6. Hussein Only Converted To Islam Towards The End Of The 1990s... Having Been Publicly Criticised By The Arab World For His Lack Of Faith Before This
Despite Iraq's population having been 97% Muslim during the majority of Hussein's reign, he was not a practising Muslim himself until the latter days of his time in power in the late-1990s - when he decided to have the Qur'an written in his blood. Hussein had been raised as a Sunni Muslim but had not actively adhere to the faith during the majority of his time as President of Iraq, instead following his secular Ba'ath Party beliefs. However, following his failed invasion of Kuwait in the early-1990s, Hussein was criticised by other nations in the Middle East for being un-Islamic and due to the fact he was the leader of a sectarian state. It was in response to this that he formally converted to Islam in 1999 - and even claimed to be a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammad.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
