The singer, who was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, converted to Islam in a ceremony at a friend's house in Los Angeles.

He is said to have sat on the floor and worn a small hat while an imam officiated.

According to The Sun, the ceremony took place while Jackson, 50, was recording an album at the home of Steve Porcaro, a keyboard player who composed music on his Thriller album.

The former Jackson 5 star was counselled by David Wharnsby, a Canadian songwriter, and Phillip Bubal, a producer, who have both converted.

A source said Jackson had appeared a "bit down" and added: "They began talking to him about their beliefs, and how they thought they had become better people after they converted. Michael soon began warming to the idea.

"An imam was summoned from the mosque and Michael went through the shahada, which is the Muslim declaration of belief."

Last year his brother, Jermaine Friday, suggested Jackson would convert having taken an interest in Islam since Friday's conversion in 1989.

"When I came back from Mecca I got him a lot of books and he asked me lots of things about my religion and I told him that it's peaceful and beautiful," said Friday.

"He read everything and he was proud of me that I found something that would give me inner strength and peace.

"I think it is most probable that Michael will convert to Islam.

"He could do so much, just like I am trying to do. Michael and I and the word of God, we could do so much."

"They Don't Care About Us" is the fourth single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory. The song remains one of the most controversial pieces Jackson ever composed. In the US, media scrutiny surrounding alleged antisemitic lyrics were the catalyst for Jackson issuing multiple apologies and re-recording the album–altering the lyrics for that particular track. The singer countered allegations of antisemitism, arguing that reviews had misinterpreted the context of the song, either unintentionally or deliberately. Musically, it is an aggressive hip-hop production about social ills.

The possibility that the lyrics to "They Don't Care About Us" preached antisemitism was first raised publicly by The New York Times on June 15, just days before the album's release. The publication highlighted the lyrics, "Jew me, sue me, everybody do me/ Kick me, kike me, don't you black or white me" and labeled them "slurs".

The following day, two leading members of the Jewish community stated that Jackson's attempt to make a song critical of discrimination had backfired. They expressed the opinion that the lyrics used were unsuitable for a teenage audience that might not understand the songs context, adding that the song was too ambiguous for some listeners to understand. They accepted that Jackson meant well and suggested that the entertainer write an explanation in the album booklet.[2] Jackson's close Jewish friend Steven Spielberg also voiced his disapproval.[3]

NEW YORK, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- ABC News has acquired voice mail messages from Michael Jackson in which the pop star blames a Jewish conspiracy for his financial woes.

"They suck ... they're like leeches ... I'm so tired of it," Jackson told former adviser Dieter Wiesner in one of the messages. "The Jews do it on purpose."

The message recorded by Jackson two years ago aired Tuesday on "Good Morning America," The New York Daily News reported Wednesday.

This is not the first brush with anti-Semitism for Jackson who, a decade ago, sang "Jew me/Sue me/Everybody do me/Kick me/Kike me" on the song "They Don't Care About Us."

The tapes were provided to ABC by attorney Howard King, who is representing Wiesner in a lawsuit with Marc Schaffel seeking to recoup millions of dollars they are allegedly owed by Jackson, who moved Bahrain after his acquittal in California of child molestation charges.

Iniciado por AYN RANDiano

En "El Mundo" comentan que estaba muy influenciado por el grupo "Nación del Islam", que es una extraña mezcla entre Black Pride e Islam heterodoxo.

Lo que me llama la atención es que no lo saquen en titulares.

No puedo evitar acordarme de Lady Di, otra que murió joven tras acercarse (según algunos) demasiado al Islam.

Iniciado por Geld

USA es un país de contrastes extremos... Hay movimientos negros muy curiosos, uno es Nación del Islam, condenado como SECTA por su antisemitismo, pero hay más, liberales negros condenados a lo mismo por reivindicar el orgullo de que sus abuelos combatiesen con los "racistas" sureños...

Iniciado por Deva

Precisamente hace poco comentaba esto mismo con un amigo, la cantidad de personajes influyentes de EEUU que una vez convertidos al Islam, habían acabado muertos, como Malcom X y Martin Luther King, ó metidos en problemas y caidos en desgracia como Tysson y Michael Jackson.
Y ahora resulta que muere envenedado, todo un honor que "los hamijos" reservan a sus "mejores enemigos".
Ya han dicho los franceses ¿de qué murió Arafat?.

Iniciado por Apolodoro

¿Puedes extenderte en la parte que subrayo?.

Iniciado por Hermenauta

Debe tratarse de los "confederados negros".
The Black Confederate
From Revolution to Reconstruction: Essays: The Black Lost Cause. Colored Service in the Confederate Army: Index