Last month, as Lindsay Lohan stepped out of her court-ordered community service at a children’s center in Brooklyn, New York, she was spotted with a copy of the Quran, which caused the media to speculate whether the celebrity had converted to Islam or was contemplating doing so. The 28-year-old actress-singer, who is of Italian and Irish descent, was raised Catholic and it was only recently that she announced that she was embarking on an emotional detox that would help her give up not only alcohol but even dating.
In context, the Quran too discourages a lifestyle that involves the consumption of alcohol. However, not all Muslims stand by that notion and more importantly, not every reader of the Quran is considered Muslim. Yet, when Lohan was spotted with a leather-bound copy of the Quran, many rushed to conclude that she had converted to Islam, especially since she has openly experimented with a few other religions in the past.
Despite being photographed with the Quran, her spokesperson clarified that Lohan was not fully converting to Islam.
“To my knowledge she is not considering fully converting to Islam, but I know she has been taking a keen interest in the Arabic culture of late,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also added that Lohan had recently bagged a few projects in the Middle East and so she was displaying a certain level of keenness to learn more about its language and culture.
“She also spent some time in Dubai earlier this year and became interested in their way of life,” the spokesperson said.
At the height of her career as a teenage star, Lohan wore a red string bracelet, which is commonly associated with Kabbalah and believed to ward off misfortune that may be brought about by the evil eye. After rumours of her attending Kabbalah classes waned, reports of Lohan joining Courtney Love’s Buddhist chanting group began to surface in 2012. In 2014, Lohan referred to herself as a very spiritual person in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
“I'm a very spiritual person and I've become more spiritual as time has gone on,” she told the talk show host. “I’m really in touch, whether it's prayer or meditation... there are so many powers greater than me in the world. I've been blessed and lucky enough to have been given a gift to share with other people.”
High profile converts to Islam include the likes of musician Cat Stevens, journalist Jemima Goldsmith and boxer Mike Tyson.
Photo Credits: B. Scott
