posted 12-18-2003 03:21 PM                    

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JACKO FINDS ISLAM

By CINDY ADAMS, BARRY BORTNICK and DAVID K. LI
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December 18, 2003 -- EXCLUSIVE

The King of Pop is restyling himself Jacko X.

Michael Jackson last night became a member of the Nation of Islam - and sources told The Post his religious changeover comes along with a shake-up of his personal staff.

High-ranking members of the Nation of Islam have been working to bring Jackson into Rev. Louis Farrakhan's flock - and Jackson's conversion is now well-known in the NOI community.

Exactly why Jackson converted wasn't clear to The Post's sources.

But Fox News's Web site reported yesterday that Jackson's brother Jermaine, who converted to Islam in 1989, has been seeking to win favor with his more famous sibling, and has brought Farrakhan's chief of staff, Leonard F. Muhammad, into Jacko's inner circle as a "bodyguard."

That's just one of many changes under way in Jackson's inner circle, sources said.

Word of Jackson's religious conversion comes as prosecutors prepared to formally file charges against him in a California child-molestation case - and as authorities agreed to return Jackson's passport to him so he can travel to Great Britain this weekend.

Jackson isn't expected to return until Jan. 6, lawyers said in court papers. Lawyers also agreed to put off Jackson's arraignment for five days, until Jan. 16.

Jackson remains free on $3 million bail after he surrendered to authorities and was arrested on Nov. 20. Two days earlier, cops tore through Neverland, his amusement-park-style estate just outside Los Olivos, Calif., looking for evidence to back up molestation claims made by a 14-year-old boy.

Although there's talk that some in Jackson's camp want to replace defense lawyer Mark Geragos, the high-priced Hollywood attorney appeared in firm control yesterday, and met privately in the afternoon with Santa Barbara County District Attorney Thomas Sneddon.

Sneddon said he plans to file the charges personally this afternoon at the courthouse in Santa Maria, Calif.

The King of Pop has vigorously denied the molestation claims.

L.A. County social workers in February cleared Jackson of allegations he molested that boy. But former Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Thomas has said he believes the alleged Santa Barbara County molestation took place after the L.A. County probe.

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