No one ever knows quite what to think when The Sun reports something. Like many of Britain’s popular newspapers, it’s a tabloid – but it’s not completely made up, like the Weekly World News. It’s more like the National Enquirer mixed with Star. Which is to say, some of the things they publish are substantiated, others are complete fabrications, and some actually turn out to be true.

Yesterday, The Sun reported that Michael Jackson had converted to Islam. And changed his name to Mikaeel.

The star — whose hits include The Way You Make Me Feel — was spotted looking “a bit down” by a producer and a songwriter who had both embraced Islam.

The source said: “They began talking to him about their beliefs, and how they thought they had become better people after they converted. Michael soon began warming to the idea.

“An Imam was summoned from the mosque and Michael went through the shahada, which is the Muslim declaration of belief.” Mikaeel is the name of one of Allah’s angels.

“Jacko rejected an alternative name, Mustafa — meaning “the chosen one”.

Brit singer Yousef Islam, 60 — who was called Cat Stevens until he famously converted — turned up to help Jacko celebrate.

Personally I would have gone with Mustafa, but whatever.

There was much argument on the Internet about whether or not this could be true, so naturally I went to the one true source of knowledge: Wikipedia. There was nothing to be found on the main page, but on the Talk page, where users debate whether or not to add new information, many users are quabbling and citing “sources” (all of which refer back to the same Sun article) that “Jacko” did, in fact, do it. User Pi says:

Wikipedia is not a newspaper and needn’t be the first to report the story. If the story is true then in due course a reliable source will emerge (such as Jackson confirming it) and then it can be added, until then there is no value to adding something which may or may not be true.

Whereas rafichamp responds, eloquently:

Omg I have no idea why this is not all over the news, guys it showed Michael Jackson holding the quron, then his representative saying that mj devotes his life to muslim and etc and etc, I know, i am saying this with no source, but you guys have to believe me

Jacko, we eagerly await your response.

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