[newfreep]

Hugh used to be a popular movie star named Omar Sharif.

WOW - never heard this before! What was catalyst that caused him to make the change?

[BuffaloJack]

> WOW - never heard this before! What was catalyst that caused him to make the change?

Don’t know, but I’m pretty sure the reason is available online somewhere as public record.
If I were going to research the why, I’d probably start with the JihadWatch.org website and start digging.

[jjotto]

That’s backwards. Shariff was born Roman Catholic and converted to Islam as an adult. He is not Hugh Fitzgerald. The misunderstanding might come from just reading a headline (and not the article) at jihadwatch:

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2008/06/ill-bet-you-never-guessed-that-omar-sharif-and-hugh-fitzgerald-were-the-same-person.html

[ElkGroveDan]

What was catalyst that caused him to make the change?

Perpetual outrage can be exhausting.