LZN
16-06-2003, 11:15
Kristiane Backer was born in a Protestant family and grew up in Hamburg, Germany. At age 21, she joined Radio Hamburg as a radio journalist. Two years later, she was chosen among thousands of applicants as the new presenter of MTV Europe, and consequently moved to London. "It was brilliant - I was in my twenties, I lived in Notting Hill, I was the new girl in town and so I was invited everywhere, photographed by the paparazzi, the works. I met lots of famous people (everyone from Robbie Williams to Lenny Kravitz), and had a great time. I seemed to spend most of my salary on clothes. I got to travel all over Europe, always to the best places - Barcelona, Istanbul, Paris; once I even went to Boston to interview the Rolling Stones, and I went on the road with Prince for a week. I was the number-one woman on MTV and was literally on television all the time: I presented the Coca-Cola report and the European Top 20, I interviewed bands and millions of people recognized me all over Europe. At a rock concert once I stood on stage in front of 70,000 people." For the next seven years, she would be hosting many different shows on MTV, interview many musical stars. But despite living such glamorous life style in the showbiz world, she had a spiritual yearning. "I was always drawn to the spiritual world, but I didn't do anything about it." Then in 1992, by "pure chance or destiny" she met Imran Khan, then captain of the Pakistani cricket team. That was the first time she met a Muslim. She and Khan, who was also discovering his faith, had many discussions on Islam. He gave her some books on Islam and she started to study Islam. "I began to challenge my prejudices and look behind the headlines. I read the Koran and it all started to make sense." "I realized I wasn't fulfilled by that whole rock 'n' roll lifestyle. I felt that what I was doing was pointless; it wasn't a great contribution to society." As she studied Islam, she looked into some of the issues carefully, such as the issue of women in Islam. "As a modern westerner with a career, of course I had to look into Islam's attitude to women - I couldn't be oppressed all of a sudden. But I discovered that it is pro-women and pro-men; in Islam, women had the right to vote in the year 600. Men dress modestly, women dress modestly; neither should flirt with the eyes, but rather they should lower their gaze. I think it's unhealthy to flaunt your sexuality - it attracts the wrong energy back." "I stopped wearing miniskirts and started wearing longer clothes on TV ... I'm shocked at how many women wear so few clothes to get into the headlines and on the front page - it's really degrading." Finally, she accepted Islam. She now prays five times a day and fasts during Ramadan. "I used to drink champagne at parties every night, but now I don't touch any alcohol." In 2001, she went to Mecca. "It was wonderful, I came away feeling happy and at peace." "I was at the height of my career, but it was soul destroying, I couldn't do it any more." After having enjoyed the showbiz world "to the max", she realized that there was nothing new there for her and it was not the goal of life. She became interested in other areas. She went to Westminster University and studied natural medicine including herbs, aromatherapy, qui gong, Chinese medicine, flower essence, and homeopathy. "This course opened another fascinating world to me, the holistic way of seeing man and nature, health and disease, how things are connected." She now has her own homeopathic clinic in Germany. She is also involved with a project to develop a range of natural cosmetics and food supplements using traditional healing substances and exotic oils found in Arabian countries. She also studied at Birkbeck University on Religious Studies including Islamic art, Islamic medicine, and social and political issues in Islam. Backer was also involved in a number of charitable works. In 1998 she organized & co-ordinated a very successful high profile Art Exhibition and Concert in association with the Bosnian Ambassador to the UN, Mohammed Sacirbey in the presence of the President of Bosnia as part of the Bridge Project which was dedicated to uniting the three different factions of the people of Bosnia. She was an executive member of the charitable organization "Learning for Life". In 2001, Learning for Life organized an even to raise fund for the Afghan refugees, of which she was the host. She visited Pakistan many times with friends and observed a lifestyle and value system that was very different than what she knew in the West. She saw that despite being poor, the people were very warm, hospitable, and generous. "I went hiking in the mountains in Pakistan and saw very poor people who had a smile on their face and a light in their eyes that was astonishing; a taxi driver went four hours out of his way to make sure I got home safely. In the West, in my high-flying media life, people were so tight with their time and their money, they wouldn't go out of their way to help you - they would take drugs and drink a lot but I didn't meet many who were really happy." She continues to host many events In Europe. She is fluent in English and German and also speaks Italian and French. In Islam, she discovered a whole new life. "It was the greatest gift I ever received.".