Zaid Shakir: Difference between revisions

Imam Zaid Shakir
Imam Zaid Shakir
	File:Zaid Shakir 0407 069 4x72.jpg Zaid Shakir on PBS interviewed by Bill Moyers, in New York, 2007
Born	Ricky D. Mitchell; May 24, 1956; Berkeley, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Islamic Scholar and Author
Website	Zaid Shakir.com

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Imam Zaid Shakir (born Ricky D. Mitchell, 1956) is a prominent American Islamic Scholar, and Writer, who moved with his family in 2003 to serve as a Professor and Lecturer at Zaytuna Institute in California, United States, where he now teaches regular courses on Arabic, Law, History, and Islamic Spirituality.

Early life

Born in Berkeley, California, he accepted Islam in 1977 while serving in the United States Air Force, and shortly after changed his name to Zaid Salim Shakir. A summa cum laude graduate, he obtained a BA in International Relations at American University in Washington, D.C. and later earned his MA in Political Science at Rutgers University. While at Rutgers, he led a successful campaign for disinvestment from South Africa, and co-founded a local Islamic center, Masjid al-Huda.^{[citation needed]}

After a year of studying Arabic in Cairo, Egypt, he settled in New Haven, Connecticut and continued his community activism, co-founding Masjid al-Islam, the Tri-State Muslim Education Initiative, and the Connecticut Muslim Coordinating Committee. As Imam of Masjid al-Islam^[1] from 1988 to 1994 he spear-headed a community renewal and grassroots anti-drug effort, also accepted the position as Professor and taught political science and Arabic at Southern Connecticut State University. He served as an interfaith council Chaplain at Yale University^[2] and developed the Chaplaincy Sensitivity Training for physicians at Yale New Haven Hospital. Zaid Shakir now particapates as a speaker in reviving the Islamic spirit.^{[citation needed]}

Years Abroad

Shakir then left for Syria to pursue his studies in the traditional Islamic Sciences. For seven years in Syria, and briefly in Morocco, he immersed himself in an intense study of Arabic, Islamic law, Quranic studies, and spirituality with some of the top Muslim scholars of our age. In 2001, he was the first American graduate from Syria's prestigious Abu Nour University and returned to Connecticut, serving again as the Imam of Masjid al-Islam, and writing and speaking frequently on a host of issues.

In 2003, as a scholar-in-residence at Zaytuna Institute located in California, Shakir began to teach Arabic, Law, and Islamic Spirituality. And, in 2008, he co-founded the Berkeley, California based Zaytuna College dedicated to the revival of Islamic Sciences and the preservation of traditional teaching methods.

He has traveled all over the world lecturing about Islam and contemporary issues. Shakir has translated several classical texts from Arabic^[3]. He has been a special quest and interviewed twice on Bill Moyers in January 18, 2002 and June 22, 2007, a prime time TV station network PBS. He is the first Islamic Scholar to spearhead a nationwide initiative Bite The Bug^[4], along with many partners who are passionately concerned about matters plaguing Muslims regardless of culture, geography, language or race. This mission is to raise national awareness and demonstrate that the American Muslim community is compassionate, empathetic and action-oriented about basic maladies within the world.

A 200 page report entitled, “The 500 Most Influential Muslims” edited by noted professors John Esposito and Ibrahim Kalin was published November 20, 2009 by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (Jordan) and the Prince Alwaleed Bin-Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (Georgetown University) describes Imam Zaid Shakir as “one of America’s most influential Scholars” in the West^[5]. As an American Muslim who came of age during the civil rights struggles, he has brought both sensitivity about race and poverty issues and scholarly discipline to his faith-based work. He is married and has one adopted son ^[6]. Shakir was born in Berkeley, California and spent his formative years in Connecticut.

He is a frequent speaker at local and national Muslim events and has emerged as one of the nation’s top Islamic Scholars and a voice of conscience for American Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Shakir has also been featured on the Washingtonpost.com and Newsweek blog, On Faith.

Shakir clearly stated in a 2009 interview with USA Today, "as a faith community our needs aren't any different than the needs of any other faith community. As Muslims, we need to develop institutions to allow us to perpetuate our values." ^[7]

Publications

Books authored

Books translated with additions

Books which include his foreword or note

Papers

External links

U.S. Muslim Clerics Seek a Modern Middle Ground New York Times
ZaytunaCollege.org First Accredited Muslim College in the United States, co-founded by Imam Zaid Shakir

References

^ "Masjid Al-Islam". 2010-20-2. Retrieved 2010-02-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Religious Ministries". 2003-12-09. Retrieved 2003-12-09.
^ = NID Publishers "Treatise For The Seekers of knowledge". 2008-09-01. Retrieved 2008-02-02. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
^ "Bite The Bug". 2009-05-09. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
^ http://search.uis.georgetown.edu/search?q=The+500+most+influential+muslims&btnG=Search&client=default_frontend&site=default_collection&output=xml_no_dtd&proxystylesheet=default_frontend
^ http://www.zaytuna.org/teacherMore.asp?id=10
^ [1]

[1] "Masjid Al-Islam". 2010-20-2. Retrieved 2010-02-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[2] "Religious Ministries". 2003-12-09. Retrieved 2003-12-09.

[3] = NID Publishers "Treatise For The Seekers of knowledge". 2008-09-01. Retrieved 2008-02-02. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)

[4] "Bite The Bug". 2009-05-09. Retrieved 2009-09-09.

[5] ttp://search.uis.georgetown.edu/search?q=The+500+most+influential+muslims&btnG=Search&client=default_frontend&site=default_collection&output=xml_no_dtd&proxystylesheet=default_frontend

[6] ttp://www.zaytuna.org/teacherMore.asp?id=10

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 Shakir clearly stated in a 2009 interview with ''[[USA Today]]'', "as a faith community our needs aren't any different than the needs of any other faith community. As Muslims, we need to develop institutions to allow us to perpetuate our values." ''<ref>[http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-05-18-islamic-college_N.htm&hl=en&strip=1.]</ref>
-==Criticism==
-While many have cited Imam Shakir as example of Islamic moderation, his critics have questioned his moderate credentials. In his book ''[[America Alone]]'', [[Mark Steyn]] challenges the characterization of Shakir as a moderate Muslim, citing a ''[[New York Times]]'' article in which Shakir states, "Every Muslim who is honest would say, I would like to see America become a Muslim country. I think it would help people, and if I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be a Muslim. Because Islam helped me as a person, and it's helped a lot of people in my community."<ref>{{cite book |title=America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It |last=Steyn |first=Mark |authorlink=Mark Steyn |year=2006 |page=78 }}</ref>
-In February 2010, Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, President of the [[American-Islamic Forum for Democracy]] and a former [[lieutenant commander]] in the [[United States Navy]], criticized Shakir's response to the [[Fort Hood shooting]] in which the Imam wrote:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://seekersguidance.org/blog/2009/11/responding-to-the-fort-hood-tragedy-imam-zaid-shakir/ |title=Responding to the Fort Hood Tragedy |author=Imam Zaid Shakir |date=13 November 2009 |work= |publisher=SeekersGuidance |accessdate=28 April 2010}}</ref>
-<blockquote>I begin by expressing my deepest condolences to the families of all of the dead and wounded. There is no legitimate reason for their deaths, just as I firmly believe there is no legitimate reason for the deaths of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi and Afghani civilians who have perished as a result of those two conflicts. Even though I disagree with the continued prosecution of those wars, and even though I believe that the US war machine is the single greatest threat to world peace, I must commend the top military brass at Fort Hood, and President Obama for encouraging restraint and for refusing to attribute the crime allegedly perpetrated by Major Nidal Malik Hasan to Islam. We pray that God bless us to see peace and sanity prevail during these tense times.</blockquote>
-Jasser said that "as an American Muslim," he was "frankly offended" with these comments which he believes reflect Shakir's "disdain for our military."<ref>{{cite news |title=Failing at force protection: The misguided Pentagon report on the Ft. Hood massacre |author=M. Zuhdi Jasser |newspaper=The Daily Caller |date=8 February 2010 |url=http://dailycaller.com/2010/02/08/failing-at-force-protection-the-misguided-pentagon-report-on-the-ft-hood-massacre/ }}</ref>
-However, [[Ingrid Mattson]], the President of the [[Islamic Society of North America]] said Zaid's response (see in full [http://seekersguidance.org/blog/2009/11/responding-to-the-fort-hood-tragedy-imam-zaid-shakir/]) was "a compelling response to the Fort Hood tragedy" and "solidly grounded in the Islamic legal, ethical and intellectual tradition."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.isna.net/articles/News-Briefs/Imam-Zaids-reponse-to-Fort-Hood.aspx |title=Imam Zaid's reponse to Fort Hood |author=Ingrid Mattson |date= |work= |publisher=Islamic Society of North America |accessdate=28 April 2010}}</ref>
 ==Publications==