MUSLIM WORLD: King of Pop was about to convert to Islam, Michael Jackson's brother says

Michael's Jackson's brother Jermaine Jackson reached out to the Muslim world in a long, controversial interview with the Dubai-based pan-Arab news channel Al-Arabiya aired Thursday night. 

See below the jump for the videos of the interview, Jermaine Jackson's first ever with an Arab news network.

During his nearly hourlong talk, he spoke out about his brother's death, the conspiracies he believed were behind the singer's downfall -- and how he believes the King of Pop was on the verge of converting to Islam.

After spending time in the Gulf (Michael Jackson lived in Bahrain for a while in 2005), "Michael hired a team that was all Muslim,” Jackson told Al- Arabiya, dressed in a red Arab Keffeyeh scarf.  “His behavior at the time also showed that he was very close to converting.”

Jackson went on to recount to Arab households how the King of Pop was drawn by Islam, saying his brother loved hearing the Muslim call to prayer and eagerly read books on Islam.  Jackson said Islam  would have protected his brother from harm.

"I felt that Michael was looking for that divine feeling .... I brought him books from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, from a lot of mosques. He read all of them. He was studying ... he was ready to make that journey. His protection would have been Islam ... he had a very tough life," he said.

When asked by his interviewer whether Michael Jackson ever suggested that he would convert, Jackson implied his brother may have been a Muslim in his heart.

"I wished he would have made that announcement. Maybe he made it in his soul ... but at the same time we want to hear it,"  he said.

He added that the amount of time Michael spent in the Middle East and the number of friends he had there also indicated he had embraced Islam.

Jermaine Jackson, a composer and former member of the Jackson 5, himself developed an interest in Islam during a trip to the Persian Gulf in the late 1980s and later became a Muslim.  When asked to share his travels with the viewers, he said he  "never felt a connection" until he became a Muslim and how he believes his ancestors were Muslims and that Christianity was imposed on them through slavery. 

At one point, he explains his emotional and spiritual journey in his pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

"We drove from Bahrain to Riyadh (the capital of Saudi Arabia) and then took a flight to Mecca.  It was the most wonderful feeling. It felt so pure, so special. I knew that was the connection," said Jackson.

He only wishes his brother had followed his example and become a Muslim too. Islam, says Jackson, would have saved the King of Pop from many hardships.

"I believe that Islam would have helped him a lot. Had he converted, he would have been spared all the problems he had been subjected to throughout his life," he said.

-- Alexandra Sandels in Beirut

Photo: In his first interview with an Arab TV channel, Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine Jackson told the Arab news network Al-Arabiya that he believes the King of Pop was on the verge of converting to Islam. Credit: Al-Arabiya

Videos: The interview in three parts. Credit: YouTube

Comments

[Par4thecourse]

Another reason why not to like MJ.

[Josh]

WTF? How much of a fool does Jermaine think that we are to believe that crock?! lol WOW! Given MJ's persistant lifestyle there were never clues that he was close to ANY religion.

[Susie]

To the people who make ignorant and hateful comments, please ask youself whether you form your opinon on Michael Jackson based on facts and not just from lies printed by tabloids. If Michael Jackson was really the monster the tabloids made him out, why millions and millions of people from all over the world grief over his passing?

I am not an idol worshiper. I love and miss Michael for who he really was - a multi-talented entertainer, a musical genius and a loving person with a sensitive soul. If you do some research on Michael and read interviews he gave throughout his life, you'll find he's not weird or freaky. All he wants to do in his life are to create good music, to provide escapism to people, to help children and to raise up his children like a regular father.

He lost his childhood. He lost his privacy since the age of 10. He was never given a chance to develop his own defense mechanism. He's not ready for the people who keep taking advantage of him because of his talents, fame and money. His talents are both blessings and curse.

To people who still judge him, ask yourself whether you can survive so long if you step into his shoes.

He suffered too much in his life. Now, can we at least keep his legacy going and remember him for his contributions to the world.

I hope Jermaine can stop giving out this kind of interview. He's creating more unnecessary controversy. Muslim or Christian, Michael was a God-loving person!

[Cherubim]

Michael Jackson is beyond religion.
While he was on Earth, Michael Jackson chose to live as a pure "Spiritual Being" who, became as one with the Creator's gift of music."

I'm glad Michael Jackson has three children: Prince, Paris and Blanket to
carry on his legacy. I pray the Creator
bless and protect them.

[Susan]

MJ is probably turning in his grave as I type this. His brothers now have a rotten tv show where they whine about MJ not being with them, are trying to go on tour without him, etc. They are trying to make a profit off of MJ even though he is dead! Where is the religion in THAT, I ask???? MJ disassociated himself from his brothers on touring because, as we all can see now, they have different agendas that will always pull them apart. MJ was the star, let him rest in peace.

[NoGooder]

AS-SALAAMU 'ALAIKUM

[Sandie]

Dear Jermaine, STFU.

[lester brown]

Did Jermaine charge a fee for this interview? Is there an extra charge for welling up with tears or actually crying? I understand that several members of the Jackson family will not talk to the media unless they receive a cash payment.

Rest in peace, MJ.

[sc341]

Michael Liked to experiment with different religions but I believe he believed in the Lord Jesus Christ at the end. He had a Christian Burial. His mother carried out his wishes in his burial imo.

[Jim]

Good grief, what next?

I wish the entire Jackson clan would relocate to Afghanistan and live a strict muslim lifestyle.

Michael Jackson would have been decapitated by the muslims for his homosexuality and pedophilia.

[BaforMJ]

Michael was who he was. Everyone gets to choose who and what they believe in, even if someone tries to influence, suppress, or eradicate that belief. There is nothing any of us can do. Just like Jermaine says that Michael was given by Allah and Allah is just another name for God. Jermaine is right Michael was a blessing from God.

[Barn Collow]

Yeah right Islam protect him from a prosecutor maybe. Islam and pedophilia, plus massive drug abuse, ha ha, do not mix.

What brass balls of this fool Jermaine to sit there and pander and lie about religion and M. Jackson. If MJ had any interest in Bahrain or the mideast it was business deals, not religion.

Islam by the way is a complete fraud and offers zero to any human who adopts it. The Koran is another phony book of made up stories like the Bible. All monotheisms are utter nonsense inventions of man, and all need to be put back a box and sunk to the bottom of the sea, with my apologies to the fish!

[Brian]

Michael isn't here to defend himself, so Jermaine continues to spew innuendo and speculation based on his own wishes. The Jackson family is desperate to convince the public that they had a close relationship with MJ, but it was blatantly obvious that they didn't. It's a shame that they will all benefit financially from his death.

Shut up, Jermaine! Let Michael rest in peace.

[Angie]

yeah right!!!! just as he was about to convert to a transformer robot too!!!!!! hey, look at you Jermaine, your conversion to Islam didnt make you any less of a hungry leech! MJs death was the best thing that happened to that f***** up family-

[Paula]

Jermaine gets on my last nerve, Michael would have NEVER abandoned his Mother's religious teachings that is why he had such a good heart, loving attitude towards the earth and people and not running around with women, because that is what he was taught as a boy. People tried to make him seem odd because he didn't sleep around, he wasn't odd he was decent.

If Michael was converting why didn't he express that when he was at rehearsals when he was in the big circle talking about the earth and God, he never mentioned the Muslim faith. That is probably why he tried to stay away from Jermaine. Jermaine was pressuring him.

Jermaine needs to stop spending his time running around thinking he can finally be the number one Jackson 5 since Michael is gone but that will never happen Michael is deeply and dearly loved because of his beautiful personality and Jermaine will never fit that mode. He should be spending his time making sure the MURDERER of his brother Dr. ******** spends the rest of his life UNDER the damn prison.

Michael, I will always love you more.
R.I.P. Prince Charming,

[Patsy]

This is B.S. Jermaine can say all he wants because MJ is not here to contradict him. Jermaine just wants the attention!