{{Infobox religious biography | name = Shaker Elsayed | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = | caption = | religion = Islam | nationality = Egyptian, American | location = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1951}} | birth_place = Cairo, Egypt | death_date = | death_place = | period = June 1, 2005 – June 9, 2017 | predecessor = Mohammed Adam El-Sheikh | title = Imam of Dar Al-Hijrah | previous_post = Muslim American Society; Secretary General (2000–05) | alma_mater = University of Houston }} '''Shaker Elsayed''' (born 1951) is an Egyptian–American imam who was posted at the Dar Al-Hijrah mosque in Falls Church, Virginia from 2005 to 2017, when he resigned because of backlash stemming from his comments about female genital mutilation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.islamonline.net/LiveFatwa/English/Guestcv.asp?hGuestID=er8Qo2 |title=Guest CV: Shaker Elsayed |publisher=IslamOnline |accessdate=November 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103040805/http://www.islamonline.net/livefatwa/english/Guestcv.asp?hGuestID=er8Qo2 |archivedate=January 3, 2010 }}</ref> He was born in Cairo, Egypt.
==Educational background and scholarship==
Elsayed has an undergraduate degree in economics and independent Islamic studies from Cairo, and has done graduate work in educational administration and psychology at the University of Houston in Texas. He has translated the Quran into English.<ref name="washingtontimes2005"/>
==Muslim American Society Secretary General==
Prior to becoming imam at the mosque, Elsayed was Secretary General of the Muslim American Society (MAS) from 2000 to 2005.<ref name="washingtontimes2005">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/jul/05/20050705-102130-1010r/print/ |title=Activist imam puts politics into sermons |work= Washington Times |date=July 6, 2005 |accessdate=November 14, 2009}}</ref><ref name="google3684">[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=r4AVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dvADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3684,7348936&dq=shaker-elsayed&hl=en Barakat, Matthew, "The Religious is Political for Virginia Imam], ''Eugene Register-Guard'', July 30, 2005, accessed November 13, 2009</ref> While still at MAS, in 2004 Elsayed was also on the mosque's executive committee.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A14497-2004Sep11?language=printer|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121217195201/http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A14497-2004Sep11?language=printer|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 17, 2012|last=Murphy|first=Carol|title=Facing New Realities as Islamic Americans |newspaper= Washington Post |date=September 12, 2004 |accessdate=November 14, 2009}}</ref>
Elsayed described the 2002 hunt by federal agents for evidence against Sami Al-Arian as "a war on Muslim institutions."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nysun.com/editorials/under-the-tampa-palms/77484/ |title=Under the Tampa Palms |publisher= New York Sun |date= February 21, 2003|accessdate=November 14, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2002/03/22/Worldandnation/Muslims_denounce_raid.shtml|last=Jacoby|first= Mary|title= Muslims denounce raids linked to Al-Arian |publisher= St. Petersburg Times |date=March 22, 2002 |accessdate=November 14, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NTkwMTIyZmU4YWRhMjMyZDAyYjI1MzI2ZGVlNDM2ODI=#more |last= Mowbray|first=Joel |title=Sami Al-Arian Defense|publisher= National Review |date=March 19, 2003 |accessdate=November 14, 2009}}</ref> Al-Arian ultimately made a plea agreement, pleading guilty to conspiracy to help a "specially designated terrorist" organization, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.<ref name="Laughlin-plea">[http://www.sptimes.com/2006/04/23/Hillsborough/In_his_plea_deal__wha.shtml Laughlin, Meg, "In his plea deal, what did Sami Al-Arian admit to?," ''St. Petersburg Times'', April 23, 2006, accessed November 13, 2009]</ref>
When three defendants who were part of the Virginia jihad network were convicted in March 2004 of conspiring to help wage violent jihad in Kashmir and possibly against American troops in Afghanistan, Elsayed said "It is evident that Muslims should not expect justice. Muslims are besieged after 9/11, for no fault of their own."<ref>{{cite news|last=Dao |first=James |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/05/us/3-american-muslims-convicted-of-helping-wage-jihad.html |title=3 American Muslims Convicted of Helping Wage Jihad |work= The New York Times |date=March 5, 2004 |accessdate=November 14, 2009}}</ref>
In April 2005 Ali Al-Timimi went on trial for treason for verbally encouraging people to train for jihad and to attack the US. Elsayed said: "He is not accused of anything except talking. It's all about him saying something. If this isn't a First Amendment issue, I don't know what is."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23697-2005Apr3.html |last= Markon |first=Jerry |title=Terrorism Case Puts Words of Muslim Leader On Trial in Va. |newspaper= Washington Post |date= April 4, 2005|accessdate=November 14, 2009}}</ref> After Al-Timini's conviction, Elsayed said that "Ali never opened a weapon or fired a shot, and he is going to get life imprisonment for talking. What kind of country are we turning the United States into today?"<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/26/AR2005042601548.html|last=Dwyer|first=Timothy |title=Prosecution Called 'Overzealous' |newspaper= Washington Post |date= April 26, 2005|accessdate=November 14, 2009}}</ref>
==Religious and political views== In 1990, he was the principal of the Al-Ghazly Islamic School in Jersey City. The children of El Sayyid Nosair, who was convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the killing of Meir Kahane, attended the school until 1989. Elsayed said about Kahane's killing: "It was not a violation [of Islamic law], in the sense that Kahane adopted a position against all Arabs and Muslims. He put himself in that category."<ref>{{cite news |last=Hedges |first=Chris |date=November 13, 1990 |title=F.B.I. Investigates Groups of Zealots Who Praise Kahane Slaying |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/13/nyregion/fbi-investigates-groups-of-zealots-who-praise-kahane-slaying.html |accessdate=March 18, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Defense: Juror 'bias' in terror verdicts |work=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/US/9510/terror_trial/update/ |accessdate=May 23, 2010}}</ref>
Elsayed told worshippers, "Islam forbids you to give allegiance to those who kick you off your homeland, and to those who support those who kick you off your homeland,"and explained afterwards the statements are in opposition to US foreign policy, not against American people.<ref name="washingtontimes2005" /> At the same time Elsayed spoken strongly towards American patriotism, stating that Muslim Americans "are in love with their country" and stand firm in promoting their country's safety.<ref name="Pulitz">{{cite news|author= Jon Sawyer |url=http://pulitzercenter.org/blog/news-points/muslims-and-america-faith-line |title=Muslims feel the pressure of terrorism crackdown |publisher= Pulitzer Center |date=December 4, 2005 |access-date=March 21, 2014}}</ref> "Shaker Elsayed is more like a political figure than a religious figure", said M.A. Muqtedar Khan of Adrian College in Michigan, who worshiped at the Dar Al-Hijrah mosque for several years. "Dar al-Hijrah is a very Arab-centric mosque, very much centered on Arab politics."<ref name="washingtontimes2005" /> Elsayed unequivocally condemns terrorism and states that the mosque actively publicizes it to the public.<ref name="Pulitz" />
Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, who was convicted of plotting to assassinate President George W. Bush, worshiped at Dar al-Hijrah. Elsayed spoke out on behalf of his family. He described Abu Ali's confession as "laughable",<ref>{{cite news|author= Terry Frieden |url=https://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/14/abu.ali.plea/index.html |title=Man pleads innocent to al Qaeda aid in Bush plot |publisher= CNN |date=March 14, 2005 |access-date=November 14, 2009}}</ref> and said that Abu Ali and other young Muslims were being unfairly accused by the Justice Department.<ref name="washingtontimes2005"/><ref name="google3684"/>
In June 2017, he made comments suggesting that female genital mutilation prevents 'hypersexuality', but later apologized for his statements.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hauslohner |first=Abigail |date=June 5, 2017 |title=A Virginia imam said female genital mutilation prevents ‘hypersexuality,’ leading to calls for his dismissal |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/06/05/virginia-mosque-embattled-after-imam-said-female-genital-mutilation-prevents-hypersexuality/ |website=The Washington Post}}</ref> He resigned as imam on June 9 over the incident.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Sarah Pulliam |last2=Hauslohner |first2=Abigail |date=June 9, 2017 |title=Leading imam quits as debate over women’s ‘hypersexuality’ boils over at major U.S. mosque |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/06/09/imam-resigns-mosque-cleric-female-genital-mutilation-hypersexuality/ |website=The Washington Post}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[https://books.google.com/books?id=4GWIAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Shaker+El+Sayed%22 El-Sayed, Shaker, ''Fasting in Islam: a handbook'', Islamic Center of Washington, D.C. (1987)]
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sayed, Shaker}} Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:Clergy from Cairo Category:Egyptian Muslims Category:Egyptian emigrants to the United States Category:American imams Category:University of Houston alumni Category:People from Falls Church, Virginia Category:American Muslim activists Category:Muslims from Virginia