British Consul General to Jeddah Seif Usher Embraced Islam 25 Years Ago
The Claim
The British consul-general to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, accepts Islam and changes his name to Seif.
News posted on
Emerging story
News websites and social media users alleged that the British consul general in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah recently converted to Islam and adopted the Muslim name Seif Usher as his new surname. Many users congratulated and welcomed Usher to Islam. The claim was also shared by other verified users.
Misbar’s Analysis
An investigation by Misbar into the claim revealed that it was inaccurate and misleading. According to the Diplomat, he had converted to Islam 25 years ago.
Moreover, according to The Gazette, the official public records of the United Kingdom, Usher changed his name from Stephen to Seifeldin, shortened to Seif on October 16, 1997.
The claim began to circulate after Usher posted an image on Twitter expressing his joy at returning to Al Madinah and performing the Fajr prayer at the Prophet's Mosque. However, the evidence shows that Usher converted to Islam long ago, not recently as claimed.
