Lindsay Lohan, the former child star who has been attempting to regain her lost celebrity status for years, gave an exclusive interview to The Sun earlier this week in which she revealed she is studying the Koran , the Holy Book of Islam. Since then, the story has been widely covered, but several sources think Lohan’s newfound love for Islam may be Lindsay’s desperate vie for media attention rather than a genuine passion for the religion.
Lohan sparked a lot of controversy when a member of the paparazzi photographed her carrying a copy of the Koran a year ago, and she told The Sun that she is still poring over the book.
“I’m not done reading it. Do you know how long that would take? It takes so long,” Lohan said.
The Islamic doctrine she has been learning about really speaks to her, she went on. Lohan has also become an avid student of meditation, and Lindsay says it helps her cope with stress and anxiety.
@mailonline I’m fairly sure Linsday Lohan said ‘meditation’ to Oprah… although she probably did mean medication. pic.twitter.com/BbcVLNhg8q
— Emma (@Peasmakemehappy) May 14, 2015
“I can hear every conversation in a room,” Lohan said.
“I hear everything and I notice everything so I have to teach myself to shut my brain off.”
Lindsay has been so passionate about the Koran as of late, in fact, that she has taken to sharing passages from the tome on Instagram.
“I’m a very spiritual person and I’m really open to learning,” Lohan said.
One of Lindsay’s agents talked to Page Six and confirmed Lohan’s interest in a religious departure .
“Lindsay has always been very spiritual and is open to exploring all religions and beliefs,” he said.
“She is simply educating herself on other people’s beliefs.”
But, several sources ask, is Lohan indeed sincere about her interest in learning about the Islamic faith, or is it an attention grab?
It is certainly no secret that Muslims and anything regarding the Islamic faith are extremely hot topics in the current global climate, and what better way for a fallen-from-grace celebrity like Lindsay Lohan to get some free press than to ride that wave of public interest?
Lindsay Lohan is converting to Islam, as if Islam didn’t already have enough PR problems.
— Mariya Alexander (@MariyaAlexander) April 20, 2016
In the Sun interview, Lindsay acknowledged the public furor surrounding Islam and its teachings.
“America has portrayed holding a Koran in such a different way to what it actually is.”
Jezebel thinks that Lohan’s recent flirtation with Islam is a power play designed to capitalize on the hubbub she originally caused when she was seen with the Koran. After all, Lindsay has not been shy about trumpeting to the world that she is a student of Islam and is proud of it (see the Instagram post above)!
And Lindsay Lohan has been making a great effort lately to regain her place in the pop culture spotlight, as she has been uncharacteristically vocal about details of her personal life as of late. She recently told reporters she is now officially engaged to Russian business heir Egor Tarabasov, for example, and publicly announced her miscarriage .
Bling bling! See Lindsay Lohan’s green engagement ring: https://t.co/1gimxulycV pic.twitter.com/kv4HHyRi8A
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) April 13, 2016
Whether all these events going on in Lohan’s life have anything to do with her interest in Islam (if the interest is anything more than a publicity stunt) is anyone’s guess, but Lindsay Lohan would not be the first major celebrity to become a Muslim if she decided to take the next step in her pursuit of the Islamic faith: Mike Tyson, Cassius Clay, Janet Jackson, Cat Stevens, and Jemima Khan have already done so.
We’ll have to wait until Lohan finishes reading the Koran to find out how completely she wants to embrace the faith. Sun Times reports she is about a quarter of the way through and, seeing as she was carrying the book around with her a year ago, it should only take three or four more years for her to finish. We eagerly await your decision, Lindsay.
[Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images]