An unnamed American citizen who posted a video of himself converting to Islam during a Saudi auto show has become a social media celebrity in the Kingdom.
The video, filmed in the city of Jeddah, features the man standing next to a Saudi cleric and uttering the shahadatyin – the two testimonies every convert must recite – to the cheers of the audience.
#فيديو..
أمريكي يشهر إسلامه في #معرض_أكسس للسيارات الفاخرة بـ #جدة#السعودية #saudi #ksa pic.twitter.com/N9LuJXy2J3— مصدر مسؤول (@masdar_saudi) October 20, 2016
The local media reported that the new convert received the blessings of many fellow social media users who welcomed him to “the religion of truth.” Others praised him for realizing that there is no link between Islam and extremism, and thanked Allah for helping him find the truth.
But the man’s conversion wasn’t the only thing the Jeddah auto show became famous for. The police raided the grounds after it was reported that hostesses were hired, defying laws mandating the separation of sexes.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Development said the police interfered after women were hired to perform “unsuitable” jobs, and that the organizers of the show were detained for questioning.
“Several offenses involving women’s employment and illegal workers have been registered,” a spokesperson for the ministry said.
Some social media users believed the American man’s conversion resulted from the presence of the hostesses.
“I wonder why he converted,” tweeted one. “Maybe it’s because he saw these beautiful girls.”
https://twitter.com/killua_511/status/789025937333559296?s=08
Another wrote: “Maybe he was impressed with how the merchandise was marketed,” referring to the hostesses.
يمكن بعد شاف طريقة التسويق للمنتج
— وجه السعد (@saadalmalki99) October 20, 2016
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