Is Janet Jackson A Muslim? Ex-Husband Wissam Al Mana Reportedly Convinced Her To Convert To Islam
Is Janet Jackson a Muslim?
Though the pop star has been notoriously private with her personal life, there were reports that her now ex-husband Wissam Al Mana convinced her to convert to Islam sometime after they were married. The question of Janet Jackson’s religion has come up again after the shocking reports that the couple has decided to divorce just four months after the birth of their first child, a son named Eissa Al Mana.
Wissam Al Mana himself is a Muslim who was originally born in Qatar and went to college in London and the United States before going back to the Middle East to grow his business empire. He is the managing director of Al Mana Group, which has real estate, retail, and restaurant holdings across the Persian Gulf region. Through the business, Wissam Al Mana amassed a net worth that reached $1 billion.
There were reports around the time of Eissa’s birth that Wissam Al Mana had convinced Janet Jackson to convert to Islam. India’s Hindustan Times cited a source who claimed that Janet Jackson seemed to be comfortable in the new religion.
“When she’s visiting Wissam’s family in the Middle East she wears no make-up, no hair extensions and keeps to traditional Muslim clothing,” the source claimed.
“She feels like she has found a home with her new religion. She has spent a great deal of time studying it. The days of raunchy dance moves and sexual lyrics are long gone.”
Janet Jackson Islam rumours: The reality of being a Muslim convert https://t.co/MkwHh8Sgb8 (via @Telegraph) // rp
— Muslim Voices at IU (@muslimvoices) January 6, 2017
The U.K.’s Mirror noted that the conversion to Islam seemed to be apparent in Jackson’s latest work.
“While Janet has yet to publicly confirm her religious views, her latest album, Unbreakable, features far less of the sexual language she used to be known for, which could be an indication of her changing beliefs,” the report noted.
If Janet Jackson did become a Muslim, it’s not clear exactly when it may have happened. Us Weekly noted that Jackson may have made the change at the time the pair got married in 2012.
“There was speculation when she married the Qatari businessman — who’s worth an estimated $1 billion — that Jackson had converted to Islam as she was seen wearing head coverings and dressing more modestly,” the report noted.
There were other hints of her new religion. Janet Jackson was seen wearing more conservative clothing during her pregnancy, including some shots of the pop star wearing a scarf that covered her head.
But overall, Jackson was quiet during her pregnancy, staying away from the spotlight and taking time away from her world tour.
“My husband and I are planning our family, so I’m going to have to delay the tour,” Jackson announced in a Facebook video message (via Us Weekly). “Please, if you can try and understand that it’s important that I do this now. I have to rest up, doctor’s orders! But I have not forgotten about you. I will continue the tour as soon as I possibly can.”
Sacrificial Slaughter!
Janet Jackson's Secret Muslim Ritual Tears Family Apart! https://t.co/u0a3kCxRs9— OK! Magazine USA (@OKMagazine) January 14, 2017
If it’s true that Janet Jackson did convert to Islam, she may not have been the only one in her family to do so. As the Hindustan Times noted, pop legend Michael Jackson also reportedly became a Muslim sometime before his death in 2009.
“In 2008, various reports came out that Michael had converted to Islam. The news gathered credibility when it was later reported that Michael had changed his name to Mikael. The legend died soon after, so the mystery remains a mystery.”
It still isn’t clear if there is any truth to the reports that Janet Jackson is now a Muslim, and the couple was notoriously quiet about their private life. The two kept their relationship a secret, and it wasn’t until a year after they had married that they even went public.
[Featured Image by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images]
