Masjid Agung Demak sebagai masjid tertua di Pulau Jawa, Masjid Agung Demak dipercaya memegang peranan penting dalam perkembangan Islam di tanah air. Pasalnya, masjid ini dipercaya sebagai tempat berkumpulnya para Wali Songo yang menyebarkan Islam di Demak.
Masjid tua yang dibangun pada 1477 oleh Raden Fatah bersama Wali Songo ini, berlokasi di pusat Kota Demak. Hanya berjarak 26 km dari Semarang, 25 km dari Kudus, 30 km dari Grobogan, dan 35 km dari Jepara – Jawa Tengah.
Pembangunan Masjid Agung Demak melalui tiga tahap.Tahap pertama dilakukan pada 1466 ketika masjid ini masih berstatus Pondok Pesantren Glagahwangi di bawah asuhan Sunan Ampel. Pada 1477, masjid dibangun kembali sebagai masjid Kadipaten Glagahwangi Demak.
Setahun kemudian, ketika Raden Patah dinobatkan sebagai Sultan I Demak, masjid ini direnovasi dengan penambahan tiga trap. Masjid yang hampir keseluruhan materialnya menggunakan kayu jati ini memiliki luas sekitar 31×31 meter persegi, dengan serambi terbuka berukuran 31×15 m.
Masjid ini juga memiliki bedug raksasa berukuran 3,5×2,5 m, dan tatak rambat berukuran 2,5×3 m . Keseluruhan, masjid ini ditopang 128 soko atau tiang dan 94 tiang penyangga. Pada bagian tengah atap masjid ditopang empat buah tiang kayu raksasa (saka guru), yang dibuat langsung oleh empat orang Wali Songo. Tiang di sebelah tenggara dibuat oleh Sunan Ampel, sebelah barat daya oleh Sunan GunungJati, dan sebelah barat laut dibuat Sunan Bonang. Sedangkan tiang di sebelah timur laut tersusun atas beberapa balok sumbangan Sunan Kalijaga yang diikat menjadi satu.
Menilik arsitekturnya, Masjid Agung Demak ini mengusung gaya arsitektur tradisional dengan atap berbentuk lima persegi. Kesan megah, anggun, sekaligus karismatik tampak nyata melalui arsitektur masjid ini. Atap limas pada masjid ini tersusun atas tiga tingkat yang bermakna seorang beriman harus menapaki tiga tingkatan penting dalam kehidupan rohaninya, yaitu iman, Islam, dan ihsan.
Masjid Agung Demak juga telah dicalonkan untuk menjadi Situs Warisan Dunia UNESCO semenjak tahun 1995.
1. Books - Read voraciously. Books are a treasure trove waiting to be discovered. Become a regular visitor to your local library and you can enjoy their rewards without a high cost. When you're in the library, browse the stacks. A gem can appear anywhere and may not show in a search. Consider classic literature, world and travel books, history, science, and whatever topics you come across. A map may lead to a glimmer about a place you've dreamed of visiting and the cultural influences of the people.
2. Music - Listen to music. Start with the genre or artist that is your favorite, but don't be afraid to branch out into other types of music. A pop music lover should enjoy pop but also take side trips into country, blues, rock, classical, or rap. Feel what moves you.
3. Art - Go to a museum. Visit a museum in your area. Small or large, it doesn't matter. If your area doesn't have a museum, go to a flea market or an art festival. Check out the Museum of Bad Art or the Liberace Museum or the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. Fine art and horribly bad art each have their own twinkle.
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Unless you are a sporty type, do not purchase a racing or mountain bike simply because they're the 'it' bikes of the sporting world. There's no need to ride complex bikes if you don't know their main purpose and the possible problems they may lead you to. With that said, it is best to check the following basic information about the different types of bikes:
Mountain or All-terrain
These bikes are made for varied terrains and have sixteen to twenty-four gears. They also have suspension systems, hydraulics, and sturdy features.
Aside from toggling with gears, you'll have to be familiar with the basic riding techniques especially on sloping terrain. This bike is not idea to use if you're a newbie and just starting to learn how to ride because you will need to learn how to use and switch the gears.
Racing
Sometimes referred to as 'racers', they are light but quite challenging to ride. These bikes are made for speed and racing enthusiasts are often experienced in riding these on the road. They also have multiple gears, aerodynamic wheels, and minimal accessories. If you'll notice, racing riders are quite light and lean, and these help in increasing and maintaining their riding speeds with ease.
Road
Road bikes are truly made for riding on flat roads and city streets. There are sub-types based on their features and function, as well as their built. A fixie bike can be considered under the 'road' category since it has a fixed gear and is primarily built for riding on smooth and flat roads.
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A MULTIFUNCTIONAL FOOD
Cocoa is an exceptional source of poly phenols, a class of molecules that are distinguished for their high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities which interferes with the development of several chronic diseases.
For example, the regular consumption of dark chocolate reduces the risk of being statistically touched by cardiovascular diseases: Several studies show that dark chocolate significantly reduces blood pressure and interferes with the formation of blood clots, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
These protective effects are observed only in dark chocolate containing at least 70% of cocoa paste: sweet chocolate tablets invading grocery stores and convenience stores contain only traces of cocoa paste lots of sugar, saturated fat and therefore lots of calories and therefore do not have much to do with real dark chocolate.
Fortunately, you can now easily find good 70% chocolate at very reasonable prices and these products deserves to be part of our daily eating habits. Dark chocolate is not a luxury reserved only for special occasions like Valentine's Day!
A PREVENTION AGAINST COGNITIVE DECLINE
Each year, about 5% of people aged 70 and over are starting to show affection by a slight decline in their cognitive functions, manifested mostly by memory lost problems.
In short terms, those memory losses just cause minor inconveniences, but they can become more disabling if the neuron function continues to deteriorate while aging.
To determine whether the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of poly phenols present in dark chocolate could ameliorate cognitive functions, a team of Italian researchers recruited 90 volunteers aged 65 to 82 years (mean 71 years) who had clinical signs of a beginning of cognitive decline.
These individuals were divided into three groups, each of them took a daily drink of chocolate containing high amounts (990 mg) intermediate (520 mg) or low (45 mg) of poly phenols. In parallel, the diet of these people was closely monitored to eliminate any other sources of poly phenols a way to better discern the effects related to the consumption of presents molecules in chocolate.
After eight weeks of treatment, the cognitive function of those volunteers was determined with the aid of a battery of tests measuring memories, for both short-term and long termedcognitive functions in their set.
The results obtained are very interesting: compared to those of the group who drank a beverage low in poly phenols, those who consumed high quantities of these molecules showed a significant improvement of memory and had superiors cognitive functions during the test results, and those results only two months after having started the treatment!
NEURONS IN GOOD HEALTH
The mechanisms responsible for these effects to remain positive has to be better understood, but it could be due to a significant improvement in the sensitivity to the action of insulin in people who consume high amounts of poly phenols.
Insulin is a very important hormone for the maintenance and function of brain cells and recent data indicate that resistance to this hormone, as observed in type 2 diabetes, contributes to cognitive decline and the development of the Alzheimer's disease.
Dark chocolate to counteract the loss of memory? A health advice, which should be unanimous!
Rock Climbing Equipment can be divided into several different types. Based on what type of climbing you're doing, it will vary - whether you're going to stay in the gym, get outdoors and sports climb, or participate in trad climbing.
Rock Climbing Equipment that you'll need for each type of climbing is as follows:
- Indoor Top-Rope Climbing: Harness, Climbing Shoes, Chalk Bag (optional).
- Sports Climbing: Harness, Climbing Shoes, Chalk Bag, Dynamic Climbing Rope, Belay Device, Helmet, Sling with attached Carabiner (personal protection), Quickdraws, and 4 carabiners with long slings to set up a top-rope anchor.
- Trad Climbing: As per the Sport Climbing rack, although you will also need pieces of protection to set in the rock, which include Nuts (Wires), SLCDs (Spring-Loaded Camming Devices) a.k.a Cams, and Hexes, if you so wish.
Try to keep things as simple as I can and only give a brief summary about each component of rock climbing equipment.
- Harness: Comes in a variety of different forms but basically acts to hold your torso upright and provide an attachment point for the ropes.
- Rock Climbing Shoes: On any moderately difficult route you'll need climbing shoes in order to use the smaller foot-holds on the rock.
- Chalk Bag: To store chalk, which will keep your hands dry when you're climbing and stop you from slipping.
- Dynamic Climbing Rope: Obviously to provide some form of protection when you're climbing. The rope needs to be dynamic climbing rope in order to absorb the force from
- the fall.
- Belay Device: A device used to provide a large amount of friction to arrest a fall from the climber.
- Helmet: to protect your skull from loose rock or dropped gear!
- Slings: Either made of nylon or dyneema, these are very strong and are basically used in all parts of climbing, especially for setting protection. Note they are static and cannot absorb force, so you cannot climb with a static rope for protection.
- Quickdraws: Pre-rigged carabiners which allow you to clip rope as you climb
- Nuts/Hexes: Passive pieces of protection which you physically set into the rock
- SLCDs: Uses outward mechanical force to arrest falls.
This is not an exhaustive list of every single piece of equipment - there is plenty more that you can learn about climbing gear, which will also help you climb with more confidence. However, having rock climbing equipment is a wonderful part of the sport as it allows you to use fantastic technology to keep yourself safe.
Please note that rock climbing equipment can be dangerous if used incorrectly and you should only use it if you have been shown the proper method and application of the gear.
Copyright 2013 - L. Tiong
Leonard Tiong from rock-climbing-training.com, my training site. I've been climbing outdoor for a little over a year and very much love the sport, but am always surprised at how many things people overlook in terms of safety and wish to correct this! Please visit my website and subscribe for more detailed information.
Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou, 21 July 1948), commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, humanitarian, education philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam.
His early 1970s record albums Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat were both certified triple platinum in the United States by the RIAA. His 1972 album Catch Bull at Four sold half a million copies in the first two weeks of release alone and was Billboard's number-one LP for three consecutive weeks. He has also earned two ASCAP songwriting awards in consecutive years for "The First Cut Is the Deepest", which has been a hit single for four different artists.
Stevens converted to Islam in December 1977 and adopted the name Yusuf Islam the following year. In 1979, he auctioned all his guitars for charity[10] and left his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community. He has been given several awards for his work in promoting peace in the world, including the 2003 World Award, the 2004 Man for Peace Award, and the 2007 Mediterranean Prize for Peace. In 2006, he returned to pop music with his first album of new pop songs in 28 years, entitled An Other Cup. He now goes professionally by the single name Yusuf. His most recent album, Roadsinger, was released on 5 May 2009.
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If you go onto YouTube you will see there are mountain bike competitions for downhill, and for rather exotic trails, often modified with jumps and other features. It seems to me that having a drop-in strategy to allow these mountain bikes to get up to speed makes a lot of sense. It also means that smaller hills can serve the same purpose as larger mountains because the entry speed would be greatly increased. Now then, what I have in mind is a new concept, and I call it a BikeDrome. Why did I pick this name? Well because in ancient times there were Seadromes for warships, and at the beginning of the aviation era there were Airdromes, which today would be called simply; airports.
That sounds like a place to plug in your electric bike or some added feature on the bike to plug in your iPhone. It's not that either of those ideas are a bad concept, we need more of those too, perhaps even a WiFi mountain bike to text message, watch videos, and get your emails. Nevertheless, at some point it's time to stop doing all of the personal tech and start riding your bike not only to stay in shape, but also to show what you're made out of, to see if you can go the distance, and to see if you have the balls it takes to do the tricks without chickening out.
A BikeDrome would be a drop-in system which hooks on your back tire and tows you backwards up a near vertical wall you put your feet on the side in little trays which are slides. Once you are towed up to the top, you can press a release button and you slide down onto the trail or onto a ramp with a burst of speed. This would be the perfect system to get maximum speed before you start. That is if you are tough enough to handle it. Please consider all this and think on it.
In 1988, Tyson became the lineal champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks after 91 seconds. Tyson successfully defended the world heavyweight championship nine times, including victories over Larry Holmes and Frank Bruno. In 1990, he lost his titles to underdog James "Buster" Douglas, by a knockout in round 10. Attempting to regain the titles, he defeated Donovan Ruddock twice in 1991, but he pulled out of a fight with undisputed heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield due to injury. In 1992, Tyson was convicted of raping Desiree Washington and sentenced to six years in prison but was released after serving three years. After his release, he engaged in a series of comeback fights.
On March 26, he was sentenced to six years in prison followed by four years on probation. He was assigned to the Indiana Youth Center (now the Plainfield Correctional Facility) in April 1992,and he was released in March 1995 after serving three years. During his incarceration, Tyson converted to Islam
In 1996, he won the WBC and WBA titles after defeating Frank Bruno and Bruce Seldon by knockout. After being stripped of the WBC title, Tyson lost his WBA crown to Evander Holyfield in November 1996 by an 11th round TKO. Their 1997 rematch ended when Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield's ear.
In 2002, he fought for the world heavyweight title at the age of 35, losing by knockout to Lennox Lewis. He retired from professional boxing in 2006, after being knocked out in consecutive matches against Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003, despite having received over US$30 million for several of his fights and $300 million during his career. Tyson was well known for his ferocious and intimidating boxing style as well as his controversial behavior inside and outside the ring. Tyson is considered one of the best heavyweights of all time. He was ranked No. 16 on The Ring's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. and No. 1 in the ESPN.com
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What is Turkish coffee?
There are a few debates about this question among experts of the Turkish coffee subject. They are separated into two main categories.
(A) The type. Turkish style coffee is the only powder ground coffee. Roasted beans are ground very finely until a powder coffee substance comes out of the mill.
(B) Making method. This brewing is the first method of coffee preparation in the world. It was invented by the Turks around 1600 AD.
The answer to this question is the combination of both categories. Turkish coffee is a powder type coffee that you brew it in a unique method.
There are many countries in the world that drink this hot beverage as the main caffeine drink in their everyday life. Most of them though, if not all, have changed the original name to resemble mostly their ethnic or region identities. Greek, Serbian, Armenian, Israeli and Arabic coffee are a few examples.
How to make Turkish coffee.
Its brewing method is considered unique. It is the only coffee that you actually cook it. The coffee must come to a simmer point while brewing. This is the major difference of Turkish coffee to the other brewing methods (Espresso, Drip filtration, French press, etc.). Other dissimilarities include the thick-rich foam on the top and the grounds at the bottom of the demitasse cup.
Have also in mind the following small details before you proceed to make it:
- You add sugar in the beginning of its brewing process (if you are going to use).
- Turkish coffee is a black, strong coffee. You make it with water. You don't serve it with milk on the side.
- You don't need any spoon in the serving saucer. You don't stir because the grounds must settle at the bottom of the cup.
You can follow this simple recipe for great results.
- First of all you should acquire a special coffee pot which is the most suitable utensil to hold the foam of the coffee. Then you mix in the pot ground Turkish style coffee (1 full teaspoon per person) with cold water (1 demitasse cup per person) and sugar (optional & depending on taste - usually 1 teaspoon is considered enough).
- Place the pot on low heat. Stir its contents well and let it cook for a while. Before the coffee reaches the boiling point, remove the pot from the heat. Allow the froth to settle down. Follow this procedure for 2 more times.
- Divide coffee and foam into demitasse cups. (A failure to produce enough foam for all persons is regarded as a non-successful brewing attempt). Serve with a glass of cold water. The glass of water issue is very important in Turkish coffee serving. Since the coffee is strong and bitter water will clean your palate and will prepare the mouth for the flavor. If you want to show professionalism in serving then you can accompany it with Turkish delights (small pieces of soft, sugar dusted candies with gummy texture).
The album was unable to recapture the momentum of Deep, and in the post-grunge alternative landscape, the more pop-flavored album seemed anachronistic, and the choice of the odd, disheveled-Murphy Anton Corbijn photo used on the cover baffled many fans. In 1995, Murphy embraced a lower-key, ambient pop sound for Cascade, featuring producer Pascal Gabriel, guest work from "infinite guitarist" Michael Brook, and overall a much stronger incorporation of electronics.
This album was also to be his last major collaboration with Paul Statham, who departed to form Peach Union with Pascal Gabriel and eventually write songs for Dido and Kylie Minogue. Cascade was also Murphy's last original release for Beggar's Banquet records, which had been his label since Bauhaus. Shortly after this departure, Murphy recorded the Recall EP for the newly-formed Red Ant records, featuring a few new songs and some new, heavily electronic versions of older material, reworked in conjunction with Sascha Konietzko, Bill Rieflin and Tim Skold of the band KMFDM. Once again, he became label-mates with former Bauhaus alums Love and Rockets, who had also signed to Red Ant. This generated a significant number of rumours regarding a possible reformation of Bauhaus.
While Red Ant quickly folded, Bauhaus did reform in 1998 for the Resurrection tour, one performance of which (at the Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City) was recorded and released on DVD by Metropolis Records as Gotham. The tour was a success, although Murphy refused to perform certain songs, because of his adherence to Islam, such as "Stigmata Martyr" and "St. Vitus' Dance." He cited their religious overtones as objectionable.
He is the first solo artist to hold both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts "twice". Akon has had four songs certified as 3x platinum, three songs certified as 2x platinum, more than ten songs certified as 1x platinum and more than ten songs certified as gold in digital sales. Akon has sung songs in many other languages like Spanish, Hindi etc. He was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the #1 selling artists for master ringtones in the world.
Let us now have a detailed look at its manufacturing process. The best pu-erh tea is made from a special kind of leaf which is known as broad leaf or da ye. It can be found in old wild tea trees, which are first picked and then put through a delicate maturation process. This process culminates in the creation of maocha which is nothing but 'rough tea'. This maocha is then made to go through either of the two processes. In one, it is pressed immediately into tea cakes, after which it is categorized as green/raw pu-erh while in another, it undergoes an artificial process of aging for thirty to forty days where each day, the leaves are spun, water splashed over them, covered with cloth and finally left for fermenting. Once fermentation is done, the process of drying and pressing into cakes takes place, followed by classification as black/cooked pu-erh. This process gives you an idea of how healthy the final product can be.
Let us now take a look at how your health can be benefited by the best pu-erh tea. Firstly, it can be effective in reducing cholesterol, protecting connective tissue, lowering blood pressure and attacking free radicals inside the body. One of the studies done to compare the effects of oolong, black, green and black/cooked pu-erh teas on cholesterol clearly point to this fact. The research was done on rats and a noticeable increase of good cholesterol known as HDL-C and a decrease of bad cholesterol namely LDL-C was witnessed in the rats that were fed pu-erh. Interestingly, the rats which were given the other variants, had erratic decreases in both cholesterol types. This basically indicates that this wonder beverage enables you to have the best of both worlds. On one hand, it increases the cholesterol that is needed and on the other, reduces the one that is harmful.
Secondly, it is capable of inhibiting internal dampness. It is basically a condition in which internal energy builds up since the spleen is unable to convert the energy received by it from the stomach. The best pu-erh tea has the ability to revitalize and stimulate the activity of the stomach and spleen. Other benefits include weight loss, promotion of blood circulation, improved eyesight, toxin removal from the body and relief from dysentery.
Thus, if you still stuck on iced tea, it is time to give it a break and try this immensely beneficial variant instead. Or else you can have both alternately.
The solution?
For many people the solution would be to make a list of all the key elements in their business plan. But lists are linear and the Mind doesn't think in a linear fashion. The Mind thinks in terms of associations, hierarchy, image, color, form, and pattern. So to organize your ideas and generate new ideas, a Map is much more effective than a list. In fact, at the back of your Mind, you probably already have a vaguely defined map of your online business. A Mind Map is simply a way of putting that structure down on paper.
Mind Mapping, also known as 'Radiant Thinking', is a technique that was developed in the 1970's by Tony Buzan. A Mind Map consists of a central word or concept, with 5 to 10 main ideas radiating out from that central concept.
Here's an example of a Mind Map for an Internet Business.
At the center of a blank page are the words 'My Internet Business Plan', circled. Radiating out from those central words are seven key ideas, or Basic Organizing Ideas (BOIs): Search Engine Listings, Ezine Ads, Newsletter, Link Exchange, Writing Ezine Articles, Website, Affiliate Programs. Each of these BOIs is connected to the central circle by outward-pointing arrows, like the branches of a tree.
Jackson converted to Islam in 1989 after a trip to Bahrain and publicly expressed his religious beliefs during his appearance on Big Brother. While filming the program, Jackson prayed and fasted. He also expressed his hopes to convert his brother Michael to Islam, saying it would provide him with peace and help to heal his problems.
Jermaine LaJuane Jackson (also known as Mohammad Abdul Aziz) (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5 and occasional film director. He also produced and recorded duets with American singer Whitney Houston in her early years as a recording artist and was also a producer for Bobby DeBarge's band Switch.list of "The hardest hitters in heavyweight history". He has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.
Jackson is the fourth child of Joseph and Katherine Jackson, born in Gary, Indiana after his brother Tito Jackson. His siblings are Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, La Toya, Marlon, Michael, Randy and Janet. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness by his devout mother (though he later converted to Islam in 1989 after a trip to Bahrain). Jermaine was the original lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the Jackson Brothers—an earlier incarnation of The Jackson Five—until 1968, when younger brother Michael began assisting with lead vocals. He remained the lead vocalist with Michael for many years. Jackson graduated from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California in 1973
Originally known as Cassius Clay, at the age of 22 he won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston. Ali changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964, subsequently converting to Sunni Islam in 1975. In 1967, three years after Ali had won the heavyweight championship, he was publicly vilified for his refusal to be conscripted into the U.S. military, based on his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War. His 1966 statement, "Man, I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong", was one of the more telling remarks of that era.
Ali was eventually arrested and found guilty on draft evasion charges; he was stripped of his boxing title, and his boxing license was suspended. He was not imprisoned, but did not fight again for nearly four years while his appeal worked its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was eventually successful.
Ali would go on to become the first and only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion.
Nicknamed "The Greatest," Ali was involved in several historic boxing matches. Notable among these were three with rival Joe Frazier, which are considered among the greatest in boxing history, and one with George Foreman, where he finally regained his stripped titles seven years later. Ali was well known for his unorthodox fighting style, epitomized by his catchphrase "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee", and employing techniques such as the Ali Shuffle and the rope-a-dope. Ali brought beauty and grace to the most uncompromising of sports and through the wonderful excesses of skill and character, he became the most famous athlete in the world. He was also known for his pre-match hype, where he would "trash talk" opponents, often with rhymes.
Broadcaster and journalist Lauren Booth, 43 - Cherie Blair’s half-sister - said she now wears a hijab head covering whenever she leaves her home, prays five times a day and visits her local mosque ‘when I can’.
She decided to become a Muslim six weeks ago after visiting the shrine of Fatima al-Masumeh in the city of Qom.
Before her awakening in Iran, she had been ‘sympathetic’ to Islam and has spent considerable time working in Palestine.
Miss Booth, who works for Press TV, the English-language Iranian news channel, has been a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq.
In August 2008 she travelled to Gaza by ship from Cyprus, along with 46 other activists, to highlight Israel’s blockade of the territory.
She was subsequently refused entry into both Israel and Egypt.
In 2006 she was a contestant on the ITV reality show I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here!, donating her fee to the Palestinian relief charity Interpal.
She said she hoped her conversion would help Mr Blair change his presumptions about Islam.
During her visit to Iran last month, Booth wrote a public letter to Mr Blair asking him to mark Al-Quds (Jerusalem) day - a protest at Israel's occupation of Palestine.
The missive was a bitter attack on the former Prime Minister, who is now a Middle East envoy working for peace in the troubled region.