they're born under the sign of Aries. haha
I am an agnostic pantheist who doesn't belong to any organized religion. I just know a lot about them, partially because religious and cultural sensitivity is part of my job. I can't really tell you logically why I am leaning toward pantheism. That is why it is my belief and not a fact. It feels right. But I don't think I am for sure right as I am not more intelligent or somehow weirdly attuned to world. I don't think we need to necessarily get rid of religions. It is psychologically common for us to lean into something bigger. We just need to stop requiring others to act like our belief system requires ourselves to act. As long as we don't hurt others or let our rights supercede their rights it shouldn't matter.
I just dislike how people in the West often lean into Islamophobia with their antireligion stance. I get it as majority we hear about is pretty terrible for a good reason and at the same time we most likely have experience with enough Christian people to put the terribiliness into some kind of frame. But at the same time it is point of view that is connected to fascist opinions today. While people who agree aren't always fascists themselves. I have seen the hurt and human rights abuses that causes.
Sex organs are something that males and females have in different forms, but it is disingenuous to say this is the only difference.
The man MUST provide for the house. The woman is not obliged to work and bring money, but she can do it if she wants. The way you phrased it can be understood that she is barred from working when this is not the case. Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) first wife Khadija was a successful tradeswoman for example. So the religion does not automatically make women financially dependant. There is abuse in some Muslim countries, no doubt like everywhere, but religion is not the reason.
Moreover, whatever the woman earns is 100% hers if she chooses to, and the man has no claim on it in Islam. She can put that to use for the house expenses, or not if she chooses to. It's her right. Usually working women help the household's finances but it's up to couples to decide how they want to function.
Its the only meaningful difference in this context. And don't think I'm giving a pass on the religion telling men what they can and can't do. That's also bigotry.
We do not have the same paradigm, that's for sure. That's why we need to learn about each other's views.
Islam's is: God created mankind and put it on earth for a propose. He gave us this life which is a test with do's and don'ts. And depending on whether we follow the rules or not there is eternal bliss or eternal punishment.
Why am I or others positing this? Because God sent throughout our existence messengers to remind us of our purpose.
Why should we trust these so called messengers? They were granted miracles, ie. things others cannot perform like splitting the sea, reviving the dead, splitting the moon etc.
He also gave these messengers scripture with the laws to abide by. Where are these scriptures? Most of them were lost (Abraham's tablet, David's psalms...) or demonstrably corrupted by people (the old and the new testaments). The last scripture revealed is the Qur'an which is demonstrably preserved for everyone to read.
Read it and read about Muhammad's life and you'll understand what so called "Islam" ("peace through submission" in Arabic) is.
I don't really need magic in my life, and I haven't seen where belief in magic has helped society at all. It is possible to have a moral framework without magic.
With all due respect, have you read the Qur'an? How can you judge something without actually looking into it?
I won't hold this against you because you are saying it out of ignorance, but just know that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the US and in Europe, the average age of reverts is 27, the most reverts are postgraduates who spent in average 7 years studying the religion.
I just have no urge or need to believe in magic.
Calling it magic is no different than people in ancient times ascribing what they didn't know or understand to magic.
Just give it an unbiased read, you might be surprised :)
Do you believe in miracles? If so, are they supernatural, or just a technology we don't understand yet?
Have you read the God Delusion?
I have only one question. Can women worship with men and be imams in their mosque?
If no, then you don't have equality and it is wrong.