American activist Jeffery Shaun King and his wife Rai converted to Islam on the first day of Ramadan. During an Instagram Live session led by American Muslim scholar Omar Suleiman, a friend of King for more than a decade, they said the Shahadah. King, 44, wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh, shared that recent events in Gaza, marked by suffering, pain and trauma, influenced his decision. He has spoken out in favor of Palestine and against the attacks on Gaza, which have so far killed more than 31,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured more than 72,000.
King, known for his support of the Palestinian cause and his criticism of the attacks on Gaza, regularly shared messages about the destruction there and called for an end to the attacks. His activism led to a ban on his Instagram account with more than six million followers, although it remains unclear why Meta deactivated his account.
Shaun King, who has experienced racism and hate crimes against him and his family, grew up in Kentucky and was committed to social justice, especially the Black Lives Matter movement. He has contributed to various media and campaigned for civil rights. He lives with his wife in New York, where they raise five children, two of whom are adopted.