Harris Sultan is a Pakistani-born Australian author and ex-Muslim atheist activist. He has written a famous book titled The Curse of God: Why I Left Islam (2018). Harris Sultan talks about several topics related to atheism, religion, secularism, and humanism.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Harris Sultan was born in Lahore, Pakistan. He moved to Australia when he was 19 years old. He completed his schooling at a Christian school in Lahore. He completed his 11th and 12th standard education from the Govt. College Lahore. In 2003, he moved to Australia for his undergraduate studies. In 2007, he graduated in IT and became an Australian citizen in 2008. [1]In-sight Publishing He was a follower of Islam religion in his teenage but later, he left the religion and became an atheist. He even mentioned his journey from a Muslim to an atheist in his book, where he wrote,
I grew up as a Muslim, went to the mosque for the Jumma (Friday) prayers, and read the Quran in Arabic as per the tradition, but a lot of things still didnât make sense. There came a point in my life when âGod did itâ no longer made sense to me.”
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 11″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Light Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
There is not much information about Harris Sultan’s parents. His father was an engineer in Saudi Arabia. His family left Saudi Arabia when he was two years old. He has a sister. He has a dog named Charlie.
Harris Sultan in his childhood
Harris Sultan as a teen (2005)
Harris Sultan with his dog, Charlie
Religion/Religious Views
Harris Sultan is an ex-Muslim and self-proclaimed atheist.
Career
In 2018, Harris Sultan published his book titled The Curse of God: Why I Left Islam with the help of Xlibris Corporation. His book is a scathing analysis of the scientific facts, religious aspects, and Islam religion. Harris Sultan claims that Islam is puzzled by problems, which he wrote in his book. Harris Sultan claimed,
This book is written for those Muslims who unknowingly disagree with the values that are fundamentals of Islam. My message to all these in-between Muslims is to either denounce Islam altogether (since you disagree with its values) or become like the Taliban or ISIS since they are the true followers of Muhammadâs Islam. It may seem harsh, but the true Islam is actually the Islam of the Taliban and ISIS, and by living a double life, I am certain, if there was a God, he would not be happy with you for accepting some of his ideas and ignoring the rest.”
Harris Sultan raised three major questions in Islam, focusing on the Quran, which he discussed in his book titled The Curse Of God: Why I Left Islam, that made him leave his religion, Islam. He said,
To try to understand the validity of Islam or any other religion, I asked three questions: 1. Is there any evidence in favour of this God? 2. Is the morality depicted in this religion good? 3. Is the science in this religion correct? I will note here that I would be dishonest if I said that I could do this all myself. Books like The God Delusion helped me a lot to understand the other side of the argument. These three questions led me away from Islam.”
The first flaw he took out from Islam by focusing on the Quran is that it explains the human origin, the creation of nature, and God as the eternal source. But it does not explain where God has originated from. The second concern he claims is the position of women is an issue in Islamic morality. Homosexuality is a notion which is not allowed according to Islamic morals, but ‘Bandi’ (slave) law allows males to own female slaves. He showed his concern in his book,
Lastly, the real audience of this book is the Muslim women who are being abused by this religion. I cannot comprehend the sorrow and sense of powerlessness a woman has every day in a male-dominated religion. Any sane person understands how important women are in producing the society of not only today but also of tomorrow, yet women are treated as if their sole purpose is to produce babies and serve their men. I would like to reach out to those women who are being abused and discriminated against by their husbands, brothers, or fathers and encourage and empower them to raise children who will be like anything but those husbands, brothers, or fathers.”
The third concern is that several stories in the Quran lack scientific proof, and provides no evidence to back up these claims. He believes that the Quran includes illogical claims and people obey them without questioning or seeking explanations. [2]NewsGram
Car Collection
He owns a BMW-Z4 car, a 2015 model.
Awards
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In 2016, He won the Brian Moss Shield in a Cricket match conducted by the North West Metropolitan Cricket Association.
Harris Sultan (sitting in front) with the team and North West Metropolitan Cricket Association
Harris Sultan’s trophy cabinet
Controversy
Harris Sultan and the Locked Grave in Hyderabad
An image of a grave locked with an iron grille was initially shared on Twitter by Harris Sultan who claimed that the grave was in Pakistan, and said,
locked as parents in Pakistan wanted to save their dead daughtersâ corpses from being raped.â [3]The South First
In April 2023, his claims were demolished by Alt News, an Indian fact-checking news channel, which identified that the locked grave had nothing to do with necrophilia, and was not in Pakistan but located in Madannapet, Hyderabad, Telangana. The grave was of a 65-year-old woman, Zaheen Begum, who died in 2020. In response to the claim, Harris Sultan had to delete his tweet and apologise. The tweet read,
Thank you, @zoo_bear, for getting to the bottom of this. While this is not an excuse and I must apologize for the source of my initial information, which was from @SanamBalochfans.
The reason why it was believable is that necrophilia has become a serious issue in Pakistan. It is⊠https://t.co/1yEm5nSlB5 pic.twitter.com/euL6mei3Np
— Harris Sultan (@TheHarrisSultan) April 30, 2023
Facts/Trivia
- Harris Sultan Atheist, the official YouTube channel of Harris Sultan, provides a wide knowledge of Islam and the flaws of Islam through videos that challenge conventional beliefs, blogs, and his book. It became the first Urdu channel to reach inside a receptacle on atheism and critical analysis of Islam.
- He is a fitness enthusiast. He often posts his workout videos and pictures on his Instagram handle.
Harris Sultan during a workout session
- His hobbies include travelling, horse riding, photography, and singing.
Harris Sultan doing horse riding
Harris Sultan in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Harris Sultan in France
- Harris Sultan often tweets against Islamism blasphemy. On 7 September 2023, he tweeted,
This is a pathetic failed country where people are unable to afford electricity, petrol and food yet the government is busy doubling down on Islamism blasphemy.https://t.co/yrxHyk2BFS
— Harris Sultan (@TheHarrisSultan) September 7, 2023
- Harris Sultan received several threats for his fearless perspectives. A Muslim blogger in the UK took offence at Harris Sultan for criticising Islam and threatened to kill him and his family.
- Harris Sultan was inspired by Richard Dawkins’ book “The God Delusion,” which changed his perspective and made him more inclined towards science and logic, which led to his atheism.
Harris Sultan with Richard Dawkins
- He had participated in various debates both online and offline. One of the most famous debates was in June 2023, between Quasir Ahmed Raja and Harris Sultan on Islamic Morality vs. Atheistic Morality aired on the YouTube channel Pakistani Mulhid.
Quasir Ahmed Raja and Harris Sultan debating on Islamic Morality vs. Atheistic Morality
- Harris Sultan called hijab ugly and unhealthy in his tweet, The tweet read,
Definitely open hair, hijab is not only ugly but unhealthy and unhygienic. https://t.co/bjBTS6IQOK
— Harris Sultan (@TheHarrisSultan) September 11, 2023
References
| ↑1 | In-sight Publishing |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | NewsGram |
| ↑3 | The South First |
