Woman converted to Islam dies hours later; Expatriates and Emiratis attends funeral

DUBAI: A woman from Ukraine, Daria Kotsarenko, passed away hours after arriving in Dubai and converting to Islam. The news was disseminated by a popular social media account dedicated to funeral prayers in the country.

Numerous Emiratis and expatriates gathered at Al Qusais Mosque to offer funeral prayers for Daria on Friday. Photos of the event were shared on the social media account janaza-uae. Daria had no relatives or friends in Dubai. She had initially come to the UAE on a tourist visa and was seeking employment when she became attracted to Islam.

Having originally practiced Christianity, Daria converted to Islam on March 25. She passed away a few hours later, reportedly due to a heart attack, as reported by the UAE media outlet Khaleej Times. Despite her brief time as a Muslim, Daria had observed her first fast of Ramadan.

In a similar occurrence in November 2022, 93-year-old Louise Jen Mitchell, also known as Um Yahya had passed away shortly after embracing Islam. At that time, Um Yahya was residing in the UAE with her son. The photos of her funeral were shared by the social media account janaza-uae, with many expatriates and Emiratis attending the ceremony.