Tony Blair's Sister-In-law Lauren Booth Converts to Islam

8/8/2019 Tony Blair's Sister-In-law Lauren Booth Converts to Islam

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Tony Blair's sister-in-law Lauren Booth converts toIslam after a 'holy experience' in Iran

By Mail On Sunday ReporterLast updated at 2:02 PM on 24th October 2010

Conversion: Lauren Booth

Tony Blairs sister-in-law has converted to Islamafter having a holy experience in Iran.

Broadcaster and journalist Lauren Booth, 43 -Cherie Blairs half-sister - said she now wears a

hijab head covering whenever she leaves her home,prays five times a day and visits her local mosque

when I can.
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She decided to become a Muslim six weeks agoafter visiting the shrine of Fatima al-Masumeh in

the city of Qom.

It was a Tuesday evening and I sat down and feltthis shot of spiritual morphine, just absolute blissand joy, she told The Mail on Sunday.

When she returned to Britain, she decided toconvert immediately.

Now I dont eat pork and I read the Koran everyday. Im on page 60. I also havent had a drink in 45

days, the longest period in 25 years,' she said.

'The strange thing is that since I decided to convertI havent wanted to touch alcohol, and I was

someone who craved a glass of wine or two at theend of a day.

Refusing to discount the possibility that she mightwear a burka, she said: Who knows where my

spiritual journey will take me?

Before her awakening in Iran, she had beensympathetic to Islam and has spent considerabletime working in Palestine. I was always impressedwith the strength and comfort it gave, she said of

the religion.

Miss Booth, who works for Press TV, the English-language Iranian news channel, has been a vocal

opponent of the war in Iraq.

In August 2008 she travelled to Gaza by ship fromCyprus, along with 46 other activists, to highlight

Israels blockade of the territory.

She was subsequently refused entry into both Israeland Egypt.

In 2006 she was a contestant on the ITV reality

show Im A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here!,


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The missive was a bitter attack on the former PrimeMinister, who is now a Middle East envoy working

for peace in the troubled region.

'The men, women and children around mewithstood a day of no water and no food (its calledRamadan, Tony, its a fast),' Booth wrote.

'Coping with hunger and thirst in the hundreddegrees heat, as if it were nothing. They canwithstand deprivation in the Muslim world.

'Here in Iran they feel proud to suffer in order toexpress solidarity with the people of Palestine. It's

kind of like the way you express solidarity withAmerica only without illegal chemical weapons and

a million civilian deaths.'

She adds: 'Your world view is that Muslims, aremad, bad, dangerous to know. A contagion to be

contained.

'In the final chapter [of his autobiography] you say

we need a "religious counter attack" against Islam.And by "Islam" you mean the Al Quds rallies, thePalestinian intifada (based on an anti Apartheid

struggle Tony, NOT religious bigotry), against everyArab who fails to put their arms in the air as the

F16 missiles rain on their homes and refugee campsand sing a rousing chorus of Imagine all the

people...


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Booth stands next to a damaged building in Gaza in2008

Booth moved to France with her family - husbandCraig Darby and two daughters Alexandra and Holly

in 2004.

Her husband was seriously injured in a motorcycleaccident in April 2009 when he was drunk and not

wearing a helmet.

He suffered a severe brain injury, a fractured neck,damage to his spine and several broken ribs and

was in a deep coma for two weeks.

The 42-year-old had to learn how to walk and talkagain. He lost much of his memory, has sight

problem and cannot work.

The couple decided to move back to Britain to help

his recovery and reduce the amount of time Boothhas to work away from home.


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Booth with husband Craig and daughters Alex andHolly at their home in France last year. They have

now returned to Britain

Booth took part in I'm A Celebrity... Get Met Out ofHere! in 2006 alongside Myleene Klass and Jason

Donovan, finishing ninth.

Of her relationship with the Blairs, she said at the

time: 'I'm happy to criticise them politically if theydeserve it but that on a personal level we get on

fine.'

Mr Blair was famously told not to 'do God' by hisspin doctor Alistair Campbell while he was Prime

Minister.

But on leaving office, he converted to Catholicism

after starting to go to Mass - saying later that itwas his wife who spurred his decision.

He said last year that it was like 'coming home' andis now 'where my heart is, where I know I belong'.

Find this story at www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323278/Tony-Blairs-sister-law-Lauren-Booth-

converts-Islam-holy-experience-Iran.html


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Tony Blair's Sister-In-law Lauren Booth Converts to Islam

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