Controversial activist Shaun King’s announcement that he converted to Islam at the start of Ramadan is being treated skeptically by some, who are alleging the move was part of a push to raise money.
After his conversion, King announced a five-city jaunt, called the “Uncensored Tour,” selling tickets for between $60-$125.
King and his wife converted to Islam at a mosque in Texas, after which he attributed his decision to Israel’s war against Hamas, which has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
“I don’t know that I would be here today without the past six months of suffering and pain and trauma that we’ve seen in Gaza,” King said. “So many men and women and families there have welcomed me as their friend and have allowed me to walk with them through their grief and their pain, but also through their faith, and strength, and resilience.”
King recently also launched a fundraiser to “Provide Hot Meals During Ramadan in Gaza w/ Shaun King” on LaunchGood, which has raised $900,000 of its $1.3 million goal.
King’s past fundraising efforts have been criticized, with reports questioning if the money he raised reached its intended recipients.
The Daily Beast reported in 2022 that King made a six-figure salary from the nonprofit he formed in the wake of George Floyd’s death and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests. And the mother of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy killed by police while carrying a toy gun, rebuked King for using a conversation between the two of them to fundraise.
She called him a “selfish self centered person” who never had her permission to raise money and “an imposter that can not be trusted,” referencing allegations that King is not biracial as he claims.
King’s antics have earned him frequent detractors online, many of whom highlighted the tour as potentially dubious.
“Shaun King hasn’t been Muslim for more a DAY and he’s already trying to [fundraise off] the Islamic world,” wrote one person of King’s “Uncensored Tour” supporting Gaza.
“Shaun King’s religious calendar this week 3/10 – convert to Islam 3/15 – sell premium tickets to Iftar,” someone else wrote.
“120$ “uncensored iftar” tickets… oh that took no time at all,” said another X user, who went on to question how the tour would actually support Gaza.
“someone please explain how these two will bring us hope during times of genocide and how it will aid gaza (the website doesn’t say, i checked),” she wrote.
One person commented: “This tour is just to have a ‘conversation’ with those two [people] with Macklemore as a special guest in one of the events, so not even a single Palestinian is being platformed. The website doesn’t mention if (at least part of) the ticket sales are going towards a charity. All information provided is vague.”
