Kuwaiti singer and actress Ibtisam Hamid, known by her stage name Basma al-Kuwaiti, sent shockwaves through the Arab world when she announced Wednesday her intention to renounce Islam and convert to Judaism.
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In a video she posted on Twitter, Hamid said that her decision stemmed from the fact that Islam violates women's rights and does not treat them with dignity.
كل واحد ما يعطونه جنسيه ... يكفر بالإسلام وبالاسره الحاكمه!!
غير حاله هذي بعد!! pic.twitter.com/sDzjyYZPcY
— بن بودي (@hiii2021) February 9, 2021
The singer also spoke out against the ruling family of Kuwait, saying "I want to declare my opposition to the Al Sabah family, who reject normalization with Israel, stands against religious freedom in the country and against freedom of speech."
The media immediately deemed her words as "heresy." Some, however, found justifications for her words.
"This is a sad day for Islam, and it is not her fault," one person commented.
"When one does know true Islam, but judges it based on the behavior of some Muslims, it is easy to reject it and leave it. May Allah help people see the true Islam," another follower wrote.
Hamid's announcement comes less than a month after Kuwaiti presenter Mohammad Al-Momen announced that he would be leaving Islam and converting to Christianity, also drawing criticism, even death threats, from the public.
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