Interview:Nobody forced me to change my religion

Liz Anjorin comes out to address what people as been saying about her recent change of religion belief. This the exact from her interview.Is that how people just switch?My name is still Liz. I amElizabeth Aishat Anjorin. I havealways been a Muslim. It is justthat I am a very confidentialperson; not many people knowabout it. That is why it soundsnew to so many people now.So how come it became apublic knowledge and iseven causing side talkshere and there?It was because I went on Hajj.That was how so many peoplegot to know about my religion.You know that my name isElizabeth, a Biblical name; sowhen I went on Hajj, everybodyhad to notice that I practiseIslam.Have you always been aMuslim?My father was a Christian andmy mother was a Muslim. Aftermy mother’s death, I decidedto practise her religion. Evenbefore her death, I had wantedto go for Hajj but there was nochance.Stories started flying roundwhen this story broke.Some said you found a rich‘Alhaji’ who insisted youmust convert to Islambefore he married you…People must talk and if they don’t, they will die. But to answeryour question, I don’t thinksuch can happen. I don’t seewhy any man would tell me tochange my religion before he canmarry me. Funny enough, myboyfriend is not even an Alhaji.Going on Hajj was something Idesired. It is not even meant forMuslims alone. If you believe inGod, go to the Holy City andpray to your God and yourprayers would be answered.People from all over the worldcome there.Was your baby’s father aMuslim?Oh yes. The baby’s late fatherwas a Muslim. He gave mydaughter a Muslim name. We allbelieve in one God. There is nodichotomy.  I don’t have tojudge anybody and say theperson’s religion is bad. Weare all one before God. I am stillproud of my name, Elizabeth. It isjust that when you go for Hajjand come back, you have to bemore modest. It is just that I amhuman and I am a young ladywho is still single. I am free tolive my life. If I get married andmy husband wants me to beEleha (woman in purdah), then Iwill do it. If I marry a pastor andmy husband wants me to be apastor, I will do it. I have to besubmissive to my husband. Fornow, I am a young girl, so I thinkI am still free to follow my heartand do what I want to do. Butwhen you go for hajj, you havethe fear of God and you believein God.So you have changed sinceyou came back?Yes. Before now, I could doanything. I could talk anyhow.But now, I caution myself. I can’t destroy myself talking theway other people talk.Did you go to Mecca sothat people will perceiveyou as a nice, holy lady?Anybody who is saying such mustbe jobless. I saw all thecomments people posted on theInternet because of my trip toMecca. I know some people said Iwas a bad girl and I wanted tolive a holy life and that was whyI had to go to Hajj. Those peoplewho say such, have they everseen me in a party? Have theyseen me where I shouldn’t be?I am not a saint but I know Ihave been a wonderful person. Ifa lady like me can work and dosome other things withoutanybody’s knowledge, thenpeople should pray for me.Anybody saying such negativething hasn’t seen me. It is noteasy. If a guy of 27 can ask meout, then you know that I am avery decent lady to the core. Ifyou keep yourself decent, itshows on your body. I don’tfix nails except on location. I don’t wear fake eye lashes. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink. Icherish my sleep at night. I don’t club, I cover my body. Sowhy would anybody term me abad girl? If I were bad, I wouldbe struggling. I am not sayingthat I am a saint but I will say itagain and again, I am a verydecent girl. I don’t misuse mybody. Do I even have that time?You don’t smoke, you don’t drink and you don’tdo so many bad things butwas it not reported thatyou and Iyabo Ojo foughtover a man back then?Anybody who says such is justjobless. It is so annoying. Youdon’t judge anybody. You don’t even have the right to dothat. Let them talk. That is theirheadache. I am not going to sayanything.But there is a recentpicture where you dressedso sexy. You didn’t wearthe long dresses ….If I am at a movie location,nothing stops me from dressingthat way. Even when I am notat a location, I have never reallydressed seductively. I don’treveal my body. I always covermy body. it is very hard forpeople to know that I evenwear tattoo. It is only at alocation or when you see posterpictures that you would knowthat. There is a differencebetween your personality andyour job. For a malegynaecologist who is an Alhaji,don’t women open their legsfor him to check them? It is hisprofession. People should pleasecorrect this impression. I am anactress. If I am given a role, Imust interpret it. We arepreaching and trying to correctanomalies with our movies. Weare just acting. Even withoutgoing to Mecca or Jerusalem, Ihave never liked dressingseductively. You can still bebeautiful without exposing yourbody. The more you are evencovered up, the more beautifulyou look. So, the picture yousaw is a poster picture. I havealways worn long gowns and Ibet you, I look more beautifulthan those who wear scantyattires. Attending event is partof my job; if I weren’t acelebrity, I could wear anythingto any event and nobody wouldnotice. But I am a role model. Ilove to wear something unique. Iam a young lady. The way youdress attracts the calibre ofpeople that come to you. If youdress decently, mature mindsapproach you. If you dress in afunny way, such people will cometo you.So many people wouldexpect you to finally settledown now…People believe it is one Alhajithat sent me to Mecca. Ok o;when it is time for me to getmarried, I will let them know. Itmight be tomorrow, it might benext. I don’t know the timebut everybody will know whenwe get there. All I am interestedin is my business.You are into business aswell?Oh yes. I am into fashion. I havea fashion house and it keeps meso busy. I buy clothes from somany countries and I sell.Have you left acting?No. I am working on my newmovie,Kofo the First Lady. It isa sequel to Kofo Tinubu. Wehave the same characters in themovie but different story.So you and Iyabo Ojo havefully made up, no morequarrel?No. we don’t have any quarrelwhatsoever. She even featuredin my movie. I don’t have anywahala with anybody. We aredoing so fine, so great.Which faction of Associationof Nigerian TheatrePractitioners do you belongto?I am a member of ANTP. I don’t belong to any faction. All Iknow is that I am an actress. Ibelong to my shop and mybusiness. I don’t know what isgoing on there. If you ask mewhat is happening in my shop, Iwill tell you the latest.One actress came out tosay publicly that actressesin the Yoruba movieindustry practise lesbianisma lot; are you aware of it?I wouldn’t know I swear. I don’t even have time. As aproducer, if you waste my time, Igo back to my business and myshop. Lesbianism? Haba! I don’tthink Yoruba actresses can dosuch. Yoruba people are wellcultured. If you do any stupidthing, there is something called‘oriki.’ You have to becareful of what you do. And thatis why I always say the way youdress will determine how peoplewill approach you. They can’tapproach me. How will you eventhink of ‘toasting’ me whenyou are a woman? Before youwill even open your mouth toask me out, I will slap you andbeg God for forgiveness. Whywould I get into such when menare everywhere searching for wives.Source Punch.