An Arab woman in Kuwait sets a brave, inspiring example by converting to Judaism
Kuwaiti singer and actress Ibtisam Hamid, known by her stage name Basma al-Kuwaiti, sent shockwaves through the Arab world when she announced Wednesday her intention to renounce Islam and convert to Judaism.When somebody sees Judaism in itself as something worthy of practicing, that's inspiring and flattering. I just hope that if an Orthodox rabbi oversees her conversion, he'll respect her right to choose how she wants to dress, and not give her a false portrait of the religion as being one where a dress code is even remotely required, a la the Haredi communities. To make it look like Judaism requires a stringency of that sort is wrong, and would be distorting the faith. For now, I think Hamid should be praised for the example she's setting, one even women in Europe and the American continent would do well to consider. Yes, seriously.
In a video she posted on Twitter, Hamid said that her decision stemmed from the fact that Islam violates women's rights and does not treat them with dignity.
The singer also spoke out against the ruling family of Kuwait, saying "I want to declare my opposition to the Al Sabah family, who reject normalization with Israel, stands against religious freedom in the country and against freedom of speech."
Labels: anti-semitism, Asia, islam, Israel, jihad, Judaism, misogyny, showbiz