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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 2, 1993                   TAG: 9304020008
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS                                LENGTH: Short

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TYSON CONVERTING? IT'S ONLY A RUMOR

Former heavyweight champion Malik Abdul Aziz? Not yet, say associates of Mike Tyson. On Thursday they emphatically denied a newspaper report that Tyson is about to convert to Islam and change his name.

Yes, Tyson is attending classes on Islam - mixed with math instruction and other subjects - but he's still Mike Tyson, his lawyer says.

"He's not changing his name and not converting," said lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who said he spoke to Tyson on Thursday afternoon. "Someone is circulating false stories."

"He told me, `When my Islamic teacher comes to me I talk about Islam; when you come to me we sometimes talk about the Jewish faith.' "

The New York Post reported the former heavyweight champion plans to become a Muslim and adopt a new name within a month. It said he had selected the name Malik Abdul Aziz.

The newspaper identified Muhammad Siddeeq, a Muslim and teacher in the Indianapolis Public Schools, as Tyson's spiritual adviser. Siddeeq is a volunteer chaplain at the Indiana Youth Center just southwest of Indianapolis where Tyson is being held, prison officials said.

But Siddeeq said he was not Tyson's spiritual adviser and called the report of an imminent Tyson conversion "unfounded."

Tyson is in a group of 50 inmates studying Islam, mathematics and other subjects, Siddeeq said.

"My focus is to lead the prayer and to bring the teaching to the inmates," he said.

From London, promoter Don King said, "I'll believe it when I see it. I don't want to hear any of this Muslim stuff. The most important thing for me is to get Mike out."

Keywords:
BOXING

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