Besides the physical, there was a different strength Pereira sought for, namely psychological and spiritual one, to fill the inner void that he had felt.
Alex Pereira, the Brazilian kickboxing star has converted to Islam, Sheikh Khalid Taqi Al-Din, the chairman of the Supreme Council of Imams and Islamic Affairs in Brazil, has announced.
“In search for inner peace, contentment, and perfect character and after a close reading about Islam,” Pereira, the first kickboxing star in Latin America and Brazil and the sixth in the world, “has found his purpose”, Sheikh Taqi Al-Din told International Islamic News Agency (IINA).
“That’s when he decided to visit (FAMBRAS) Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil to learn more about the true message of Islam, its civilization and guidance to humanity”, he said in his statement to the agency.
Other Type of Strength
“Pereira, who will compete this month at Dubai World Cup 2015 for the World’s Title, talked about his physical strength, saying he is ready to fight the upcoming matches to win the title, but he stated that there was strength he sought for, namely psychological and spiritual strength, to fill the inner void that he had felt”, Taqi Al-Din pointed out.
“The kick boxer, who read some books about Islam given to him by a friend of his, called Hamzah, became a frequent visitor to the Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil to meet with scholars, who explained to him the principles of Islam. Consequently, he decided to convert to Islam,” Taqi Al-Din noted.
At the FAMBRAS, Alex pronounced the Shahadah (Testimony of Faith):
Ashhadu ana la ilaha illa Allah wa ashahdu anna Muhammadun rasulu Allah (I bear witness there is no god but Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God).
Alexsandro Pereira, 27 years old commonly known as Alex Pereira or sometimes Alex Sandro competes in the middleweight division. He turned to kickboxing after giving up a career as a boxer.
Pereira came to prominence when he became a WAKO Pro Panamerican champion in 2013. He has competed in promotions such as the SUPERKOMBAT Fighting Championship, It’s Showtime, Jungle Fight and WGP Kickboxing, and signed with Glory in 2014.
As of 22 June 2014, Pereira is ranked the #5 middleweight in the world by GLORY, and #6 by LiverKick.com.
Learn More about Islam
In its efforts to familiarizing the world with the sporting, intellectual and scientific elite who play a significant role in the Brazilian social life and the anti-Muslim campaigns launched by some media outlets, the Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil has adopted a new project, dubbed “Muslims for Peace”, Sheikh Khalid said.
“These campaigns did not pose an obstacle to familiarize the people with Islam. On the contrary, they prompted more people to learn about Islam and convert as Muslims” he added.
_________________________
Source: International Islamic News Agency (IINA) & newspapers.