The Deen Show – THEY DON’T WANT Sinad O’Connor buried as a Muslim Woman

			Well, the word revert it refers to the idea that if you were to study the crown, you would realize
that you had all you were a Muslim all your life and you didn't realize it as salaam alaikum
greetings of peace. By now, you've probably all heard the news of the sad passing of sinead o'connor
magotteaux. Might Allah have mercy on her got her Jana. A few years ago as you know, Sinead O'Connor
accepted Islam and Islam you don't call it conversion. You call it reversion. The idea is that you
were born Muslim in the first place that if you know any, any person with any logic would realize
they were Muslim all along. So that's actually what happened to me, being a theologian all my life
		

			studying theology, but I never thought that I would join any particular religion. But because I grew
up in a theocracy, I was very interested in theology. So I studied all the different religions and I
actually left Islam to last because I had such a huge amount of prejudice about it, actually. So I
started reading the scriptures when I was very young child. And then I started studying scriptures
from different religions trying to find you know the truth about God as such. And I left Islam on
two laughed because I never thought I would join a religion I left Islam to last because I had so
much prejudice about Islam. Yes. And then when I started reading, I read just Chapter Two alone of
		

			the Quran, I realized, oh my god, I'm home. I've been there me all my life, and I didn't realize it
and share her story here first with us here on the deen show. And also, I made a promise that I
would only talk to you that when I was ready to talk about it, I would only talk to you. But now
we've come to the question. Will she be given will her decision to accept Islam be respected enough
to give her an A slip proper Islamic burial as requested by the Muslim community? Because as we are
coming to see reading from the current news, current Norse news sources are saying son de world
sinead o'connor will be laid to rest in her native Ireland following her tragic death in London last
		

			month. It had been widely reported that the singer would be given a Muslim burial after she
converted to the religion in 2018. It continues to say however, a source was told the Sunday world
sources told us in a world that this wouldn't be the case with the funeral date yet to be confirmed.
So now to get more into this story. My next guest estado Lorraine, who resides in the UK and teaches
English law at the University. She converted. She is a she used to be a former devout Christian
leader, a Catholic just like Sinead O'Connor, and she went on to study many of the Islamic sciences
she has said I feel very sad at the fact that it seems like she will not be given an Islamic burial
		

			so to discuss and to go into this deeper, let's bring out Lorraine here on the show.
		

			To talk about
		

			the faith of Islam show Welcome to the show that the show
		

			salami greens, peas, how are you system? Well they can salam ala with I record you I'm very well
Brother, how are you? Good, good. 100 Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim and that we are so glad and so so.
So, you know, overjoyed really, that a person of the stature of sinead o'connor embraced Islam
because her soul was a pure soul. And as she searched all her life, like many of us do, as reverts
on this journey. Many of us have searched for many years and become a she said, in her own words, we
come home. So she came home in 2018. And I think she said that on your show. And we really, we
really would love her to be able to rest eternally in her home, it will be the most beautiful thing
		

			that could happen for her. And in fact, it is her right as a Muslim woman. So you know, I just
thought we could talk a little bit about what it means to have a Muslim burial because I think maybe
her family might not know.
		

			It doesn't mean that the family is excluded. It means that just the rights and unnecessary parts of
the funeral like the washing, and the prayer and the actual burial are done. Islamically but the
rest of the funeral is can be run by the by the person's family. It's in fact it's often done when
we have burials for reverts the family is the is the is the main participant and arranger of the
whole affair. You see, so I think we just want that to be made really clear.
		

			Yeah, this is this was her decision in 2018 when she was searching, and I had a chance to talk with
her. She was very delighted, very static, and she was proud of her decision coming to Islam and she
		

			I made that clear. I feel so passionately about Islam, and passionately about defending it against
stigma. And I probably will talk a lot about telling me this. Now we're reading in the news that it
was out there that she was going to have some Muslim people were led to believe that okay, she's
going to have a Muslim burial. But then sources now are saying that this is not the case. So is
there anything else that we know? Well, that's all we seem to know at the moment. There's one
newspaper, the one that you mentioned, that says it doesn't appear that she's having a Muslim
burial. And then all the other reports of today, because today is when the family released the news
		

			that they will be having the funeral on Tuesday, with a procession starting at 10:30am in Dublin.
		

			Yes, so this is very, very time sensitive. So you guys are watching this now. And Tuesday is right
around the corner. So what can people do? I mean, the thing is like, okay, reaching out to maybe the
has the masjid there, we don't know, if they were able to even establish contact with the family to
explain what you were just explaining of the simplicity, and how easy it is. And they're not just
they're not to be disconnected that is, but there'll be a part of it is quite a simple, easy
process. But it's her right, though. And the thing is, Will Will people respect her right now, she
made that decision to become a Muslim one who has submitted to the will of the Creator, not the
		

			creation, and trying to give her the proper funeral as a Muslim woman.
		

			And it's very important, I think that there is the from what I've been able to gauge, which
obviously is just looking at the news reports like everyone else is that the two there have been two
mustards the first one, where she made her Shahada. There was a new there was interview with the
imam who is Chef, Chef Omar, el padre. And he was saying he'd be you know, it'd be really pleased to
do it, that she will be buried in a Muslim burial. But I don't think they've made any contact with
the family. I don't think it's possible for them perhaps. And then the other one was another the
Islamic cultural center of Dublin, who had also said that they would be happy to do a funeral for
		

			Sinead but they made a public plea, but I don't think they've contacted the family. You know, I
don't know it's positive as possible for us to contact the family. That's why it's really important.
If anybody knows of any way that we could possibly contact the family, we'd be really, really
grateful for that information. I know, obviously, it's very difficult because she's such a famous
person, but for the sake of Allah, if we could possibly just have a some words with her family, you
know, because we found in the past when sorry, I wanted to say we found in the past when we are
burying other reverts that just talking to the family, and it changes everything. Yeah, so
		

			establishing the connection, first and foremost. And we've we've heard, I mean, you probably have
also horror stories where now people end up dying in this state, and they don't go ahead and make it
in their will or they don't prepare for this day, as far as how the funeral burial position, maybe
they are not in a state where they can explain things to their family and the family takes over. And
now what happens is, now sometimes they even go to cremate the body. And or they'll end up you know,
doing things obviously, according to their customers, their their ways. There's been cases where a
sister not too long ago, here where I'm from, she was actually a Muslim river for many years. And
		

			then she ends up, she passed away. And in her family, the Muslim community was trying to connect
with them, and they got to talk with him, but they were kind of like, No, we're gonna go ahead and
bury her how we want. And then when they actually saw the bill, and they saw the bill, then they
actually, they said, Hey, can you help us? So that's another thing that maybe this is probably not
the case with them. But this is not something that the Muslim community would also probably cover
this cover this expense of the funeral. What do you think? Yes, they will definitely we have Muslim
burial funds here that are willing very much to cover all the costs of a burial cost is not the
		

			issue at all. We Yes, we have also had those experiences here where we've had sisters where, you
know, in the beginning, the the family was adamant that they were going to have a cremation and then
we're going to have a Christian burial, even I'm sorry, a Christian service and the cremation even
though they everybody knew she was Muslim, but we after having mediated with the family, and we
actually had a beautiful, beautiful muslim burial in which the family participated and they cry
		

			wide and then they found it very touching and very moving. Yeah.
		

			Yeah. So you got the washing of the body, preparing the body by women. Yes. So the body is treated
respectfully. And then you have the prayer she's wrapped in the shrouds, the white shrouds, and then
from there, can you explain that process and how long it takes?
		

			Once it's, well, it's quite simple, really. So she has she's, she's washed by women, she's then
she's put in a coffin, which, which is the she has some white robes put around her. And then she's
placed in there like English, it's called a beer Bei, er, you know, it's an open it's basically an
open casket. And people then are able to kind of pay their respects to her, and they see her face
and then after that the the the she will be carried to the wherever it doesn't have to be a mosque
it can be, you know, one of my one of the sisters she was at her funeral took place in a beautiful
garden, you know, the Imam came to the garden and it was lovely so it doesn't have to be a mosque,
		

			it can be anywhere, anywhere at all, the Imam will come and they will and we will pray what is
called this falafel janazah upon her, which is to cause illness done in a specific way. And of
course the family members are most welcome to participate that you know, we don't eat this a local
judge now that doesn't involve prostrating doesn't you don't go into record into Jude you just you
stand so that the family is absolutely welcome to join the Muslims in Salafi janazah there's no
worry about that, you know, we'll be welcomed, they'd be most welcome. And then after that, what
would happen is that the the casket would then be taken to the, to the, to the cemetery, and into,
		

			you know, the the hole will be opened and then we'll be prayer said upon her as she as she she goes
in, you know, we don't use a coffin in the same way we use it. It's it's wrappings. Yeah, this is
very, very important. So hopefully this gets to the family, the friends and the community there.
Because we often even someone who is and I don't know, if I make this comparison, somebody who is
going to their living, but they know they're going to die. And you would give them their last
request. What is your request now. And the person says, I want this meal, I want this I want people
go out of their ways to grant their requests to living person. But now this person obviously made a
		

			decision to accept Islam, the pure monotheism, the way of all the prophets, the worship of one and
only one God. And now there are Muslim. So obviously, it's obvious their request is if they're
Muslim, to go ahead and be buried as a Muslim. And are we going to respect that? Are we going to go
ahead and just put our feelings and desires of our and what we want above? What Sinead O'Connor?
Yeah, yeah. Would want as a Muslim woman. Yeah, yes. That's very true. Yes, I mean, also, you know,
she was she was I managed, I happen to see her in a live interview on she, I think she's it was
Piers Morgan is one of the presenters here in England. And she was wearing hijab a couple of weeks
		

			before she passed away. She's wearing a hijab, and she looks, you know, very, very happy as a
Muslim.
		

			Yeah. Can you also fill us in because you come from a similar background? You are a devout
Christian, later Catholic, just like Sinead O'Connor,
		

			did you go through some struggles with your family when you decided to accept Islam, and
		

			I did have a struggle. But, you know, I think I didn't have as much I don't, I wouldn't know if
she's had a struggle or not with her family. But I didn't, I had some difficulties with my family.
But I found that actually, my father, my mother had passed away by then. But my father, it quickly
accepted the fact that I was Muslim. And, you know, he was happy. I looked after him when he was
old, and he was very happy. Because if one brings the beauty of Islam to a person, and we bring it
with our heart, you know, dispels all these media distortions of what Islam is. And it's actually a
such a beautiful thing that everybody's responds very positively and even my father, who was, you
		

			know, adamant that Islam was wrong, he was very responsive. In the end, what do you advise you all
you teach English law at the University there? And you know, the law what is your advice to prevent
others from going through something similar where they don't have their right now taken away by
their family or someone else who's in charge and the danger of getting cremated or they get very
good? The problem is this yes, this is the problem. The problem is that the law does not the English
law
		

			On this I also checked this afternoon in the in Irish law as the same. It even if a person expressly
states in their will that they want to be buried according to a specific religious rights like
Islam, it is still open to the family to disrespect that if they choose because, yes, in English
law, the family has the final say and only say, as regards the eldest, it doesn't mean the family as
a whole, it's the next of kin, the one who's next the closest family member has the final say,
unfortunately, that is the case. But we also have a we have the right to religious freedom in which
is the in the in the European Convention, which binds us here and we bind Ireland as well. And we,
		

			you know, it is it's something that one can work with work, you know, the courts have the law hasn't
officially changed, but they we have found you know, they are willing to be much softer in that
regard because of the rights and religious freedom. So what, so a couple so what what can people do?
What can people because Islam continues to be the fastest growing way of life and you have these
situations happening?
		

			Often, what do you advise? What do you advise people to what can they do to protect themselves, I
advise an individual revert to establish very strong and firm relationships with the Muslim
community. Sometimes that can be hard for a revert. But you know, with the help of Allah, it's
possible so that when it comes to the point, you know, where the person is passing away, and and if
they've made it, they must also make it clear, they must make a will and make it clear. But if
they've they've, they're very well grounded in the Muslim community, what will happen in sha Allah
is that is that if there's any conflict, the Muslim community will take it on. I have had that
		

			experience here where a sister was well grounded and had firm connections in the community and the
community went all out. And we raised the money, and we got everything sorted. And in the end, we
had a beautiful muslim burial. Because, you know, it is our duty as Muslims, and we must not forget,
it's fun to fire, which means it's a communal obligation on all Muslims to bury the disease
Islamically. So if you make strong connections with the Muslim community as a revert, it is the duty
of the Muslims to do the burying. And so I would add as well, that the Muslim community has to stand
up. I'm not sure what it's like in the United States. But here sometimes, the Muslim community is a
		

			bit slow to act.
		

			So I encourage that not yet. Now's not the time to act slow, actually. So ending with this. So we're
creating some awareness, we're doing our part to hopefully
		

			get some media attention. And what else can they do you talked about for the person? They're the one
who gave her the shahada and the community there's I believe in Dublin, if I'm not mistaken, what
can they do? And what do you suggest now within the law, what can they do to I mean, I suggest I
really call I'm sure that the you know, the chef, Omer el padre, he is a very well, it looks like
I've had a look at his biography. He's a well respected member of the community in Dublin. And if he
had all his able to make, you know, make an A reach out to the family and find them, you know, an
aid and talk to them, I'm sure that there will be I think her family loves her so much her children
		

			really love her. So that if he's he and his community, at the, at the at the mosque where he is, if
they can reach out to the family, if at all possible. And, and and, and gently persuade them also,
to make it I would urge them also to contact you, they may contact you, and also I'm quite happy to
be contacted myself.
		

			Yes, we can help in any way will be most willing. And just now people watching us secrete more
awareness to go ahead and everyone is an individual to if they have some contact to somebody that
knows their family or somebody that's connected to them to share this with them. Because I also
strongly believe that the some of the people behind the scenes may not be your family are connected
to there will be forces because this is Islam on a global stage with this with this funeral and
there are satanic forces all the forces who will try to prevent this who are trying to prevent this
also from from happening, because you will have now her going and being Muslims being there and more
		

			worried about her becoming a muslim and Islam has the spotlight once again. So what are your
thoughts on that? Yes, I think it's important that we stand firm, because I think that I'm sure you
can you can
		

			Don't get into the Muslim community when they are afraid. And in the I don't know about America, but
here they're afraid a lot of our community here are afraid of the authorities and afraid of standing
up because of Islamophobia and or other things, all sorts of other things. But if you stand up in
courage and it will reliance on Allah, you know, shaytan is a very weak enemy. And we don't have we
are those who stand with Allah will be will overcome it. So there's no problem with that.
		

			Because they don't want this but Shala we can go ahead and do our small part. And yes, we can
hopefully make this happen for our sister give her the proper give her her right to a proper Islamic
burial. Oh, yes, yes. And also I want to add just by way of I know, this is I don't know if this is
relevant, but from my
		

			because she was a pure soul. And she had so much pain in her life, through her struggles in the
Catholic Church, which I can identify with, and that you know, it will be so beautiful for her and
that it will be able to light all the souls in paradise, if she is received, you know, in full after
having had her full Islamic rites performed upon her. And all those who allow her her family will
get great reward from Allah, may Allah bless them and guide them and show his mercy upon them. I
mean, thank you very much, sister. I said I want to
		

			walaikum salam aleikum wa rahmatullah a live but I can't do Hello, I'm Dr. Daniela and I'm so
excited to be here at the Dean center, mashallah which is under renovation. And I can't wait to see
what's going to come and cello there's going to be a data center. There's a masjid, there's a school
and Islamic school, a gym and what we hope Inshallah, we'll also have a mental health part of this
center as well in sha Allah. So I'm asking you to please make sure that you support this effort in
sha Allah, I really hope that it spreads and really the knowledge of established people get to know
more about Muslims and Islam through this effort.
		

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