The following are excerpts from an interview with American musician Jermaine Jackson, older brother of Michael Jackson. The interview, which conducted in English, aired on Al-Arabiya TV on January 21, 2010.
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/2363.
Jermaine Jackson: "[Michael Jackson] was so powerful in success. I just wish he would have embraced Islam. I tried very, very hard [to convert him], because I think that would have been his protection."
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Interviewer: "So was Michael a Muslim at the time he died?"
Jermaine Jackson: "He was studying a lot. His whole protection, his security, were all Muslims. He was ready to make that journey.
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"These major news media outlets are controlled by what is being said. So we look at this country as a democracy, but at the same time it has a bit of dictatorship. They are being told what to say, and 99% of the people believe this stuff.
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"When we were brought as a people from Africa to the States – we were originally Muslims. It was this white slave message that put Christianity on us."
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Interviewer: "After Michael read the books about Islam, what did he tell you?"
Jermaine Jackson: "Well, Michael... I really feel that Michael was looking for that divine feeling. I brought him a lot of books from Saudi Arabia, I brought him books from Bahrain. I brought him books from a lot of mosques in Bahrain. He read them all. I just wish that he would have made that announcement. Maybe he made it in his soul, but at the same time, we want to hear it – because that was my protection, and I felt that would have been his protection as well – Islam."
Interviewer: "He told you that one day you are going to hear it, or one day he will embrace [Islam], or convert? Did he tell you that?"
Jermaine Jackson: "Well, he showed us, by loving that region, and spending a lot of time in that part of the world, and having a lot of friends in that part of the world...
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"I think if the Western world really looked at Islam for what it really is, and stopped trying to put this terrorist word with Muslims and Islam, the world could be a much better place – because this is the most pure religion ever."
