‘From MTV to Makkah’: Kristiane Backer performs Hajj

JEDDAH: Kristiane Backer, a former MTV presenter during her Hajj pilgrimage was impressed by the ability of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that facilitates more than two million pilgrims, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

In her interview with SPA, Backer praised the Saudi Arabia’s efforts that allow the pilgrims improved services to perform Hajj rituals with ease and in safety and the improvements carried out in KSA when she visited after 12 years.

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Backer, a presenter on MTV Europe interviewed major artists, musicians, and Hollywood stars and enjoyed the red carpet, but felt lonely and empty from inside.

She was first introduced her to the spiritual journey to Islam “not by a long-bearded Imam with a flowing robe, but by a famous Pakistani cricket star, Imran Khan,” who has recently become the new Prime Minister of Pakistan.

“He was my introduction to Islam,” she said of Khan. “I like to say I wasn’t looking, I was found.”

Backer, a qualified homeopath, was inspired by it all and by the grace of Almighty, converted to Islam in 1995.

She read a lot of books, and what she said discovered was mind-blowing. “I also learned how verses from the Quran can help me in my daily life.”

“I was convinced. I converted because I wanted to bring God into my life, and I wanted to purify myself to taste the spiritual fruits I was reading about,” told HuffingtonPost.

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Since then she has been engaged in interfaith and intercultural dialogue to show the people the beautiful Islam that she found.

In 2001, she performed Umrah when she visited Madinah and in 2006 performed Hajj rituals after which she wrote her famous book “From MTV to Makkah: How Islam Inspired My Life,” she wrote about her eventful journey from entertainment to ‘inner-tainment’.

The best-seller book is currently translated into Dutch, Turkish, Arabic, and English.