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Sinéad O'Connor, the Irish singer, passed away on July 26, 2023, in her London home in the UK. She was only 56 years old at the time of her death. She was laid to rest in a Muslim burial near her hometown of Bray, according to AA News. Her service was led by Umar Al-Qadri, the Islamic scholar and chief imam at the Islamic Centre of Ireland.
Sinéad O'Connor legally changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat after converting to Islam in 2018.
On the streets of her hometown, O'Connor's fans gathered to pay respects and sang Nothing Compares 2 U as the hearse which carried the political activist's casket passed along the streets.
A Bob Marley song was played inside the car carrying Sinéad O'Connor's body
As a testament to her impact, at least 3000 fans showed up to walk from her family house with her hearse all the way to the private funeral for her friends and loved ones. Fans got emotional while sending off Sinéad O'Connor one last time, as they sang her Billboard top charted song Nothing Compares 2 U from her 1990 album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got while it played on the radio at exactly 12:30 pm.
The Volkswagon she was being transported in also played her idol Bob Marley's track Natural Mystic.
Signs were also left around her family's house, saying “BLACK LIVES MATTER,” “GAY PRIDE” and “REFUGEES WELCOME.”
Many known and significant individuals attended Sinéad O'Connor's funeral, including Ireland's President Michael Higgins and Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. U2’s Bono, The Edge, and Bob Geldof, the rock star and activist, all dear friends of Sinéad, also attended the private funeral.
As mentioned before, O'Connor's service was led by Shaykh Dr. Umar Al-Qadri, a renowned Islamic scholar from the Islamic Centre of Ireland, as reported by AP News.
"Gifted with a voice that moved a generation of young people, she could reduce listeners to tears by her otherworldly resonance," he said.
Sinéad O'Connor's life of activism
Sinéad O'Connor was known to have polarizing opinions on sensitive topics like religion, philosophy, and more. She was outspoken about women's rights, actions against child ab*se, and helping refugees.
She was banned for life on SNL after she ripped a picture of Pope John Paul II on the show as an act of protest against child s*xual abuse on October 3, 1992. Although Sinéad was ostracized for taking such measures to make her point, she was vindicated almost a decade later vindicated when the Pope publicly acknowledged the long prevailing existence of ab*se within the Church.
By sharing her own experiences with childhood trauma, Sinéad O'Connor helped many child ab*se survivors gain strength and pursue a happy life.
According to New York Times, one of those survivors, Dave Sharp, who went through many traumatic years in a catholic orphanage, spoke at O'Connor's wake, saying:
"We didn’t have much notice, but I’d promised myself that I’d be there for her. Sinéad O’Connor is one of the bravest women I’ve ever known of. She not only put her life and career on the line, but she was ahead of her time.”
The cause of O'Connor's death has still not been disclosed by the police.
