Irish singer, who raised voice against child abuse in Church, embraces Islam

Newsroom, Oct 26: Popular Irish singer Sinead O’Connor, who is best known for her 1990 hit version of the song Nothing Compares 2 U, has announced her conversion to Islam and said she has changed her name to Shuhada’ Davitt.

The 51-year-old has been posting selfies of herself wearing hijabs on Twitter in recent days, as well as a video in which she gave the Azan, or call to prayer.

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’

— Shuhada’ Davitt (@MagdaDavitt77) October 19, 2018

She tweeted on October 19: "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."

My best friend, Elaine just gave me my 1st Hijab and she got chills all over her body when I put it on. Not gonna post a photo because is intensely personal. And I’m an ugly old hag. But I’m a very, very, very happy old hag.

— Shuhada’ Davitt (@MagdaDavitt77) October 20, 2018

She again tweeted that she is "very, very happy," and apologized for mispronouncing some Arabic words during her recitation of the Azan.

She replaced her Twitter profile picture with a photo that reads "Wear a hijab just do it" alongside the Nike logo.

Controversy has followed her career. The singer ripped up a picture of Pope John Paul II during a Saturday Night Live appearance in 1992 as a protest against the Catholic Church. Later she said in an interview with TIME that she was prompted to do so by the Catholic Church's record of child abuse.

In the late 1990s, she was ordained a priest by the Irish Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church, which is an independent Catholic group not in communion with the mainstream Catholic Church. The Catholic Church dismissed the ordination of the singer at the time as "bizarre and absurd."

In 2011, she again criticized the Catholic Church over the child sex abuse scandal, in an article for the Sunday Independent.

She dubbed the Vatican "a nest of devils," calling for the creation of an "alternative church'," and lamenting that "Christ is being murdered by liars" in the Vatican.

Pope Francis spoke during his visit to Ireland earlier this year of his shame over the "appalling crimes" of historic child abuse in the Catholic Church and said outrage was justified.

In 2015, the mother of four posted on her Facebook page that she had overdosed in the wake of a custody battle involving her youngest son and his father, Irish musician Donal Lunny. Police later said they had located O'Connor and she was "safe and sound."

The following year, O'Connor was reported missing in Chicago when she did not return from a bike ride, but police found her a day later.

Originally from Ireland, the singer has been a firm supporter of a united Ireland, under which the United Kingdom would relinquish control of Northern Ireland.

Although her embrace of Islam attracted criticism and anti-Islamic remarks, it was broadly welcomed by fellow Muslims online.

"Salaam (a greeting that means "peace") and keep up the good work," said Immy Khan. "You have 1.7 billion brothers and sisters now."

On October 25 Davitt tweeted: "Thank you so much to all my Muslim brothers and sisters who have been so kind as to welcome me to Ummah (the Muslim community) today on this page. You can't begin to imagine how much your tenderness means to me."