Mixed martial arts fighter Jeff Monson told that he plans to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy city of Muslims, in December this year or next January.
Monson, 53, converted to Islam in June. In October, Monson told that he and his wife Ekaterina held a wedding ceremony in Ufa according to Muslim customs.
— I am going to perform the small hajj. I was very happy when I received an invitation to Saudi Arabia – to Mecca. My wife was also invited. We plan to make the pilgrimage, perhaps in December or January. On this trip, we will visit Medina and Mecca, the pillars of Islam, the holy cities of Muslims. We are very happy and inspired by this and are looking forward to this journey.
This will be my first visit to Saudi Arabia. I had been to the Middle East before – to the United Arab Emirates several times – but never to Saudi Arabia. But I always wanted to go there. Cradle of Islam. We’re very excited in a positive way.
One of the main things that appeals to me about all of this is meeting new people and connecting with different people. It’s interesting for me to do this not only with Muslims, but in general with people of another culture – to find out what motivates them, their culture and understand what is important to them.
Because that’s how you… You understand how to defeat fascism in this world – by traveling, by meeting different people, by understanding different cultures. You then understand that everyone has their place in this world. When people accept and care about others, that’s the way the world should be. And this is what I learned from Islam. This is why I converted to Islam. And that’s why I go traveling: to meet lots of different people.
I make the pilgrimage to Mecca not only to fulfill my obligation as a Muslim, but also to talk to others, learn from others and teach them something. That’s what it’s all about,” Monson told .
Last year, Monson told that he had given up his passport as a US citizen and now only has Russian citizenship.
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Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
