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Renowned US social justice activist and writer Shaun King and his wife, Rai King, converted to Islam on the first day of Ramadan. The live broadcast of the couple reciting their Shahadah, or testimony of faith at the Valley Ranch Islamic Centre in Dallas, Texas, was shared on Instagram by Imam Dr. Omar Suleiman on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
The 44-year-old former Christian pastor is known for his support for the democratic party and movements such as Black Lives Matter. He has been particularly vocal about the plight of the Palestinian people in the ongoing Israel attack, which has left over 31,000 people dead and over 72,000 injured.
Shaun King cited the “past six months of suffering, pain, and trauma that we’ve seen in Gaza” as a reason for his decision and even donned a Palestinian keffiyeh on Sunday. As clips of the activist’s conversion spread, internet users were quick to express their skepticism. One brought up his past on @ilmfeed's X post of his video and said:
Shaun King and Rai King are high school sweethearts who married in 2001
Shaun King is married to Rai King, an elementary school teacher of 20 years who transitioned into an instructional coach. The couple are high school sweethearts who married in 2001. In September 2021, the couple celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary, taking a weekend getaway to East Hampton.
Rai co-hosts a podcast called W.O.C. at Work with Dr. Blanca Ruiz. It is centered around stories of women of color in workspaces.
Rai and Shaun King share five children, two of them being adopted. They welcomed their first child together, Kendi, in 2002. Their eldest son, Ezekiel, was born in 2006, followed by Savannah in 2009.
The pair have fostered a number of their nieces and nephews, including their second adopted daughter, Zayah. They began caring for their niece Taeyonna in 1999, and in 2004, they were granted her legal custody.
"Inshallah this doesn't turn out like another Andrew Tate": Netizens react to Shaun King's conversion
Several users criticized the former Pastor, saying his conversion was a scam and a publicity stunt. They expressed doubt about his fundraising efforts, remarking that it was just his "next hustle." Notably, Shaun King has been accused of mismanaging similar funds which do not reach its intended recipients in the past. Here are some comments seen under @ilmfeed's post on X:
Shaun King has been a controversial figure in the US politics. In a 2016 Facebook post, he claimed he was a Christian and even had been a pastor for a decade. However, a year later, he commented he "was a Christian pastor for nearly 15 years," stirring questions.
In December 2023, he claimed Meta blocked his IG account due to his advocacy for the Palestinians since October 7.
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