How Irish singer Sinead O’Connor became Shuhada Sadaqat and embraced Islam

Irish singer Sinead O’Connor, who has died at the age of 56, converted to Islam in 2018 and changed her name to Shuhada Davitt (later Shuhada Sadaqat).

In a tweet on October 19 that year, O’Connor, who was born a Roman Catholic, announced that she was now a “proud Muslim” and that she had adopted a new name.

“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. I will be given (another) new name. It will be Shuhada,” the tweet read, according to the BBC.

Back then, Shaykh Dr Umar al-Qadr, chief Imam of the Islamic Centre of Ireland and the Chair of the Irish Muslim Council, also posted a video on Twitter where O’Connor can be seen wearing a headscarf.

“World-renowned singer Shuhada Davitt (Sinead O’Connor) has proclaimed the Shahadah with me in Ireland. She is so happy! Masha Allah!” the text attached to the video read that was shared on October 26, 2018.

The Irish singer-songwriter — who continued to use Sinéad O’Connor professionally — once also posted a video of her reciting Azan, the Islamic call for prayer. And in 2019, O’Connor said on 2FM's Dave Fanning Show, a radio programme, that being a Muslim “is actually a way of thinking”.

“I have been a theology student since I was about seven years of age literally...I never thought I would choose one religion...and I left Islam until last to study because I had prejudices,” the singer said. “But when I finally started reading it... I realised I’d been a Muslim all my life and I didn’t know it.”

YouTube/The Late Late Show

“Because I have to fight stigma every day in my own life (on perception around her mental health), I identify hugely with the stigma that Muslims have had to deal with.....I see myself as a soldier,” O’Connor added.

Before embracing Islam, O’Connor had changed her name to Magda Davitt as she did not want a “patriarchal name”. “I no longer want the patriarchal name. The name I have chosen is beautiful and suits me much better,” the singer wrote on Facebook, reported The Sun.

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