By Houda El Mouatassim Bilah
By Houda El Mouatassim Bilah
Morocco World News
Marrakesh, October 3, 2012
The interview broadcasted by TF1 with the former rap singer Melanie Giorgiades, also known as Diam’s, has caused a lot of controversy in France for no other reason but her choice in converting to Islam and wearing the Hijab. But before we talk about who Melanie is today, let us go back in time and find out who she was.
Diam’s was a French Rap and Hip-hop singer who started her career, like any exceptional singer, at a very young age. She explained the choice of the nickname Diam’s instead of her own name by saying: “I found the definition of the word diamond and I learned that only a diamond can break another diamond and that it is solely made of natural elements.”
Diam’s, with songs that let out considerable anger but with lyrics that touched the hearts of millions, was able to sell millions of albums worldwide and be the role model to as many fans. Her songs dealt with different social phenomena and broke many taboos which contributed to her exceptional fame.
She won three music awards in 2007 for: best female francophone artist of the year, best francophone album of the year and best francophone song of the year.
Now, Diam’s or Melanie as she prefers to be called now that she is no longer a singer, is a pious Muslim woman who decided to convert about four years ago to a religion that granted her peace when all she knew was anger, showed her right from wrong when she was so confused and lost, brought her closer to loving life in a time where she wanted to leave life. She found paradise on earth after living in a kind of hell that no one else but her could feel.
Islam gave her companionship when all she knew was solitude. Yes, she had her fans and yes, she seemed to have sung with joy and excitement, but it was all for show and none of it was real because when she went home, all she could felt was loneliness, despair and depression which drove her eventually towards a suicide attempt.
Today, converting to Islam helped her find her true vocation in life, and that’s not rapping, since the latter consists of unleashing suppressed anger and Islam is about not having any! Islam opened her eyes to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It introduced her to the love of God, to her peace of mind, to letting go of all the anger that she had been holding for years to spirituality, and ultimately to serenity.
Melanie wrote her own biography in a book where she talks about her choices, her decisions, her current life style and conveys a message of peace and tranquility. She has been accused of being a danger to her followers and a bad role model now that she is a Muslim.
Reporters and fanatics all over France has made a fuss after the TF1 interview, as if what she did with her life was any of their business; as if they were there for her when she spent numerous successive nights crying out loud in bed lonely and lost. Would they have been happier seeing her dead in psychiatric facility?
Having been fans and supporters of her when she was still a successful singer but a miserable person, they should be more supportive of her now that she found harmony and happiness in whatever religion or lifestyle she chose to adapt.
Her well-being matters only to her and to anyone who loves her, cares for her and wants to see her happy. And seeing how delighted and calm she was during her interview should have been enough a poof to everyone who ever thinks of criticizing her or act “sad” for her. Choosing to convert to Islam, to wear the Hijab, to quit rapping and to live a happy family life in the suburbs are choices she made willfully, and all anyone can do is respect them.
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