Zaid Shakir
Born in Berkeley, California to a family descended from African, Irish and Native American roots, Imam Shakir spent his formative years in housing projects. These early experiences instilled in him a compassionate and realistic work ethic, as well as an unshakeable desire for social change and economic justice. And, as an American who came of age during the civil rights movement, he brings both sensitivity about African-American and poverty issues and scholarly discipline to his faith-based work.
It was while serving in the Air Force that he accepted Islam in 1977. He remained in the military for four years and received an accommodation medal for his dedicated service. His purposeful goal to work for the common good of all, led him to earn a BA in International Relations from the American University in Washington, DC in 1983. A summa cum laude graduate, Imam Shakir went on to receive his Masters in Political Science from Rutgers University where he was also a student leader.
After a sabbatical year in Cairo, Egypt where he studied the Arabic language, Imam Shakir accepted the position of Professor of Political Science and Middle East Studies at Southern Connecticut State University. In Connecticut, he also served as interfaith council Chaplain at Yale University and developed the Chaplaincy Sensitivity Training for physicians at Yale New Haven Hospital. Additionally, Imam Shakir continued his work as a spiritual and community leader.
For seven years in Syria and briefly in Morocco, the Imam immersed himself in the intense study of Arabic, Islamic law, Quranic studies, and spirituality with some of the top traditional Islamic scholarsof our age. He graduated from Syria’s prestigious Abu Noor University and returned to Connecticut in 2001. Since 2003 Imam Shakir has served as resident scholar and lecturer at the Zaytuna Institute, in Hayward, California.
He has continued his spiritual, academic and community work, speaking and writing extensively on religion, socio-political and race issues. Imam Shakir has been invited to lecture at several prominent universities including Stanford, UCLA, Berkeley, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Rutgers, and Temple University. He is the author of the groundbreaking books "Heirs of the Prophets" and "Scattered Pictures", and has written for several notable publications including The New Haven Register and the Washington Post.
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. He is one of the signatories of A Common Word Between Us and You[1], an open letter by Islamic Scholars to Christian Leaders, calling for peace and understanding.