Lauren Booth (Tony Blair's sister-in-law) embraces Islam

Lauren Booth, journalist, campaigner and on-air reporter for the Iranian government-owned Press TV channel in London, is not the first western woman to convert to Islam. But she is one of the most high-profile converts. For good or ill, this is largely based on the fact that she is the colourful sister-in-law of Tony Blair, the former British prime minister - and because she has been a loud critic of his military ventures from the outset.

Her adoption of the Muslim faith is rooted in something rather more profound than family disputes. Yet despite Lauren Booth's longstanding affinity for the Palestinian cause in particular, it was all a bit of a surprise. Reaction to the news of her conversion was immense.

"Well, in 48 hours I've had over 600 messages of congratulations and love. From the Philippines to Peru; from East Timor to East Grinstead. Every Muslim who has Wi-Fi seems to be sending me congratulations and saying they will support me in the difficult times ahead. Because, let's be honest, I haven't joined a trendy religion; I haven't taken up Scientology with the wealthy. This is a difficult one and it is done with real conviction."

Was the conversion a spur-of-the-moment thing or had there been a slow drift towards a religion and way of life that she had increasingly become comfortable with?

"It seems pretty dramatic to people who haven't been working with me for the past five years. What's interesting to me is that when I tell Palestinian friends, Christians and Muslims, they tend to say, 'We thought you were a Muslim already!' It wasn't a spiritual change at first, but when I began to appreciate the complete falsity in the reporting of Muslim communities and the way they live their life, and for what we are constantly being sold as an excuse for war in the West, mainly that these people are violent, they hate westerners, that their religion is one of hate and aggression - when you see all of that - and when you see the reality, you really do begin to wonder."

For all the hype, the conversion itself was covered in a rather cursory fashion in the British press. Booth was en route to Isfahan, about 350km south of Tehran, for some reporting. On the way, however, she stopped at a shrine in Qom dedicated to Fatima Masuma. Masuma was a highly esteemed figure in Islam, an adviser to sheikhs on the teachings of Muslim scripture because she was so well versed in the Quran.