‘I had everything – presenting live shows to 70,000 people, interviewing all the stars and being invited to all the VIP parties,’ recalls Kristiane Backer of her days as an MTV reporter. ‘It was probably every young girl’s dream job, but I wasn’t happy inside.’
Born and raised in Hamburg, Kristiane in the early 90s became the first German MTV presenter. She worked at the music channel for seven and a half years before a chance encounter with Imran Khan changed everything. He encouraged Kristiane, already a deeply spiritual person, to learn more about Islam and tackle some of the stereotypes she held about the faith and its people.
After her meeting with the famous cricketer-turned-politician, Kristiane began reading books on Islam and travelled several times to Pakistan to find out more about the faith. She met Muslims and discussed and debated the more contentious issues with them. ‘I found out about lots of things like the culture, the values and the way that Islam is practised. I was touched very much by the Muslims I met and I liked how God featured in people’s lives,’ she explains.
‘I am very spiritual which is very much part and parcel of Islam. Praying five times a day means you’re in constant contact with God and have a very powerful spiritual life. That was the reason I converted, apart from the logical message of Islam. I also converted because I wanted to practise. So now that empty inner void is filled by Islam and I’m content and happy and enriched.’
But Kristiane’s journey to Islam hasn’t always been smooth. As soon as it emerged that she’d converted to Islam, she was sacked from her youth show in Germany. A couple of months later, MTV chose not to renew her contract. In the German press she was accused of ‘losing the plot and supporting terrorism’. Her agent also told her that if she ever wanted to work in Germany she should keep quiet about being Muslim.
‘I was basically a victim of Islamophobia,’ states Kristiane.
Rather than accept this, however, she decided to write a book explaining her journey to Islam, and to help dispel persistent misconceptions of Muslims and Islam.
‘When I went to Hajj, again there was a shift in me, and I decided it was time to speak out. I wanted to show that Islam is a beautiful religion which helps you become a better person and is a benefit to society. That it makes you the best person possible. So that’s why I wrote From MTV to Mecca: How Islam Inspired My Life and also to show how Islam is very much compatible with life in the West. I overcame my prejudices and found my peace and happiness in Islam.
‘So I’m taking the reader by the hand and hopefully it will enlighten some people as well as show the spiritual and intellectual approach to Islam rather than the more extremist views that are out there.’
Now living in London, Kristiane says that her whole life has been transformed by Islam. Even her family, who originally struggled to understand why she converted, can acknowledge the positive impact it has had on her. ‘They see that it has benefited me and perhaps it has benefited them, as I’m a more conscientious family member and less selfish. I guess as long as I’m happy then it’s fine with them.’
One of Islam’s many prominent messages is its respect for all living creatures. ‘There are so many teachings that state we should treat animals with kindness,’ Kristiane states, adding that ‘any act of kindness to any living being with a soul is pleasing to God and will have its reward.’
She is quick to point out, however, the disparity that exists in animal welfare – despite what the Qur’an says on the issue.
‘Yet I have never seen animals mistreated like I have in the Muslim world. I have a friend who is an animal rights champion, and when we went on holiday together to Morocco she was disturbed at how badly kept the dogs were. They had ticks all over them, they were suffering and she just rescued them all and washed them and took all the ticks out with tweezers,’ she recalls. ‘We need to look after our animals as a service to God, as they are part of God’s creation just like nature.’
All these years after her conversion, Kristiane explains that her sole wish is to be able to apply the skills she gained in the entertainment industry to the service of Islam. She is especially keen to make the most of the opportunities that Islamic art and culture provides in terms of bridging the East-West divide.
‘People can find their way to Islam in so many different ways, be that culture, the food, art, meeting people and even politics. There are as many different ways to Islam as there are souls.’
One such path is Islam’s rich connection to the arts, something that Kristiane believes holds potential to help promote the religion. This link is the reason she is passionate about the conservation of Islamic heritage, from the architectural to the religious. ‘It was very saddening to hear that in Mali they are destroying manuscripts and shrines, which is something that also happens in Pakistan. It’s a very frightening trend and we need to speak out against it. We need to make sure that we protect all of Islam’s treasures, whether they be in Cairo, Morocco, Indonesia or Pakistan.’
If there’s one thing that Kristiane represents, it is the true, universal nature of Islam; that it transcends borders, cultures and races. Now more than ever, it’s a message that needs to be heard.
This article originally appeared in the May 2013 Arts issue of Aquila Style magazine.
