NID RELEASES THE ANTICIPATED “MARTIN & MALCOLM” EVENT DVD WITH DR. CORNEL WEST AND IMAM ZAID SHAKIR

HAYWARD, Calif. – March 1, 2006– New Islamic Directions (NID), is an organization dedicated to disseminating the work of Imam Zaid Shakir, released the highly anticipated footage from the landmark event, Martin & Malcolm: Implications of their Legacies for the Future, today.

On Dec. 2, 2005, Princeton University Professor, Dr. Cornel West and Imam Zaid Shakir, resident scholar at Zaytuna Institute in Hayward, Calif., came together for a night of thought provoking and insightful public dialogue on the lives and legacies of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center in Oakland, Calif. These two dynamic speakers reflected upon what Martin and Malcolm meant, not only in the American political context of the 1960s but what their legacies mean for us today and in the planning of our futures.

The DVD release offers intimate footage of the event with two powerful keynote voices from both the political and spiritual mainstreams, Dr. Cornel West and Imam Zaid Shakir. Dr. West and Imam Shakir’s introspective speeches call the viewer to delve deeper into the rich histories of both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X., to explore the groundwork that these two phenomenal individuals laid during the American Civil Right’s Movement and to listen and act upon that struggle today. In addition to the moving speeches from both speakers, the DVD also includes profound commentary from Civil Rights leader and friend of Malcolm X, Yuri Kochiyama; UC Berkeley Professor Hatem Bazian, and Amir Al-Islam, Professor at Medgar Evers College in New York; as well as a direct and open “Question & Answer” session with the audience.

Both Dr. West and Imam Shakir have been regaled with praise for their tireless efforts to inspire and incite social change. “Imam Zaid spoke of establishing ethical economic projects for the mutual benefit of all communities,” one audience member said adding “Dr. West spoke of the importance of emulating Martin and Malcolm in our efforts to serve society.”

The DVD will be available immediately for purchase at the NID Website:
www. NewIslamicDirections.com, or by calling NID directly at (866) 496-8598 or
(510) 614-8317.

About Dr. Cornel West
Dr. Cornel West has been described as one of America’s most vital and eloquent public intellectuals. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and earned his graduate degrees from Princeton University. Dr. West has taught at Yale University, Harvard University, Union Theological Seminary, and University of Paris, and currently teaches at Princeton University. With books like Restoring Hope and Democracy Matters, as well as his two CDs, Sketches of My Culture and Street Knowledge, Dr. West teaches how the growing divisions in our society foster the despair and distrust that undermine our democratic process. With his appearances in and commentary on the Matrix Trilogy, he continues to explore new avenues for teaching and communicating. For more information concerning Dr. West, please visit http://www.cornelwest.com.

About Imam Zaid Shakir
Imam Zaid Shakir is amongst the most respected and influential Muslim scholars in the West. He obtained a BA sigma cum laude in International Relations at American University in Washington D.C. and later earned his MA in Political Science at Rutgers University. From 1988 to 1994 he taught as an Adjunct Professor of Political Science and Arabic at Southern Connecticut State University. For seven years in Syria and briefly in Morocco, he immersed himself in an intense study of Arabic, Islamic law, Quranic Studies, and Islamic spirituality with some of the top Muslim scholars of our age. In 2001, he graduated from Syria’s prestigious Abu Nur University. Currently, as a scholar-in-residence and lecturer at Zaytuna Institute, he teaches regular courses on Arabic, Islamic Law, History, and Islamic Spirituality. Amongst several works that he has translated from Arabic into English, is his translation of “Scholars Are The Heirs of the Prophets” in 2001. His latest work in 2005 is entitled, “Scattered Pictures: Reflections of An American Muslim.” For more information concerning Imam Zaid. Please visit http://www.zaidshakir.com.

About New Islamic Directions

New Islamic Directions is dedicated to disseminating the work of Imam Zaid Shakir through print and audio formats. NID is the official source for the distribution and broadcasting of lectures, articles, and related materials produced by Imam Zaid Shakir. It is our intention to make accessible to the public material that will further the work of Islamic understanding and advocacy in the West.  http://www.newislamicdirections.com