News Desk
A 49‑year‑old female tourist holidaying in Dhihfushi island has converted to Islam, according to a video that has been widely shared on social media.
The footage shows the woman, wearing a headscarf, inside a local mosque as she slowly and carefully recites the shahada — the Islamic declaration of faith — under the guidance of mosque officials. The recording does not indicate her nationality, and local sources have not confirmed where she is from.
Following her conversion, she adopted the Muslim name Jamila.
Residents in Dhihfushi Island said the woman had visited the mosque specifically to embrace Islam, and the ceremony was conducted in accordance with local practice. Mosque representatives later confirmed that the recitation took place earlier this week. Officials also stressed that forceful conversion is not a practice in the Maldives; although the country is constitutionally Islamic, it welcomes non‑Muslims and treats them without discrimination, and concepts such as “love jihad” are neither recognised nor part of Maldivian social or religious culture.
Her conversion follows a similar case reported in early 2025, when an Italian tourist embraced Islam after what he described as witnessing the warmth and kindness of local communities.
While such conversions are not common, they tend to attract significant attention online, particularly when shared through short video clips on social media platforms.
