As musicians, politicians and fans remember Sinead O’Connor, some Muslims are disappointed that the Irish singer and lifelong activist’s religious identity is not being highlighted in tributes.

UK police on Wednesday said the 56-year-old was found unresponsive in her London residence on Wednesday and that there her death was not being treated as suspicious.

Since the news of her death, Muslim fans of the 90s superstar have said her conversion to Islam, a cornerstone of her identity, was inspiring, but that some media reports have failed to note her religious beliefs in obituaries.

O’Connor, whose chart-topping hit “Nothing Compares 2 U” helped her reach global stardom, converted to Islam in 2018.

“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,” the songstress tweeted on October 19, 2018.

At that time, O’Connor tweeted selfies donning the Muslim headscarf, the hijab, and uploaded a video of her reciting the Islamic call to prayer, the azan.

She took on the Muslim name Shuhada’ Davitt – later changing it to Shuhada Sadaqat – but continued to use the name Sinead O’Connor professionally.

One social media user said imagery of the singer without the hijab points to the glaring lack of Muslim reporters in newsrooms.

Meanwhile, some said that O’Connor was an inspiration for queer Muslims globally.

In 2000, she came out as a lesbian during an interview. But the singer, who was married to multiple men throughout her life, later said that her sexuality was fluid and that she did not believe in labels.

Some found joy in O’Connor’s conversion growing up, seeing themselves represented, while others, just learning about her Muslim identity at the news of her death, also took inspiration.

O’Connor was no stranger to controversy.

A lifelong nonconformist, she was outspoken about religion, feminism, and war, as well as her own addiction and mental health issues.

In 2014, she refused to play in Israel.

“Let’s just say that, on a human level, nobody with any sanity, including myself, would have anything but sympathy for the Palestinian plight. There’s not a sane person on earth who in any way sanctions what the f*** the Israeli authorities are doing,” she told Hot Press, an Irish music magazine.

Her iconic shaved head and shapeless wardrobe defied early 90s popular culture’s notions of femininity and sexuality.

In 1992, she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a television appearance on Saturday Night Live, vocal against the Catholic Church’s history of child abuse.

The late former star was also a firm supporter of a united Ireland, under which the United Kingdom would relinquish control of Northern Ireland.

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[–] 1 point 3 years ago (3 children)

Listen, I love Sinead, but she had some serious mental health issues. She became a catholic priest after lambasting the catholic church over child sexual abuse, then left the catholic church, then converted to Islam in 2018? I think if we want to completely divulge every single issue she had in her life, it does a disservice to her memory. From my perspective, there's no reason other than mania that I can think of why someone like her would convert to a faith like Islam.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    She became a catholic priest

    That doesn't sound right.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    It was a not officially recognized sect

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    There are no unofficial Catholic sects. By definition, if you're not official, you're not Catholic. They're allowed to define that.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    The word "Catholic" just means universal. Most Christians claim to be Catholic as well, such as Anglicans, as they see themselves as descended from the Church of the Apostles. You'd really have to get into restorationism or people simply misunderstanding the faith to find those who don't. Although whether or not they are Roman Catholic, as in, seeing the authority of the Bishop of Rome as Pope, is a different thing.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (1 child)

    "Independent Catholicism is an independent sacramental movement of clergy and laity who self-identify as Catholic "

    When you have a closed group, like a religion, you absolutely can set minimum criteria for membership, and disallow self-identification as a valid way to enter. Just like I can't say I'm Canadian, those people aren't Catholic. Who says so? The pope. And it's his call to make.

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    [–] 1 point 2 years ago*

    This is the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian‘s journey. All scripture study leads to Islam. Which makes all other scriptures redundant

    What? Very interested to how she came to that conclusion, considering that the New Testament basically invalidates Islam as the Qur'an claims the New Testament agrees with it and holds it in judgement

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  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (2 children)

    I have to admit that I always thought she was agnostic, if not atheist, from that Pope stuff.

    I idly wonder why a gay feminist would convert to Islam. Aren't those things incompatible? Is this my ignorance showing? Are there sects of Islam that are more open minded, like there are sects of Christianity?

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  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (3 children)

    In short, yes, Islam varies a lot based on the actual community you're a part of. Few places are as extreme as Afghanistan, even if you look at other conservative theocracies. When you're looking at Muslim communities in Western Europe, it's a very different situation.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago

    She herself seemed to lack this sort of nuance. She refused to play in Israel, for example, effectively accusing and dismissing an entire nation as oppressors.

    I suspect she was, deep down, not a particularly reflective person. We all know people like these. Feel a feeling, act on it immediately, and maaaybe consider the implications and consequences later. Maybe. Or just double down, and never dare to truly look at yourself in the mirror.

    It’s unfortunate because these types of people also sometimes turn out to be incredible artists. I assume it’s the combination of talent plus the ability (/curse?) to experience raw feelings much more strongly than the rest of us.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Yeah - her anger was directed at the church not religion. Wearing a hijab, however, seems completely irrational for a feminist. But doing something people don't expect to get attention and make people mad is definitely on-brand.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Wearing a hijab, however, seems completely irrational for a feminist.

    If it's her own free choice, I see absolutely no contradiction there.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    I see absolutely no contradiction there.

    Then I doubt that I could explain to you why it is.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    If you think its feminisn to tell a woman what shes should and shouldn't wear, I don't know what to tell you.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    I'm not telling women to wear anything. Many militant islamists, however, have used hijabs to control women. Like it or not it's become a symbol of oppression as a result.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago* (1 child)

    You're insuinating that feminism is incompatiable with women choosing what they wear if it's a garment you don't approve of. Feminism does not tell women what they can and cannot wear. Furthermore you claim its a hate image despite millions of Muslim women saying it's part of their culture and not representative of a radical minority. How many women do you intend on speaking over in your persuit of "feminism"?

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago* (1 child)

    Feminism is incompatible with sexism.

    Something Islam teaches as a core concept.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (4 children)

    Outspoken non-conformist feminist conforms and converts to Islam, declaring all other religions worldwide, wrong and invalid. Could almost be an Onion article title.

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    [–] 0 points 3 years ago (3 children)

    Because nobody in the west likes Islam.

    There's a fair amount of racism wrapped up in that sentiment that can't be ignored, but Islam hasn't exactly done itself many favours in the PR department.

    Pre-2001 it was a kooky religion that popstars converted to and changed to a funny foreign sounding name and you'd hear little else about it. Maybe your local corner shop owner would get out his prayer mat to the bemusement of locals.

    Post-2001 Muslims are scary bearded men with hooks for hands. They hate our way of life and we instantly feel less sympathy for them when we hear the word Muslim. If the Serbia/Kosovo situation had kicked off in 2002 instead of 1998, we'd have taken the Serb's side on it.

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    [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    It's just religion. Any fanatism should be ignored.

    Unfortunately many religions are fanatic.

    You're welcome to downvote me into the depths of the underworld now.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Nobody mentioned the relligion of Tonny Bennet, Tina Turner, Jerry Springer, Michael Jackson, Meat Loaf, Taylor Hawkins, Whitney Huston or any other celebrity that has died in my lifetime. The only two dead celebrities that I remember being connected to religion was the Pope and Mother Teresa (I am sure that I am biased though)

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Tbh. I think religion should always be a private thing and should have no place in public.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago

    While religion can be very problematic and causes much conflict and suffering, I don't think you can expect people to be silent about something that for them is so important, personal and central to who they understand themselves to be and how they live. To demand silence on something so important to them is a little reminiscent of the "don't ask, don't tell" approach to other aspects of people's identities.

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