Former MMA champion embraces Islam, stunned by solidarity

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitor Jeff Monson has visited Türkiye almost two months after converting to Islam in a show of support for Gaza, the besieged Palestinian enclave subjected to a deadly war by Israel since October 7, 2023.

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus hosted Monson along with Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, a member of the South African parliament and the grandson of legendary South African leader Nelson Mandela, on Friday.

"I would like to sincerely thank our two esteemed brothers for their courageous stance on the side of justice and humanity against the oppression of Israel," Kurtulmus said.

Monson has cited solidarity with Palestinians as one of the motivations for his change in faith.

"I feel really close when I looked upon the people from Gaza. They showed love, they showed compassion. They praised Allah, they hugged each other, and I (thought), I want this," the MMA fighter said.

He further elaborated on his experience as a Catholic. "I saw the actions of Christians, especially Christian leaders in the United States, and I was like ... this is not, I think, what God intended," he added.

Türkiye 'trying to bring peace'

Reflecting on his experience in Türkiye, Monson reported witnessing widespread solidarity with Palestine and expressed his admiration for the nation's commitment to supporting not just the Palestinian people and Muslims, but the entire global community, lauding the country's efforts to "bring the world closer together, trying to bring peace."

Expressing that Türkiye is not just expressing willingness to help but actually providing real and tangible support, especially for Gaza, Monson said: "If every country followed Türkiye's example, we could alleviate this humanitarian crisis."

While Monson has faced some negative reactions since converting to Islam, he said he also received messages of support from around the world.

During his visit, the Russian-American boxer performed his first Friday prayer, an experience he had been "looking forward to for a long time," at the Turkish Grand National Assembly mosque.

"A long time ago, when I was in Dubai, I witnessed some of my friends performing this prayer and for me, the big thing was I felt closer to God, but also I felt really close to my brothers who were performing the prayer ... that is a reason that I converted to Muslim, to being with his brotherhood," he recalled.