Jacko Converts To Islam

11/21/08 12:49pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Michael Jackson has reportedly become a Muslim.

According to the U.K.'s The Sun tabloid, the singer converted to Islam at a friend's Los Angeles mansion a few days ago. Jackson was recording an album at Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro's home, and The Sun reports that songwriter David Wharnsby and producer Philip Bubal, who are both Muslim converts, convinced the eccentric pop artist to embrace Islam.

"They began talking to him about their beliefs, and how they thought they had become better people after they converted," a source told The Sun. "Michael soon began warming to the idea.

"An imam was summoned from the mosque and Michael went through the shahada, which is the Muslim declaration of belief."

Jackson has apparently taken the Muslim name Mikaeel, which in Islam is the name of one of God's angels. The Sun reports that Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens before he converted to Islam) showed up to celebrate Jackson's new religion.

Jackson was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, but he's not the first member of his family to convert to Islam. Jermaine Jackson converted in 1989 and, according to the Telegraph newspaper, Michael has shown an interest in the religion since then.

"When I came back from Mecca, I got him a lot of books and he asked me lots of things about my religion and I told him that it's peaceful and beautiful," Jermaine Jackson said last year.

"He read everything and he was proud of me that I found something that would give me inner strength and peace.

"I think it is most probable that Michael will convert to Islam.

"He could do so much, just like I am trying to do. Michael and I and the word of God, we could do so much."

Sheikh Adbulla Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, one of the king of Bahrain's sons, is suing Jackson for breach of contract.

The sheikh says he wanted Jackson to record an album and write an autobiography in Bahrain, but the artist backed out of a contract and owes him more than $7 million U.S. (about $9 million Canadian), which was apparently used to cover Jackson's travel costs, legal fees stemming from his 2005 child molestation trial (in which he was eventually acquitted) and other expenses.

Jackson will fly to London, England to testify at the trial on Monday. He previously said he was too ill to fly across the Atlantic, but was deemed fit to travel earlier this week.

Jackson says he and the sheikh never had any agreement that Jackson would write an autobiography or album in Bahrain, and insists that the sheikh's payments were gifts.