Shaun King & His Wife Convert To Islam: They ‘Loved & Supported Us Through Some Of The Darkest Periods In Our Lives’

Shaun King & His Wife Convert To Islam: They ‘Loved & Supported Us Through Some Of The Darkest Periods In Our Lives’

Activist Shaun King and his wife, Rai King, have converted to Islam.

A video shared online showed Shaun and Rai King pronouncing Shahadah, a testimony of faith, under the guidance of Sheik Omar Suleiman.

After Shaun King recited the Shahadah in Arabic and English, he passed the microphone to his wife, who was wearing a brown hijab and also took the oath. According to reports, the couple declared their new faith at a mosque in Texas on Sunday (March 10). 

US writer and activist Shaun King has embraced Islam alongside his wife Rai.
The couple were seen in a video declaring their faith at an Islamic community centre. pic.twitter.com/kvPKbtuqZR

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) March 11, 2024

While there, Shaun shared his longtime friendships with Sheik Omar Suleiman, Malcolm X’s journey to Islam, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. 

“It has touched me in the most profound ways to see people right now in the most dangerous, traumatic place on the planet still be able to sometimes look at nothing but rubble and the remains of their family and still see meaning and purpose in life.”

He later added,

“More than anything, it’s been friendships and the deep devotion and faith of the Palestinian people that have moved my heart.”

Following their conversion to Islam, Shaun’s wife, Rai King, officially announced the news on her Instagram today (March 11).

She captioned her lengthy post, in part, 

“First, this decision has been years in the making for Shaun and I both and was initiated by the deep kindness of our Muslim friends over the years. I’ve been so moved by the Muslim community’s devotion to living out their faith. So many have loved and supported us through some of the darkest periods of our lives. They have prayed for us (often unbeknownst to us), fed us, and just been a tangible example of true community. It has always touched my heart, but eventually made me want to know more about what made them so incredibly kind and loving.”

Rai went on to acknowledge that she’s always been interested in the Muslim community, but she never converted to Islam because she was “raised a Christian and loved the church.” 

Rai added, 

“The change in my heart happened over a matter of weeks. Be careful what you say you’ll “never” do. God laughs at our plans.”

Shaun reposted his wife’s post on his Instagram Story as well.

The pair’s journey to Islam came as Ramadan 2024 started at sundown on Sunday (March 11). It ends on Tuesday, April 9. During this period, Muslims are encouraged to fast, give to charity, show kindness and patience, and strengthen their relationship with God.

Over the past few years, Shaun has been a big advocate for promoting social justice causes, notably the Black Lives Matter Movement on social media. He was also reportedly credited as leading a successful social media campaign that led to the identification and arrest of three of the men behind an assault on a Black man, DeAndre Harris, in 2017.

However, some of Shaun’s activities have faced accusations of fiscal mismanagement and complaints from colleagues through the years.

How do you feel about Shaun King and his wife converting to Islam? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

[VIA, 1, 2]