I’ve read several stories of women who converted to Islam for love – some of whom are firmly in the public eye… Remember Jemima Goldsmith, the famous Jewish daughter of billionaire Sir James Goldsmith, who became Haiqa Khan at the age of 21 when she married famous Pakistani cricket player Imran Khan and became a Muslim?
Of course, this happens the other way around, and I’ve been following one such story in the British press with great interest this past month.
Psychiatrist Adam Osborne (brother of British Shadow Chancellor George Osborne), converted to Islam to marry Bangladeshi-born plastic surgeon Rahala Noor, the woman he’d been dating for 14 years.
The couple had two weddings, a civil ceremony in Scotland in October and a traditional Asian ceremony conducted by an imam in November ’09.
When Two Worlds Collide
Adam and Rahala met and fell in love as undergraduates at St Andrews’ University in Scotland. Adam’s father, Baronet Osborne of Ballintaylor founded the Osborne & Little wallpaper business. The family are both well to do and high profile. Dr Noor’s father, Abdullah, set up a successful restaurant business after moving to Manchester in 1980 and was an advocate of all his children’s education so they could become professionals.
Although Adam’s family thought Rahala was a great influence on him, she didn’t want to upset her devout Muslim family, so the couple initially kept their love a secret.
Conversion as a Condition of Marriage
When Rahala’s father died in 2007, she opened up to her family about Dr Osborne and how them she wanted to marry him. After meeting him on a few occasions, her family began to warm to the idea, and when Adam announced that he was going to convert to Islam, it became much easier for them to accept the relationship.
He spent months learning about Islam at a local mosque before agreeing to live according to its teachings, including praying five times a day and not drinking alcohol. He also adopted the first name Mohammed.
Two Weddings for Two Cultures
The civil ceremony at St Andrews Castle was followed by a black-tie reception with alcohol and dancing. The bride’s youngest sister, Siria, who is studying dentistry, was the only member of Rahala’s family to attend.
All her family, plus many members of Manchester’s Bangladeshi community came to the Islamic ceremony in a banqueting hall in the couple’s home city. Dr Osborne and his father wore traditional sherwanis, while his mother wore a traditional cream lehenga gown.
The bride and groom recited verses from the Koran before being declared husband and wife by the imam, after which there was a hearty knees-up featuring Bollywood-style bands. Dr Osborne’s brother, Shadow Chancellor George Osborne did not attend the Muslim ceremony.
As far as the couple are concerned, their diverse backgrounds have never been a problem for either of them. In fact, they are both very proud of where they come from.
