Shaun King pictured on March 8, 2017, in Seattle, Washington. | Supply: Karen Ducey / Getty
Videos and pictures on social media exhibiting Shaun King and his spouse talking in an obvious Arabic dialect with a non secular official whereas wearing conventional Muslim garb have been going viral on Sunday amid stories the previous Christian pastor now “embraces Islam.”
A social media account with greater than 200,000 followers that describes itself as sharing “Optimistic tales about Muslims” posted video footage of Shaun and Rai King accompanied by the next message: “Author and activist Shaun King and his spouse have embraced Islam. Allahu Akbar.”
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The video had been appreciated 1000’s of occasions shortly after it was posted on Sunday evening, which additionally marked the beginning of Ramadan, a significant Islamic vacation.
The individual with whom the Kings are talking within the video was Dr. Omar Suleimon, who identifies himself as an imam – a non secular Muslim chief – “initially” from Palestine, the identical place the place harmless girls and kids have been below siege amid an ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
It’s additionally the place Shaun King has been ardently advocating for.
Did Shaun King actually convert to Islam?
The imagery going viral on social media urged Shaun King had transformed to Islam.
Marc Lamont Hill — the creator, faculty professor and TV pundit who was famously fired by CNN for publicly condemning the therapy of Palestinians in Israel — posted a video Sunday evening entitled, “Shaun King Converts to Islam!!!”
Shaun King’s page on Wikipedia, which is notoriously user-generated and could be edited on a whim, claimed with none quotation that “He grew to become Muslim alongside together with his household on the primary day of Ramadan 2024.”
Except for the Palestinian advocacy work and activism, the reported conversion is very notable as a result of Shaun King has beforehand spoken brazenly about how essential his Christian religion was to him.
In one Facebook post from 2016, Shaun King wrote that he was “a Christian” who was “really a pastor for practically 10 years.” In another Facebook post just a little greater than a yr later, Shaun King wrote that he “was a Christian pastor for practically 15 years.”
The Islamic Society of North America’s website says Shaun King was “a pastor at Whole Grace Christian Heart in DeKalb County, Georgia.”
In line with Pew Research Center data from 2018, it’s typical for a lot of extra Muslims to transform to Christianity than the opposite method round.
Shaun King and Palestine
Shaun King’s advocacy for the Palestinian folks has come largely within the type of social media exercise. However in December, he introduced that one in all his principal advocacy avenues – Instagram – had banned his account as a result of, as he stated, he was “preventing for Palestine.”
In a subsequent Fb publish, King defined that “Instagram has banned me for preventing for Palestine, and talking up for the human rights and dignity of Palestinians.”
Within the Fb publish, King accused Israel of “genocide” and stated he had been utilizing his Instagram account to assist present the world the atrocities confronted by Palestinians who have been additionally utilizing their accounts to share the unspeakable imagery of dying and accidents, together with these of harmless girls and kids.
Shaun King had devoted his Instagram to documenting the plight of Palestinians amid the battle in Gaza ever because the Hamas militant group launched a lethal assault in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
As of Sunday evening, Shaun King’s Instagram account remained deactivated.
Practically 31,000 Palestinians have been killed, greater than 72,000 injured and about 300,000 have been dealing with famine since that violence erupted, in response to data from Al Jazeera.
Shaun King is amongst a growing number of Black Americans who are showing solidarity with the Palestinian people, whose experiences within the face of terror have been likened to the Black expertise within the U.S.
Shaun King’s status
Regardless of the righteous imagery of Shaun King and his spouse “embracing Islam,” there was additionally a great quantity of skepticism expressed on social media in a nod to how the activist has for years been dogged by unfounded allegations of scamming in an effort to line his pockets by way of on-line donations.
“Shaun King timing his conversion to Islam on the primary evening of Ramadan to maximise publicity,” one account on X, previously Twitter, posted. “Unbelievable unserious stuff.”
Another wrote: “I don’t care that Shaun King simply reverted to Islam. We will query every thing.”
It was possible that kind of doubt that prompted Shaun King final month to reassure his devoted followers on Fb that there was nothing nefarious about his efforts to advocate on behalf of Palestine partly by fundraising.
“100% of the cash I’ve raised for any individual or group in Palestine goes to that individual or group. Interval,” Shaun King wrote on the time. “Anyone saying in any other case is both a liar, a Zionist, a plant, or ignorant.”
Shaun King insisted that he “NEVER a single day in my life saved, held, possessed, or in any other case even touched a PENNY I’ve raised for a household or group. In Gaza. In America. Or wherever else. The cash I elevate NEVER involves me. It at all times goes straight to households.”
He known as individuals who don’t consider him “a liar straight from hell.”
He additionally oncluded the prolonged publish with a promise that he has seemingly made good on: “I’ll NEVER cease.”
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