List of former Christians
Encyclopedia
This is a list of notable people who left Christianity for another religion or a non-religious ideology.
in favor of a non-Christian religion or ideology.
George Townshend -former Archdeacon of Clonfert.
Ex-Christians who had been Roman Catholics
This is a list of people who left Roman Catholicism for another religion or a non-religious ideology.Baha'i
- Flora PurimFlora PurimFlora Purim is a Brazilian jazz singer known primarily for her work in the jazz fusion style. She became prominent for her part in Chick Corea's landmark album Return to Forever...
- Brazilian American jazz singer - Russell GarciaRussell Garcia (composer)Russell Garcia, QSM was a composer and arranger who wrote a wide variety of music for screen, stage and broadcast....
- motion picture composer
Islam
- AkhenatonAkhenaton (rapper)Philippe Fragione better known by his stage name Akhenaton is a French rapper and producer of French hip hop. He has also worked under the aliases Chill, AKH, Sentenza, and Spectre...
- French rapper and producer of French hip hopFrench hip hopFrench hip hop is the hip hop music style which was developed in France, and is considered the second worldwide hip hop scene after the U.S....
. - Torquato CardilliTorquato CardilliTorquato Cardilli, in L'Aquila province of Italy. Cardilli graduated with a degree in oriental culture and languages and in political sciences from the Istituto Universitario Orientale of Naples. He was first appointed at the Italian Foreign Ministry’s political office in 1967...
- Italian ambassador. - Keith EllisonKeith Ellison (politician)Keith Maurice Ellison is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. The district centers on Minneapolis. He was re-elected in 2010. Ellison is a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.He is the first Muslim to be elected to the...
- AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Representative from Minnesota's 5th congressional districtMinnesota's 5th congressional districtMinnesota's 5th congressional district is a geographically small urban and suburban congressional district in Minnesota. It covers eastern Hennepin County, including the entire city of Minneapolis, along with parts of Anoka and Ramsey counties. It was created in 1883 and was named the "Bloody...
, first MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
to be elected to the United States CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.... - Roger GaraudyRoger GaraudyRoger Garaudy or Ragaa Garaudy is a French philosopher. Formerly a prominent communist author, he has converted to Islam and written several books which have been controversial due to his anti-Zionist positions and denial of the Holocaust.-Early life, politics and religion:Born to Catholic and...
- French philosopher. - René GuénonRené GuénonRené Guénon , also known as Shaykh `Abd al-Wahid Yahya was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the domain of metaphysics, having written on topics ranging from metaphysics, sacred science and traditional studies to symbolism and initiation.In his writings, he...
- French author in the field of metaphysics - Murad Wilfred Hofmann - NATO official
- Knud HolmboeKnud HolmboeKnud Valdemar Gylding Holmboe was a Danish journalist and explorer who converted to Islam after travels in North Africa. Born in Horsens he travelled to Morocco as a young man, in order to familiarize himself with Islam and learn the Arabic language.Upon his conversion, Holmboe changed his name to...
- Danish journalist and explorer. - Nuh Ha Mim KellerNuh Ha Mim KellerNuh Ha Mim Keller is an American Muslim translator of Islamic books and a specialist in Islamic law, as well as being authorised by Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri as a sheikh in sufism in the Shadhili Order...
- from Catholicism to agnosticismAgnosticismAgnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
to SufismSufismSufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
, Islamic scholar. - Vincenzo Luvineri - AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapper and the lyricist behind the Philadelphia underground hip-hop group Jedi Mind TricksJedi Mind TricksJedi Mind Tricks is a hip hop duo with Vinnie Paz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jus Allah from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and former producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...
. - Ingrid MattsonIngrid MattsonIngrid Mattson is a Canadian Muslim convert professor and activist and a former president of the Islamic Society of North America ....
- Canadian scholar and current president of the Islamic Society of North AmericaIslamic Society of North AmericaThe Islamic Society of North America , based in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a Muslim umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America.-History:...
(2006) - Matthew Saad MuhammadMatthew Saad MuhammadMatthew Saad Muhammad is a former boxer who was the world's light heavyweight champion.Saad Muhammad's mother died when he was an infant, and he and his elder brother were sent to live with an aunt. When he was five, his aunt could not afford to look after both of them and she instructed Saad...
(formerly Matthew Franklin) - former boxer. - Peter MurphyPeter Murphy (musician)Peter John Murphy is an English rock vocalist. He was the vocalist of the rock group Bauhaus, and later went on to release a number of solo albums, such as Deep and Love Hysteria...
- vocalist of the rock group BauhausBauhaus (band)Bauhaus was an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
. - Poncke PrincenPoncke PrincenJohan Cornelis Princen , better known as Poncke Princen, was a Dutch anti-Nazi fighter and colonial soldier...
- DutchNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
soldier, later human rights activist. - Ahmed SantosAhmed Santos (militant)Ahmed Santos Ahmed Santos Ahmed Santos (aka Hilarion del Rosariois a Filipinowho converted to Islam while working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1991.Santos was captured by Military officials for being involved in organizing and planning terrorist activities, including preparation of bombs.He is the...
- FilipinoPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, fugitive, founder of the Rajah Solaiman MovementRajah Solaiman MovementRajah Sulaiman movement is an organization in the Philippines, founded by Ahmed Santos in 1991. Its membership consists of Filipino Christians who have converted to Islam and it is now one of the major conflicts in the Philippines...
, suspected by Filipino authorities to be an Al Qaeda operative - Danny ThompsonDanny ThompsonDaniel Henry Edward 'Danny' Thompson is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist and businessman...
- EnglishEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
player. - Mohammad Yousuf - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i cricketer. Known for holding the world record for the most Test runs in a single calendar year. - EverlastEverlast (musician)Erik Francis Schrody , better known by his stage name Everlast, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He is also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of...
- American musician, raised Catholic.
Judaism
- B'nai MosheB'nai MosheThe B'nai Moshe , also known as Inca Jews, are a small group of several hundred converts to Judaism originally from the city of Trujillo, Peru, to the north of the capital city Lima...
, Roman Catholic proselyte community to Judaism in Peru - Bishop BodoBishop BodoBodo was the palace deacon to Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious . In early 838, Bodo intended to make a pilgrimage to Rome but instead converted to Judaism. His conversion was regarded as a rejection of the Carolingian culture and the Christian faith. Bodo left the Carolingian Kingdom for Muslim...
, confessor to Louis the PiousLouis the PiousLouis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
also deacon - Kenneth CoxKenneth CoxKenneth Cox is an Ohio Democratic politician and a former member of the Ohio General Assembly. Cox was serving as mayor of Barberton, Ohio when he opted to run for an open seat in the Ohio House of Representatives in 1972. He ended up being reelected in 1974...
, former Catholic Priest - Anne MearaAnne MearaAnne Meara is an American actress and comedian. She and Jerry Stiller were a prominent 1960s comedy team, appearing as Stiller and Meara, and are the parents of actor/comedian Ben and actress Amy Stiller.- Personal life :...
(1929 - ) American comedian and actress, partner and wife of Jerry StillerJerry StillerGerald Isaac "Jerry" Stiller is an American comedian and actor.He spent many years in the comedy team Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara... - Mary Doria RussellMary Doria RussellMary Doria Russell is an American novelist. -Biography:Russell was born in the suburbs of Chicago. Her parents were both in the military: her father was a Marine Corps drill instructor, and her mother was a Navy nurse. She graduated from Glenbard East High School and later she earned a Ph.D in...
American author whose novel The Sparrow involves JesuitsSociety of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. - Jews of San NicandroJews of San NicandroThe Jews of San Nicandro are a small community of Jews from San Nicandro Garganico, Italy. All of the San Nicandro Jews are descended from local neofiti families from the 15th century...
, Roman Catholic proselyte community to Judaism in Italy - Geza VermesGeza VermesGéza Vermes or Vermès is a British scholar of Jewish Hungarian origin and writer on religious history, particularly Jewish and Christian. He is a noted authority on the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient works in Aramaic, and on the life and religion of Jesus...
, expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls and former Catholic priest, he converted to Judaism.
Other
- Ellen BurstynEllen BurstynEllen Burstyn is a leading American actress of film, stage, and television. Burstyn's career began in theatre during the late 1950s, and over the next ten years she appeared in several films and television series before joining the Actors Studio in 1967...
- American actress, converted to a universalist spiritual form of Sufism in the 1970s.
Ex-Christians who had been Eastern Christians
This section is for those who left varying forms of Eastern ChristianityEastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity comprises the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
in favor of a non-Christian religion or ideology.
Atheism
- Millosh Gjergj NikollaMillosh Gjergj NikollaMillosh Gjergj Nikolla was an Albanian poet and writer. He is better known under his pen name Migjeni.-Life:...
- Trained to be an Orthodox priest, but became an atheist.
- Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
- dictator of the USSR, studied to be an Orthodox priest but became an atheist after reading Karl MarxKarl MarxKarl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
's books
Islam
- George XI of KartliGeorge XI of KartliGeorge XI was a Georgian monarch who ruled Eastern Georgia from 1676 to 1688 and again from 1703 to 1709. He is best known for his struggle against the Safavid Persia which dominated his weakened kingdom. Being an Eastern Orthodox Christian, he converted to Islam prior to his appointment as...
- Georgian Safavid commander. - Hamza YusufHamza YusufHamza Yusuf Hanson is an Islamic scholar of the Sunni tradition, and co-founder of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, United States. He is an American convert to Islam, and is one of the signatories of A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter by Islamic scholars to Christian leaders,...
- American convert. - Iyasu VIyasu V of EthiopiaIyasu V , also known as Lij Iyasu was the designated but uncrowned Emperor of Ethiopia . His baptismal name was Kifle Yaqob...
- Ethiopian emperor. - Alexander LitvinenkoAlexander LitvinenkoAlexander Valterovich Litvinenko was an officer who served in the Soviet KGB and its Russian successor, the Federal Security Service ....
- former Russian spy converted to Islam on his deathbed. - Omar PashaOmar PashaOmar Pasha Latas was a Ottoman general and governor. He was a Serb convert to Islam, who managed to quickly climb in Ottoman ranks, crush several rebellions throughout the Empire and defeat Russia the Crimean War.-Early life:...
- Ottoman general. Converted from Serbian Orthodoxy. - TekuderTekuderAhmed Tekuder , also known as Sultan Ahmad , was the sultan of the Persia-based Ilkhanate, son of Hulegu and brother of Abaqa. He was eventually succeeded by Arghun Khan...
- Mongol leader of the Ilkhan empireIlkhanateThe Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate , was a Mongol khanate established in Azerbaijan and Persia in the 13th century, considered a part of the Mongol Empire...
who was formerly a Nestorian Christian. - Radu cel FrumosRadu cel FrumosRadu III the Fair, Radu III the Handsome or Radu III the Beautiful , also known by his Turkish name Radu Bey , was the younger brother of Vlad Ţepeş and voivode of the principality of Wallachia, of the four brothers he converted to Islam and entered Ottoman service...
- was the younger brother of Vlad Ţepeş (Dracula) and prince of the principality of Wallachia. - Mihnea TurcitulMihnea TurcitulMihnea II Turcitul was Prince of Walachia between September 1577 and July 1583, and again from April 1585 to May 1591....
- was a Prince (Voivode) of Walachia. Converted from Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
Baha'i
- Anthony AziziAnthony AziziAnthony Azizi is an American television actor.Born in New York City of Iranian descent, Azizi is mainly known for his television work. He has had recurring roles on 24 as terrorist Mamud Faheen , on 24 as Rafique and on Commander in Chief as presidential aide Vince Taylor...
(24) Actor. - Earl CameronEarl Cameron (actor)Earl Cameron, CBE is a Bermudian actor. He is known as one of the first black actors to break the "colour bar" in the United Kingdom, along with Cy Grant...
(Thunderball, The Interpreter) Actor. - KC Porter - American multi-grammy winning producer
Agnosticism and atheism
- Phillip AdamsPhillip AdamsPhillip Andrew Hedley Adams, AO is an Australian broadcaster, film producer, writer, social commentator, satirist and left-wing pundit. He currently hosts a radio program, Late Night Live, four nights a week on the ABC, and he also writes a weekly column for the News Limited-owned newspaper, The...
- Australian broadcaster, film producer, writer, humanist, social commentator, satirist, and left-wing pundit - Bob BrownBob BrownRobert James Brown is an Australian senator, the inaugural Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens and was the first openly gay member of the Parliament of Australia...
- Leader of the Australian Greens - Bob HawkeBob HawkeRobert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
- former Australian Prime Minister - Charles TempletonCharles TempletonCharles Bradley Templeton was a Canadian cartoonist, evangelist, agnostic, politician, newspaper editor, inventor, broadcaster and author. He was born and died in the same city, Toronto, Canada...
-A co-founder of Youth for ChristYouth for ChristYouth for Christ is the name of a number of previously unaffiliated evangelical Protestant religious campaigns which led to the creation of Youth for Christ International in 1946....
. He rejected Christianity for agnosticism after a struggle with doubts.
Islam
- Muhammad AliMuhammad AliMuhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
(Cassius Clay), from BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
to The Nation of Islam to Sunni Islam. famous boxer - Ryan G. AndersonRyan G. AndersonRyan Gibson Anderson , is a former Washington State National Guardsman convicted by court-martial on September 3, 2004 on five counts of attempting to provide aid to the terrorist network al-Qaeda. He is currently serving a life sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas with the eligibility of parole....
- former Lutheran, convicted of charges of espionage for Al Qaeda - André CarsonAndré CarsonAndré D. Carson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since the special election in 2008. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
- former BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, second MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
to serve the United States CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. - Isabelle EberhardtIsabelle EberhardtIsabelle Eberhardt was a Swiss explorer and writer who lived and travelled extensively in North Africa. For the time she was an extremely liberated individual who rejected conventional European morality in favour of her own path and that of Islam...
- from Lutheran Christianity, 19th century explorer & writer - Yahiya EmerickYahiya EmerickYahiya Emerick is a former President of the Islamic Foundation of North America, vice-principal at an Islamic school, and a Muslim author. He has written several articles and works of fiction that have been published in North America and abroad.-Life:...
- American Muslim scholar, president of the Islamic Foundation of North America. - Yusuf EstesYusuf EstesYusuf Estes is an American Muslim preacher and teacher who converted to Islam in 1991. He was the National Muslim Chaplain for the United States Bureau of Prisons through the 1990s. He became the Muslim Delegate to the United Nations World Peace Conference for Religious Leaders held at the U.N....
- former preacher and federal prison chaplain. - Silma IhramSilma IhramSilma Ihram is an Australian pioneer of Muslim education in the West, founder and former school Principal of the 'Noor Al Houda Islamic College' in Sydney, and a campaigner for racial tolerance....
- formerly a born again BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
who is an Australian pioneer of Muslim education in the WestWestern worldThe Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
, founder and former school Principal of the 'Noor Al Houda Islamic College', campaigner for racial toleranceTolerationToleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
, and AuthorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. - Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood - British author.
- Preacher MossPreacher MossPreacher Moss is an American comedian and writer.-Background and education:Born Bryant Moss in Washington, D.C., United States. He began practicing comedy at the age of seven, when he earned the nickname "Preacher" for his imitations of the pastor at his family's church...
- Former BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, American comedian and comedy writer. - Yvonne RidleyYvonne RidleyYvonne Ridley is a British journalist, war correspondent and Respect Party activist best known for her capture by the Taliban and subsequent conversion to Islam after release, her outspoken opposition to Zionism, and her criticism of Western media portrayals of the War on Terror...
- British journalist, from Anglicanism. She converted after being kidnapped and released by the Taliban. - James YeeJames YeeJames J. Yee is an American former United States Army chaplain with the rank of captain...
- previously Lutheran and former U.S. Army Muslim chaplain.
Judaism
- Nicolas AntoineNicolas AntoineNicolas Antoine was a French-Christian Protestant theologian and pastor who converted to Judaism, though he was never officially admitted in Judaism, because of fears by the Jewish community that persecutions would happen if it became known that he was an apostate of Christianity; he was advised...
, was a French-Christian Protestant theologian, and pastor, he died as a martyr in Geneva in 1632. - Shlomo Ben Avraham "Ole" Brunell, former Lutheran minister from Finland and Australia. Along with him, his wife Ruth (formerly Runa), two adult daughters, two teenage daughters, and a former son-in-law also converted.
- Isla FisherIsla FisherIsla Lang Fisher is an actress and author. She began acting on Australian television, on the short-lived soap opera Paradise Beach before playing Shannon Reed on the soap opera Home and Away...
, American model and actress who is a former member of the United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist ChurchThe United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
. - Lord George GordonLord George GordonLord George Gordon was a British politician best known for lending his name to the Gordon Riots of 1780....
, Best known for heading an anti-Catholic Protestant association. - Julius LesterJulius LesterJulius Lester is an American author of books for children and adults, and taught for 32 years at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is also a photographer, as well as a musician who recorded two albums of folk music and original songs.-Early life and family:Born on January 27, 1939, in...
, Author and musician who was the son of a minister. - Arnold SchoenbergArnold SchoenbergArnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
- Johann Peter SpaethJohann Peter SpaethJohann Peter Spaeth, Moses Germanus or Moses Ashkenazi was a German convert to Judaism and writer on religion.-Lutheran convert:...
, German theologian "Johann Peter Spaeth (about 1642-1701), author of an attack on Spinoza's Tractatus Theologico-politicus, finally became a Jewish convert, called himself "Moses Germanus," and was even circumcised a few years before his death in 1697" - Obadiah the Proselyte (né Johannes), priest and composer.
- Asher WadeAsher WadeRabbi Dr. Asher Wade is an American-born international lecturer, college instructor and psychotherapist. He was also well known as a "must have" tour-guide at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Israel, from Jan. 1991 until Nov...
an ex-Methodist pastor; he converted in 1978 to Orthodox JudaismOrthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
. - David N. WeissDavid N. WeissDavid N. Weiss is an American writer and labor leader. He is a screenwriter of films, including All Dogs go to Heaven, The Rugrats Movie, Shrek 2, Clockstoppers, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie and The Smurfs and has also written for television shows such as Mission Hill...
, Former Presbyterian minister David Weiss (born Jewish) returned to Judaism and is now a successful screenwriter living in Los Angeles.
Agnosticism and atheism
- Jonathan Edwards (athlete)Jonathan Edwards (athlete)Jonathan David Edwards, CBE, is a former British triple jumper. He is a former Olympic, Commonwealth, European and World champion, and has held the world record in the event since 1995....
- Record-breaker who had been on religious television.
Baha'i
- Enoch OlingaEnoch OlingaEnoch Olinga was born to an Anglican family of the Iteso ethnic group in Uganda. He became a Bahá'í, earned the title Knight of Bahá'u'lláh and was appointed as the youngest Hand of the Cause, the highest appointed position in the religion. He served the interests of the religion widely and...
- born to an Anglican earned the title Hand of the Cause of God.
George Townshend -former Archdeacon of Clonfert.
Islam
- Salman the PersianSalman the PersianSalman the Persian or Salman al Farisi was one of Muhammad's companions.During some of his later meetings with the other Sahaba, he was referred to as Abu Abdullah .-Birth place:...
A convert from Christianity who was previously Zoroastrian. In search for truth, he traveled to Syria to follow Christianity. Upon the death of his teachers, he was directed to head to Arabia, where he was told the final prophet will rise. He later converted to Islam and became one of Muhammad's first companions. - Thomas J. AbercrombieThomas J. AbercrombieThomas J. Abercrombie was a senior staff writer and photographer for National Geographic, well known for his work on Middle Eastern countries...
- photographer - Éric AbidalÉric AbidalÉric Sylvain Abidal is a French footballer who plays as a left or central defender for FC Barcelona and the France national team.-Club career:...
(changed his name to Bilal) - French football player , converted to Islam after marriage. - Kareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
(Lew Alcindor) - retired basketball player & the NBA's all-time leading scorer - Mahmoud Abdul-RaufMahmoud Abdul-RaufMahmoud Abdul-Rauf is an American professional basketball player.-Life and career:Abdul-Rauf was born in Gulfport, Mississippi. After a record-setting college career at Louisiana State University, he was selected with the third pick in the 1990 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets...
(Chris Jackson) - retired basketball player - Tariq Abdul-WahadTariq Abdul-WahadTariq Abdul-Wahad is a French former professional basketball player.Saint-Jean was born near Paris from parents who were natives of French Guiana. He changed his name to Tariq Abdul-Wahad after converting to Islam in 1997. He is the first player to be born and raised in France and play in the NBA...
(Olivier Saint-Jean) - originally from France, former basketball player for the Mavericks and Kings - Robin PadillaRobin PadillaRobinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla better known by his stage name Robin Padilla is a Filipino film and television action star. He is the younger brother of actors BB Gandanghari, Rommel Padilla and Royette Padilla...
- Filipino actor. - Abdul-Karim al-JabbarAbdul-Karim al-JabbarAbdul-Karim al-Jabbar, previously Karim Abdul-Jabbar , is a former American football player. A 5'11" running back, he played in the National Football League from 1996 to 2000 with the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts.-College:Born in Los Angeles, California, he played for...
(Sharmon Shah) - former NFL football player - Ivan AguéliIvan AguéliIvan Aguéli also named Sheikh 'Abd al-Hādī 'Aqīlī upon his acceptance of Islam, was a Swedish wandering Sufi, painter and author. As a devotee of Ibn Arabi, his metaphysics applied to the study of Islamic esoterism and its similarities with other esoteric traditions of the world...
(Johan Agelii) - famous Swedish painter. - Dawud Wharnsby-Ali (David Wharnsby) - Canadian singer/poet.
- Rowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron HeadleyRowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headleythumb|Lord Headley with [[Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din]]Rowland George Allanson Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley , also known as Shaikh Rahmatullah al-Farooq, was an Irish peer and a prominent convert to Islam, who was also one of the leading members of the Woking Muslim Mission alongside Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din...
- British soldier and peerPeerageThe Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
. - Nicolas AnelkaNicolas AnelkaAbdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
- French football player - Yasin Abu BakrYasin Abu BakrYasin Abu Bakr, born Lennox Philip is the leader of the Jamaat al Muslimeen a Muslim group in Trinidad and Tobago. The group has long-standing links with Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi. Under the leadership of Abu Bakr and Bilaal Abdullah, the group staged an attempted coup d’état in 1990.Abu...
(Lennox Philip) - of Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, under trial for an attempted coup as of March 9, 2006 - Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman BarkerM. A. R. BarkerMuhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker is a retired professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies who created one of the first roleplaying games, Empire of the Petal Throne, and has authored several fantasy/science fantasy novels based in his associated world setting of Tékumel.-Early life:Born in Spokane,...
(Philip Barker) - professor of Urdu, former chair of the University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
's Department of South Asian studies and creator of the TékumelTékumelTékumel is a fantasy world created by Professor M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. With time Barker also created the role-playing game Empire of the Petal Throne, set in the Tékumel fictional universe and first published in 1975 by TSR, Inc...
fantasy world. - Kevin BarrettKevin BarrettKevin James Barrett is a former university lecturer, Muslim convert. He is a member of the Scientific Panel for the Investigation of 9/11 , and is a founding member of the Muslim-Jewish-Christian Alliance , established October 30, 2004 with the stated aim of improving "interfaith dialogue,...
- university lecturer and member of Scholars for 9/11 Truth. - David Belfield - American, fled to IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
after assassinatingAssassinationTo carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
Ali Akbar TabatabaiAli Akbar TabatabaiAli Akbar Tabatabaei was an Iranian exile and former press attache to the Iranian embassy in the United States under the Shah who became president of the Iran Freedom Foundation in Bethesda, Maryland after the Islamic Revolution.A critic of Ayatollah Khomeini, Tabatabaei was shot in his Bethesda,...
, an Iranian dissidentDissidentA dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....
. - Mohammed Knut BernströmMohammed Knut BernströmMohammed Knut Johan Richard Bernström was a former Swedish diplomat, who converted to Islam. He was also a Muslim scholar and translator of the Quran....
- Swedish ambassador to Venezuela (1963–1969), Spain (1973–1976) and Morocco (1976–1983) - Jean de BéthencourtJean de BéthencourtJean de Béthencourt was a French explorer who, in 1402, led an expedition to the Canary Islands, landing first on the north side of Lanzarote...
- FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
explorer who led an expedition to the Canary IslandsCanary IslandsThe Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. - Art BlakeyArt BlakeyArthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
- AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
JazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician - Omar BongoOmar BongoEl Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba , born as Albert-Bernard Bongo, was a Gabonese politician who was President of Gabon for 42 years from 1967 until his death in office in 2009....
- Gabonese, President of GabonGabonGabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
. - Claude Alexandre de BonnevalClaude Alexandre de BonnevalClaude Alexandre, Comte de Bonneval was a French army officer who later went into the service of the Ottoman Empire, eventually converting to Islam and becoming known as Humbaracı Ahmet Paşa....
- 18th century French nobleman. - Tawana BrawleyTawana BrawleyTawana Brawley is an African-American woman from Wappinger, New York. In 1987, at the age of 15, she received national media attention in the United States for accusing six white men, some of whom were police officers, of having raped her...
(changed her name to Maryam Muhammad) - African American woman noted for claiming to have been raped by several white men, a claim determined to be a fabrication by a grand jury. Later in life she converted to Islam. - Willie BrigitteWillie BrigitteWillie Virgile Brigitte is a French convert to Islam who associated with the al-Qaeda and was possibly involved in a plot to conduct a terrorist operation in Australia....
- FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
convert to IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
who associated with al-QaedaAl-QaedaAl-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
in PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and was possibly involved in a plot to conduct a terrorist operation in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. - Dolores "LaLa" Brooks - American musician.
- Count CassiusCount CassiusCount Cassius , also Count Casius, kumis Kasi or kumis Qasi, was a Hispano-Roman or Visigothic nobleman that originated the Banu Qasi dynasty....
- Visigothic aristocrat who founded the Banu QasiBanu QasiThe Banu Qasi, Banu Kasi, Beni Casi or Banu Musa were a Basque Muladi dynasty that ruled the upper Ebro valley in the 9th century, before being displaced in the first quarter of the 10th century.-Dynastic beginnings:...
dynasty of MuladiMuladiThe Muladi were Muslims of ethnic Iberian descent or of mixed Arab, Berber and European origin, who lived in Al-Andalus during the Middle Ages. They were also called "Musalima" .-Etymology:...
rulers. - David Chappelle - comedian and television star
- Benjamin Chavis - controversial former head of the NAACP; joined the Nation of Islam
- Hedley ChurchwardHedley ChurchwardAl-Hajj Hedley Churchward , was an English set designer and painter, notable for converting to Islam and in 1910 being the first known British Muslim to make the Hajj....
- English painter - Jimmy CliffJimmy CliffJimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...
- Jamaican reggae musician. - Aukai CollinsAukai CollinsAukai Collins, born on February 13, 1974 is also known as "Aqil Collins" is an American of Irish descent who converted to Islam and fought with Islamic Chechen irregulars of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria...
- fought in ChechnyaChechnyaThe Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
, paid FBI informantInformantAn informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
, author of an autobiographical book - Jerôme CourtaillerJerôme Courtailler- Life :His father, Michel, was a respected butcher whose shop window looked out on the cobblestoned town square. His sons worked in the shop as teenagers, and Jerome pursued the trade for a time. He was raised Roman Catholic. When his fathers business failed, he began drinking alcohol and doing...
- one of two French brothers convicted by French authorities in 2004 for abetting terrorists - Ian Dallas - Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi - Sufi shaykh of ScottishScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
origins. - C. Jack EllisC. Jack EllisClearance Jack "C. Jack" Ellis, is the former mayor of Macon, Georgia.Prior to taking office, Ellis served 20 years in the United States Army as a paratrooper, then served 2 years in Vietnam as a combat soldier...
- Mayor of Macon, GeorgiaMacon, GeorgiaMacon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
- Chris EubankChris EubankChris Eubank, Lord of the Manor of Brighton is a retired British boxer who held world titles at middleweight and super middleweight...
- BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
boxer - Sultaana FreemanSultaana FreemanSultaana Lakiana Myke Freeman is a resident of the state of Florida, United States. She gained media attention when she sued the state of Florida in order to wear a face veil for her driver's license picture.-Background:...
- sued the state of Florida for niqabNiqabA niqab is a cloth which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of sartorial hijāb...
restrictions. - Adam Yahiye GadahnAdam Yahiye GadahnAdam Yahiye Gadahn is an American who is a senior operative, cultural interpreter, spokesman and media advisor for the Sunni islamist group Al-Qaeda. Since 2004, he appeared in a number of videos produced by Al-Qaeda as "Azzam the American"...
- spokesperson for Al-Qaeda; on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list - George XI of KartliGeorge XI of KartliGeorge XI was a Georgian monarch who ruled Eastern Georgia from 1676 to 1688 and again from 1703 to 1709. He is best known for his struggle against the Safavid Persia which dominated his weakened kingdom. Being an Eastern Orthodox Christian, he converted to Islam prior to his appointment as...
- Saffavid commander. - Ryan HarrisRyan Harris (American football)Ryan Emerson Wilcox Harris is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame....
- football player for the Denver Broncos - Bernard HopkinsBernard HopkinsBernard Hopkins Jr, known as The Executioner is an American boxer and the current Ring Magazine and WBC light heavyweight champion...
- AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
boxer - Michael Muhammad KnightMichael Muhammad KnightMichael Muhammad Knight is an American Muslim novelist, journalist, and performance artist. His writings are popular among American Muslim youth...
- American novelist, writer, and journalist. - Rustie LeeRustie LeeRustie Lee is a television chef and actress in the United Kingdom, most famous for her appearances in the 1980s on morning station, TV-am. She was born in Jamaica, but moved to Birmingham with her family as a child. Following her successful stint as a chef on TV-am in 1983, Lee took over from...
- British television chef and celebrity. - Germaine LindsayGermaine LindsayGermaine Maurice Lindsay , also known as Abdullah Shaheed Jamal, was one of the four homegrown terrorists who detonated bombs on three trains on the London Underground and one bus in central London during the 7 July 2005 London bombings, killing 56 people , and injuring more than 700...
- participated and died in the 7 July 2005 London bombings7 July 2005 London bombingsThe 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour.... - Alexander LitvinenkoAlexander LitvinenkoAlexander Valterovich Litvinenko was an officer who served in the Soviet KGB and its Russian successor, the Federal Security Service ....
- former Russian spy converted to Islam on his deathbed. - Lee Boyd MalvoLee Boyd MalvoLee Boyd Malvo , is a spree killer convicted, along with John Allen Muhammad, of murders in connection with the Beltway sniper attacks, which took place in the Washington Metropolitan Area over a three-week period in October 2002...
- convicted of capital murder and arrested for the Beltway sniper attacksBeltway sniper attacksThe Washington sniper attacks took place during three weeks in October 2002 in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Ten people were killed and three others critically injured in various locations throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area and along Interstate 95 in Virginia...
, for being involved in 16 murders and 7 additional attempted murders. - Iyasu VIyasu V of EthiopiaIyasu V , also known as Lij Iyasu was the designated but uncrowned Emperor of Ethiopia . His baptismal name was Kifle Yaqob...
- Ethiopian emperor. - Jacques-Francois MenouJacques-Francois MenouJacques-François de Menou, baron de Boussay was a French general under Napoleon I of France. Born Jacques Menou in Boussay on 3 September 1750, he died in Mestre in the Veneto on 13 August 1810...
- French general under Napoleon I of FranceNapoleon I of FranceNapoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. - Bruno MetsuBruno MetsuBruno Metsu , also known as Abdul Karim, is a retired French footballer and is the current manager of Qatari side Al-Gharafa...
- French coach of the Senegal team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup - Daniel Moore - poet
- Sheila MusajiSheila MusajiSheila Musaji is the founder and editor of The American Muslim quarterly journal , the Muslim Resource Directory of America , and most recently The American Muslim online publication ....
- founder of The American MuslimThe American MuslimThe American Muslim began as a quarterly print journal, in print from 1989 to 1995. Founded by Editor Sheila Musaji, The American Muslim featured original art, Islamic calligraphy, diverse articles and prose...
magazine. - Ibrahim MuteferrikaIbrahim MuteferrikaIbrahim Müteferrika or Ibrahim Müteferrika or Ibrahim Müteferrika or (1674 born in Kolozsvár (present-day Cluj-Napoca, Romania)– died 1745, in Istanbul, (Ottoman Empire now Turkey); was a Transylvanian-born Ottoman diplomat, polymath: a publisher, printer, courtier, economist, man of letters,...
(original name not known) - From Unitarian Christianity, an early example of a Muslim publisher and printer. - John NelsonJohn Nelson (convert)John Nelson was the earliest known Englishman to convert to Islam in the 16th century. He is mentioned by the 16th century writer Richard Hakluyt in his book Voyager's Tales....
- first recorded EnglishmanEnglish peopleThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
to become a Muslim. - Queen Noor of Jordan (formerly Lisa Najeeb Halaby)
- Omar PashaOmar PashaOmar Pasha Latas was a Ottoman general and governor. He was a Serb convert to Islam, who managed to quickly climb in Ottoman ranks, crush several rebellions throughout the Empire and defeat Russia the Crimean War.-Early life:...
- Ottoman general. Converted from Serbian Orthodoxy. - Emin PashaEmin PashaMehmed Emin Pasha — he was born Isaak Eduard Schnitzer and baptized Eduard Carl Oscar Theodor Schnitzer — was a physician, naturalist, and governor of the Egyptian province of Equatoria on the upper Nile...
- physician, naturalist, and Egyptian governor. - Judar PashaJudar PashaJudar Pasha was a military leader of Morocco's Saadi Dynasty and the conqueror of the Songhai Empire.Born a Spaniard, Judar had been captured as a baby. As a young boy he joined the service of Moroccan Sultan Ahmad I al-Mansur Saadi...
- conqueror of the Songhai EmpireSonghai EmpireThe Songhai Empire, also known as the Songhay Empire, was a state located in western Africa. From the early 15th to the late 16th century, Songhai was one of the largest Islamic empires in history. This empire bore the same name as its leading ethnic group, the Songhai. Its capital was the city...
. - Bilal PhilipsBilal PhilipsAbu Ameenah Bilal Philips is a contemporary Islamic scholar, teacher, speaker, and author, resident in Qatar...
- Islamic scholar and author - Marmaduke PickthallMarmaduke PickthallMarmaduke Pickthall was a Western Islamic scholar, noted as an English translator of the Qur'an into English. A convert from Christianity, Pickthall was a novelist, esteemed by D. H. Lawrence, H. G. Wells, and E. M. Forster, as well as a journalist, headmaster, and political and religious leader...
- famous translator of the Quran. - William Abdullah QuilliamWilliam Abdullah QuilliamWilliam Henry Quilliam , who changed his name to Abdullah Quilliam and later Henri Marcel Leon or Haroun Mustapha Leon, was a 19th century convert from Christianity to Islam, noted for founding England's first mosque and Islamic centre.-Background:William Quilliam was born in Liverpool to a...
- 19th century British poet, ambassador and journalist. - Ilie II RareşIlie II RaresIlie II Rareş was Prince of Moldavia between 1546 and 1551.He succeeded his father Petru IV Rareş on September 3, 1546, after he converted to Islam, and took the name Mehmet in May 1546. In 1551 by order of Suleyman I was burgle in Transylvania. The transylvanians before long to defeat the...
- prince of Moldavia. - Ahmad RashādAhmad RashadAhmad Rashād is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
- Emmy award-winning sportscaster (mostly with NBC SportsNBC SportsNBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
) and former American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiverWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
. - Richard Colvin Reid - shoe bomber (convicted terrorist)
- Franck RibéryFranck RibéryFranck Ribéry is a French international footballer who currently plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and...
- a French football player. His name after he converted to Islam is Bilal. - Sana al-SayeghSana al-SayeghSana al-Sayegh is the dean of the Science and Technology Faculty at the University of Palestine. She has represented the university at numerous conferences around the world over the past few years.-Conversion:...
, dean of the Science and Technology Faculty at Palestine International University, converted to Islam in August 2007. FatahFatahFataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
has accused its political rival HamasHamasHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
of forcing the professor to convert from Christianity, a charge Hamas denies. - Brad Terrence Jordan ("Scarface")Scarface (rapper)Brad Terrence Jordan , better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper, and recording artist from Houston, Texas and a member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from South Park, Houston.-Life and career:...
- American rapper - Mario ScialojaMario ScialojaMario Scialoja, Retired Italian Diplomat, born in Rome on July 29, 1930. Last post Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1994 to 1996. He converted to Islam at the end of 1988, when he was Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in New York, with the rank of Ambassador...
- Italian ambassador and President of the World Muslim League. - Betty ShabazzBetty ShabazzBetty Shabazz , born Betty Dean Sanders and also known as Betty X, was an American educator and civil rights advocate. She was the wife of Malcolm X....
- wife of Malcolm XMalcolm XMalcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
; former Methodist. - Zaid ShakirZaid ShakirZaid Salim Shakir is a prominent American Islamic scholar and writer who is a co-founder, , and faculty member, of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, United States, where he teaches courses on Arabic, Law, History, and Islamic Spirituality...
- African-American MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
speaker and intellectual in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. - Rudolf Carl von SlatinRudolf Carl von SlatinMajor-General Rudolf Anton Carl Freiherr von Slatin, Geh. Rat, GCVO, KCMG, CB was an Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in the Sudan.- Early life :...
- Anglo-AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n soldier and administrator in the SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. - Suleiman PashaSuleiman PashaSuleiman Pasha was a French-born Egyptian commander...
- FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-born EgyptianEgypt under Muhammad Ali and his successorsThe history of Egypt under the Muhammad Ali Pasha dynasty spanned the later period of Ottoman Egypt, the Khedivate of Egypt under British patronage, and the nominally independent Sultanate of Egypt and Kingdom of Egypt, ending with the Revolution of 1952 and the formation of the Republic of...
commander. - Abu TammamAbu TammamAbu Tammam was an Abbasid era Arab poet and Muslim convert born to Christian parents.- Biography :...
- 9th century Arab poet born to Christian parents. - TekuderTekuderAhmed Tekuder , also known as Sultan Ahmad , was the sultan of the Persia-based Ilkhanate, son of Hulegu and brother of Abaqa. He was eventually succeeded by Arghun Khan...
- Mongol leader of the Ilkhan empireIlkhanateThe Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate , was a Mongol khanate established in Azerbaijan and Persia in the 13th century, considered a part of the Mongol Empire...
who was formerly a Nestorian Christian. - Joe TexJoe TexJoseph Arrington, Jr. , better known as "Joe Tex", was an American Southern soul singer-songwriter, most popular during the 1960s and 1970s...
- soul singer and recording artist. - Joseph Thomas - Australian convert, acquitted of terrorism charges, placed under a control order under the Australian Anti-Terrorism Act 2005Australian Anti-Terrorism Act 2005The Anti-Terrorism Act 2005 is legislation intended to hamper the activities of any potential terrorists in Australia. It was passed by the Commonwealth Parliament on 6 December 2005.- Chronology :...
, currently pending retrial. - Richard Thompson - BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, best known for his guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
playing and songwriting. - Ahmad ThomsonAhmad ThomsonAhmad Thomson is a British barrister and writer and a member of the Murabitun movement.-Career:He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1979. He was a co-founder of the Association of Muslim Lawyers in 1993. He has been the head of Wynne Chambers since 1994...
- BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
barristerBarristerA barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and writer and also a member of the Murabitun movement. - Top TophamTop TophamAnthony "Top" Topham , is an English musician, and artist. He is best known as a blues guitarist, and also for being the first lead guitarist of The Yardbirds...
- rock guitarist from England. - Gabriele TorselloGabriele TorselloGabriele Torsello is an Italian freelance journalist and photojournalist based in London who was abducted in Helmand Province, Afghanistan on 12 October 2006. Torsello, a Muslim convert, was released on 3 November 2006. He is author of The Heart of Kashmir.-Kidnapping:Torsello was abducted in...
- ItalianItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
freelance photojournalist based in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
who was abducted in Helmand ProvinceHelmand ProvinceHelmand is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Lashkar Gah. The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region, providing water for irrigation....
, AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. - Philippe TroussierPhilippe TroussierPhilippe Troussier is a former French football player and now a manager.-Coaching career:Troussier is known as the "White Witch Doctor" for his success with African club teams such as Asec Abidjan of the Côte d'Ivoire and the national teams of Nigeria, South Africa and Burkina Faso...
- French, former football player & trainer of a Japanese football team - Mihnea TurcitulMihnea TurcitulMihnea II Turcitul was Prince of Walachia between September 1577 and July 1583, and again from April 1585 to May 1591....
- was a Prince (Voivode) of Walachia. Converted from Eastern Orthodox Christianity. - Abu UsamahAbu UsamahAbu Usamah at-Thahabi is an Imam at Green Lane Masjid in Birmingham, England.-History:Abu Usamah, Khalifah At-Thahabi was born and raised in Passaic, New Jersey, the third eldest of four children....
- controversial American-born Imam of Green Lane MasjidGreen Lane MasjidThe Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith UK, commonly referred to as Green Lane Mosque, is one of Birmingham's and Britain's major mosques.Established in the 1970s, the Masjid occupies a prominent corner site in Green Lane, Small Heath, Birmingham...
in BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, UK. Accused of preaching messages of hate towards non-Muslims in a UK Television documentary. - Siraj Wahaj - African-American Imam, noted for his efforts to eliminate BrooklynBrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
's drug problems. - Danny WilliamsDanny Williams (boxer)Daniel "Danny" Williams is an English professional heavyweight boxer.-Amateur:As an amateur boxing out of the famous Lynn AC boxing gym in SE London, Williams learned his trade quickly, often sparring with the likes of clubmates Henry Akinwande and Derek Angol...
- British boxer - Khalid YasinKhalid YasinKhalid Yasin and 'Abu Muhammad, Khalid Yasin' is a Muslim American teacher....
- Executive Director of the Islamic Teaching Institute, and a Shaykh currently residing in Australia. - Alexander Russell WebbAlexander Russell Webbright|thumbnail|250px|Image of Alexander Russel Webb who was the U.S. ambassador to the [[Philippines]] and an early American convert to [[Islam]].right|thumbnail|150px|Gravestone of Alexander Russel Webb in Hillside Cemetery, Lyndhurst NJ...
- American journalist, newspaper owner, and former Consul-General of the U.S.A. in the Philippines. - Suhaib WebbSuhaib Webb-Early life:He was born William Webb in 1972 in Oklahoma to a Christian family, including a grandfather who served as a preacher. At age 14, he lost interest in religion going through a self-described spiritual crisis...
- American Islamic activist and speaker. - John WhiteheadJohn Whitehead (singer)John Whitehead was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was best known as one of the key members of the Philadelphia International record label, and was one-half of the successful team of McFadden & Whitehead with Gene McFadden.McFadden and Whitehead wrote many hits for...
- an AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, songwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and record producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. - Timothy WinterTimothy WinterTimothy John "Tim" Winter , also known as Abdal Hakim Murad, is a British Sufi Muslim researcher, writer and teacher. His profile and work have attracted media coverage both in the Muslim World and the West...
- prominent British Islamic thinker and scholar, and a lecturerLecturerLecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
in Islamic studiesIslamic studiesIn a Muslim context, Islamic studies can be an umbrella term for all virtually all of academia, both originally researched and as defined by the Islamization of knowledge...
in the Faculty of Divinity at the University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. - Zağanos PashaZaganos PashaZaganos Pasha or Zagan Pasha was a military leader, Kapudan Pasha and Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II.- Life :...
- one of the prominent military commanders of Mehmet II (Mehmet the Conqueror) and a lala, at once an advisor, mentorMentorIn Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
, tutorTutorA tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
, councillorCouncillorA councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
, protector, for the sultanSultanSultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
. - Mohammed ZakariyaMohammed ZakariyaMohamed Zakariya , born 1942 in Ventura, California, is an American master of Arabic calligraphy. An American Muslim, he is perhaps best known for his work on the popular Eid U.S. postage stamp. Raised in California, Zakariya trained as an aerospace engineer as a young man. However, a trip to...
- an American master of Arabic calligraphy, best known for his work on the popular EidEid ul-FitrEid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...
U.S. postage stampPostage stampA postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
.
Judaism
- AbayudayaAbayudayaThe Abayudaya are a Baganda community in eastern Uganda near the town of Mbale who practice Judaism. Although they are not genetically or historically related to other ethnic Jews, they are devout in their practice of the religion, keeping their version of kashrut, and observing Shabbat...
, Ugandan Proselyte community - Bene EphraimBene EphraimThe Bene Ephraim, also called Telugu Jews because they speak Telugu, are a small community of Jews living primarily in Kottareddipalem, a village outside Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India, near the delta of the River Krishna....
, Proselyte community in India - Bnei MenasheBnei MenasheThe Bnei Menashe are a group of more than 9,000 people from India's North-Eastern border states of Manipur and Mizoram who claim descent from one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. The claim appeared after a Pentecostalist dreamt in 1951 that his people's pre-Christian religion was Judaism and that...
, another Proselyte community in India - SubbotniksSubbotniksSubbotniks are one of the Russian religious bodies known under the general name of "Judaizing Christian sects". On the whole, the Subbotniks originally differed probably very little from other Judaizing societies. They first appeared during the reign of Catherine II, toward the end of the...
, used to followed a blend of Christianity with a mixture of Jewish beliefs and customs, many are now converting to Judaism
- Moses ben Abraham
- Andrew/Andreas, the Archbishop of Bari, a city in Southern Italy, declared himself a Jew upon a journey to Constantinople in 1066 and subsequentally fled to Egypt.
- Aquila of SinopeAquila of SinopeAquila of Sinope was a 2nd Century CE native of Pontus in Anatolia known for producing an exceedingly literal translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek around 130 CE. He was a proselyte to Judaism and a disciple of Rabbi Akiba...
, Bible translator - Dany BoonDany BoonDany Boon is a French comedian who has acted both on the stage and the screen. He takes his stage name from the television show Daniel Boone.-Life and career:...
, French comedian - Elizabeth BrewsterElizabeth BrewsterElizabeth Winifred Brewster, CM is a Canadian poet and academic.Born in Chipman, New Brunswick, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Brunswick, a Master of Arts degree from Radcliffe College, a Bachelor of Library Science from the University of Toronto, and a Ph.D....
, Canadian poet - May BrittMay BrittMay Britt is a Swedish actress who had a brief career in the 1950s in Italy and later in the United States. She retired from the screen after she married Sammy Davis, Jr. in 1960.-Career:...
, actress - Geraldine Brooks,a Pulitzer Prize-winner, Australian-American journalist and author.
- Sarah Brown, actress
- Nell CarterNell CarterNell Carter was an American singer, and film, stage, and television actress. She won a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin, as well as an Emmy Award for her reprisal of the role on television...
, singer and actress - Cristian CastroCristian CastroCristian Castro is a Grammy Award-nominated Mexican pop singer. He is referred to as "Christian Castro" or "Cristian."- Biography :...
, a Grammy Award-nominated Mexican pop singer - Juan CarrascoJuan CarrascoJuan Carrasco was an apologist, of Marrano parentage. He was born in Madrid and is sometimes called Carrasco of Madrid.Carrasco had first been an Augustin friar at Burgos and an excellent preacher. Later, on a journey to Rome, he became a convert to Judaism at Livorno...
, former Augustin friar - Connie ChungConnie ChungConnie Chung, full name: Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich is an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von Bülow and U.S...
, an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter for several U.S. television news networks, including NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, CNN, and MSNBCMSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada... - Sammy Davis, Jr.Sammy Davis, Jr.Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
, entertainer
- Dionis (former priest)
- Jacqueline du PréJacqueline du PréJacqueline Mary du Pré OBE was a British cellist. She is particularly associated with Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Minor; her interpretation has been described as "definitive" and "legendary." Her career was cut short by multiple sclerosis, which forced her to stop performing at 28 and led to her...
, musician - Hank Eng, New York born Chinese-American. He is a candidate for Colorado's 6th District in the U.S House of Representatives in the 2008 race.
- Luke FordLuke FordLuke Ford is an American writer, blogger, and former pornography gossip columnist known for his disclosures and traditionalist Jewish religious views.-Personal:Ford moved to California in 1977...
, journalist - Soleil Moon FryeSoleil Moon FryeSoleil Moon Frye is an American actress, director and screenwriter. Frye is best known for her childhood role as the title character in sitcom Punky Brewster, and as Roxie King in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.-Early life:...
, American actress, director and screenwriter. Frye is best known for her childhood role as the title character in Punky Brewster, a television sitcom. - Steve FurnessSteve FurnessStephen Robert "Steve" Furness was an American defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions of the National Football League, and a member of the Steelers' famed Steel Curtain defense...
- Lord George GordonLord George GordonLord George Gordon was a British politician best known for lending his name to the Gordon Riots of 1780....
, nobleman and politician - Monica HoranMonica HoranMonica Horan is an American actress from Darby, Pennsylvania.-Biography:Horan graduated from Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School for Girls in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania in 1980. She attended Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, graduating with a degree in Theater Performance in 1984...
, actress - Joel Horlen
- Mary Hart (* 1950) American television personality, long-time host of the entertainment program Entertainment Tonight
- Carolivia HerronCarolivia HerronCarolivia Herron is a Jewish American writer of children's and adult literature, and a scholar of African-American Judaica.-Personal life:She was born to Oscar Smith Herron and Georgia Carol Herron, in Washington D.C....
, writer of children's and adult literature. - Jon JuaristiJon JuaristiJon Juaristi Linacero is a Spanish poet, essayist and translator in Spanish and Basque, as well as a self-confessed former ETA militant...
, Spanish writer - Skip JutzeSkip JutzeAlfred Henry "Skip" Jutze is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as a catcher.- Baseball career :...
- Felicity KendalFelicity KendalFelicity Ann Kendal, CBE is an English actor known for her television and stage work.Born in 1946, Kendal spent much of her childhood in India, where her father managed a touring repertory company. First appearing on stage at the age of nine months, Kendal appeared in her first film, Shakespeare...
, actress - Jamaica KincaidJamaica KincaidJamaica Kincaid is a Caribbean novelist, gardener, and gardening writer. She was born in the city of St. John's on the island of Antigua in the nation of Antigua and Barbuda...
, author - Elliott MaddoxElliott MaddoxElliott Maddox is an African-American former Major League Baseball American player. Maddox, from 1970 to 1980, played for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets.-Early and personal life:Maddox attended Union High School in...
, a former right-handed Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
American player from 1970 to 1980 for the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Washington Senators/Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, and New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. - Sam McCullumSam McCullumSamuel Charles McCullum is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for 10 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings from 1974 through 1983. McCullum was raised in Kalispell, Montana.-References:...
- Adah Isaacs MenkenAdah Isaacs MenkenAdah Isaacs Menken was an American actress, painter and poet.-Life and career:There are significant inconsistencies in the various accounts of Menken's early life. In her autobiographical "Some Notes of her life in her own Hand,", Menken claimed she was born Marie Rachel Adelaide de Vere Spenser...
, stage actress - Marilyn MonroeMarilyn MonroeMarilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
, actress - Cornelio Da MontalcinoCornelio Da MontalcinoCornelio Da Montalcino was a Franciscan friar who had embraced Judaism, and was burned alive on the Campo dei Fiori in Rome, Italy, in 1554....
, (a Franciscan friar who had embraced Judaism, and was burned alive on the Campo dei Fiori.) - Santa MontefioreSanta MontefioreSanta Montefiore, born Santa Palmer-Tomkinson, is a British author.Santa is the sister of Tara Palmer-Tomkinson. Her parents are Charles Palmer-Tomkinson and Patricia Palmer-Tomkinson, of Anglo-Argentine background. Her father represented his country in skiing at Olympic level...
, novelist - Jeff Newman, a right-handed former utility player in major league baseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
with a 9-year career from 1976 to 1984, and a manager in 1986. He played for the Oakland A's and Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. - Michael Netzer, an American artist best known for his comic book work for industry leaders DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
and Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media... - Martha NussbaumMartha NussbaumMartha Nussbaum , is an American philosopher with a particular interest in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, political philosophy and ethics....
, is an AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
philosopherPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
with a particular interest in ancient GreekGreek philosophyAncient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BCE and continued through the Hellenistic period, at which point Ancient Greece was incorporated in the Roman Empire...
and Roman philosophy, political philosophyPolitical philosophyPolitical philosophy is the study of such topics as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it...
and ethicsEthicsEthics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
. She has been a professor at HarvardHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and BrownBrown UniversityBrown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. She is currently a professor at University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890... - Bob NystromBob NyströmRobert Thore Nystrom is a retired professional ice hockey right winger. He played for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League from 1972 to 1986. He is best remembered as having scored the winning goal at the 7:11 mark of overtime to give the New York Islanders the 1980 Stanley Cup...
, former NHL player - Bob PlagerBob PlagerRobert Bryant Plager is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for fourteen seasons from 1964–65 until 1977–78. He had two brothers, Bill and Barclay, who also played in the NHL....
- Kim Stanley (February 11, 1925 – August 20, 2001)
- Venetia Stanley, socialite
- Margo StilleyMargo StilleyMargo Stilley is an American actress and former model.-Biography:Stilley grew up in Conway, South Carolina, and left as a teenager to model in Milan before moving to London at the age of 18....
American film actress - Elizabeth TaylorElizabeth TaylorDame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
, actress - Penina TaylorPenina TaylorPenina Taylor is a countermissionary speaker, counselor and author. She is the Executive Director of the Shomrei Emet Institute for Counter-Missionary Studies and the founder of Torah Life Strategies...
, a former messianic Jewish leader - Bob Tufts
- Ike TurnerIke TurnerIsaac Wister Turner was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk...
, was an American musician, bandleader, talent scout, and record producer, and the son of a Baptist minister - Chris Van AllsburgChris Van AllsburgChris Van Allsburg is an American author and illustrator of children's books. He twice won the Caldecott Medal, for Jumanji and The Polar Express , both of which he wrote and illustrated, and both of which were later adapted into successful motion pictures...
, children's writer - Conrad VeidtConrad VeidtConrad Veidt was a German actor best remembered for his roles in films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari , The Man Who Laughs , The Thief of Bagdad and Casablanca...
, German actor - Jackie WilsonJackie WilsonJack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
, was an AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer. Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and bluesRhythm and bluesRhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
into soulSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. Gaining fame in his early years as a member of the R&B vocal group, The Dominoes, after going solo in 1957 he went on to record over fifty hit singles over a repertoire that included R&B, popPop musicPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, soulSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, doo-wopDoo-wopThe name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
and easy listening before lapsing into a comaComaIn medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
following a collapse on stage during a 1975 benefit concert. By the time of his death in 1984, he had become one of the most influential soulSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
artists of his generation. - Steve YeagerSteve YeagerStephen Wayne "Steve" Yeager is an American right-handed former major league baseball catcher. Yeager spent 14 of the 15 seasons of his Major League Baseball career, from through , with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His last year, , he played for the Seattle Mariners...
, an American right-handed former major league baseball catcher - Catherine ZelazowskaCatherine ZelazowskaKatarzyna Weiglowa , was a Roman Catholic woman from the Kingdom of Poland who converted to Judaism or to Nontrinitarianism...
, Polish martyr
Baha'i
- Nelson ÉvoraNelson ÉvoraNelson Évora is a Portuguese athlete, of Cape Verdean descent, who specializes in the triple jump and long jump. He is the current triple jump olympic and former world champion. Évora currently competes for Portuguese sports club S.L. Benfica...
- Portuguese Olympic Gold Medal (Beijing, 2008) and Gold Medal recipient for the 2007 Athletics World Championship in Osaka, Japan in Triple Jump - Khalil GreeneKhalil GreeneKhalil Thabit Greene is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed.-High school and college:...
- Shortstop for the Texas Rangers - Miles Kasiri - Finalist in the 2004 Wimbledon Tennis Junior Championship, native of the UK.
- Armein D. Kirkland - Collegiate basketball player for University of Cincinnati 2002-2006
- David KrummenackerDavid Krummenacker' is a professional track athlete.- Background :Krummenacker graduated from Las Cruces High School in New Mexico in 1993 where he won several state track titles and also played on the basketball team....
- Track & Field World Champion in 800m in 2003, NCAA Champion (Georgia Tech) 1997, 1998. - Luke McPharlinLuke McPharlinLuke McPharlin is an Australian rules football player for the Fremantle Football Club. McPharlin was educated at Christ Church Grammar School, graduating in 1999. McPharlin is both a key back and a key forward....
- Australian footballer for the Fremantle Dockers - David F. Nti-Berko - Track & Field All-American Triple Jumper for the University of Alabama (1995), native of Ghana
- William Smith - Collegiate football player at Wake Forest University (1964), pioneer in integration in college athletics
See also
- List of converts to Christianity
- List of people who converted to Catholicism
- List of former atheists and agnostics
- List of atheists
- List of former Protestants
- List of former Muslims
- List of former Jews
- List of former Roman Catholics
- List of former Latter Day Saints