2023-08-09 02:43:00
Hundreds of Irish people mourned the singing star, Sinead O’Connor, or “testimony” as she became known after her conversion to Islam.
Like her life, Sinead O’Connor’s funeral was “a celebration of rebellion and respect for tradition” at the same time. The New York Times.
The President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, attended the funeral, along with his wife, Sabina.
In a statement released Tuesday morning, the president described O’Connor’s “profound impact” on the Irish people.
Who is Sinead O’Connor?
O’Connor, who was found dead in her London flat last month at the age of 57, was raised Catholic but converted to Islam in 2018, and was buried as a Muslim.
O’Connor was buried according to Islamic traditions
She became famous in the 1990s for songs such as “Nothing Compres 2 U”, which became an iconic song for many young people upon its release and for generations to come, and it was also played at her funeral.
O’Connor was known for her activist human rights positions, and many LGBT activists and minority rights activists attended her final farewell, according to the newspaper.
Among the signs left in front of her family’s home was one that read “Black Lives Matter,” “LGBT Pride,” and “Refugees Welcome,” according to the New York Times.
The mourners, who gathered in the hundreds, were not allowed to accompany O’Connor’s funeral procession to the cemetery, but gathered in front of her home in the seaside town of Bray, south of Dublin, to which the casket was brought for a final farewell, according to an old Irish custom.
O’Connor was known to fiercely confront the Catholic Church, and spoke out on behalf of minorities who complained of persecution.
Hundreds of mourners attended O’Connor’s final farewell
Her funeral arrived to the tune of Bob Marley’s “Natural Mystic” and draped in LGBT flags, as the mourners clapped, many breaking into tears.
And at 12:30 pm, Irish radio stations coordinated their programs to broadcast “Nothing Compres 2 U” on all stations.
The funeral was presided over by Sheikh Omar al-Qadri, the chief imam at the Islamic Center of Ireland.
In his eulogy, which he posted online after the ceremony, he spoke of how O’Connor’s voice could reduce listeners’ tears, and said her music carried a tinge of hope that brought solace to many.
1691559501
#Sinead #OConnor #Irish #Muslim #singer #funeral #attended #President