ModestoMolino5: Adding First Article V1

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Adding First Article V1

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{{Short description|Indian journalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sultan Shahin
| image = Sultan-s.webp
| birth_place = Aurangabad, Bihar, India
| alma_mater = [[Patna University]]
| occupation = Journalist, author
| notable_works = Founder of [[New Age Islam]]
}}

'''Sultan Shahin''' is an Indian journalist, editor, and the founder of the online publication ''[[New Age Islam]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Together we can |url=https://www.lifepositive.com/together-we-can/ |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.lifepositive.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=SHAHIN |first=SULTAN |date=2016-06-04 |title=Indian ulema wary of taking on ISIS |url=https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/5104-indian-ulema-wary-taking-isis |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=The Sunday Guardian Live |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nalapat |first=M. D. |date=2015-11-21 |title=Sultan Shahin, not Owaisi, represents India's Muslims |url=https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/1945-sultan-shahin-not-owaisi-represents-india-s-muslims-3 |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=The Sunday Guardian Live |language=en-US}}</ref> He is known for his critical analysis of contemporary issues related to Islam,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Part 1: Spiritual symbiosis |url=https://www.islamawareness.net/Hinduism/is1.html |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.islamawareness.net}}</ref> particularly in the context of [[extremism]], [[terrorism]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Islam and Hinduism: Spiritual Symbiosis - Part 1 {{!}} Sultan Shahin, Founder-Editor, New Age Islam |url=https://www.newageislam.com/islam-and-pluralism/sultan-shahin-editor-new-age-islam/islam-and-hinduism--spiritual-symbiosis---part-1/d/98486 |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.newageislam.com |language=en}}</ref> and the reform of Islamic thought.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-13 |title="If not the UN Charter, Muslim countries should at least follow the Quran", Sultan Shahin tells UNHRC at Geneva |url=https://sabrangindia.in/if-not-un-charter-muslim-countries-should-least-follow-quran-sultan-shahin-tells-unhrc/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=SabrangIndia |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-03-30 |title=Reforming Islam: A moderate Muslim's appeal – Sultan Shahin |url=https://bharatabharati.in/2016/03/30/reforming-islam-a-moderate-muslims-appeal-sultan-shahin/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=BHARATA BHARATI |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Shahin was born in 1949 in a village in [[Aurangabad district, Bihar|Aurangabad district]], Bihar, India. His father was a [[maulvi]] and an Urdu teacher.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chitkara |first=M. G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_yw7WGSSHSIC&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PA138 |title=Religion 21st Century |date=2002 |publisher=APH Publishing |isbn=978-81-7648-310-0 |language=en}}</ref> Shahin's early education was at home and later at a local Hindi-medium school.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SULTAN SHAHIN, Author at The Sunday Guardian Live |url=https://sundayguardianlive.com/user/sultan-shahin |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=The Sunday Guardian Live |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-04 |title=Sultan Shahin, Author at News Intervention |url=https://www.newsintervention.com/author/sultanshahin/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=News Intervention |language=en-US}}</ref> Despite financial constraints,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ettmüller |first=Eliane Ursula |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=krT8DwAAQBAJ&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PA243 |title=The Construct of Egypt's National-Self in James Sanua's Early Satire and Caricature |date=2020-08-10 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |isbn=978-3-11-220890-8 |language=en}}</ref> he pursued higher education, earning a bachelor's degree from [[Patna University]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Adjusting To Modernity: Sultan Shahin Tells An American Audience What Can Be Done To Reverse The Trend Of Muslims Accepting Radical Ideologies {{!}} Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor, New Age Islam |url=https://www.newageislam.com/multimedia/modernity-sultan-shahin-american-audience-radical-ideologies/d/126142 |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.newageislam.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S0e6DQAAQBAJ&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PT90 |title=Essays on Iran and Israel: An Indian Perspective: An Indian Perspective |date=2014-03-15 |publisher=KW Publishers Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-85714-43-6 |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==
Shahin's journalistic career began with the English-language organ of the Jamaat-e-Islami, ''Radiance Weekly'', in Delhi.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cohen |first=Ariel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kJ1ADwAAQBAJ&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PT291 |title=Eurasia in Balance: The US and the Regional Power Shift |date=2017-11-28 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-15874-9 |language=en}}</ref> However, he soon left due to ideological differences. Over the years, he worked with various newspapers and news agencies, both in India and abroad, including a stint in London.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chande |first=M. B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fEhXiAnWXA4C&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PA86 |title=Betrayal of Indian Democracy |date=1999 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist |isbn=978-81-7156-792-8 |language=en}}</ref>

Sultan Shahin has worked with various media organizations, both in India and internationally.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=M. Amarjeet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ms6gDwAAQBAJ&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PT280 |title=Northeast India and India's Act East Policy: Identifying the Priorities |date=2019-07-05 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-12418-7 |language=en}}</ref> His journalism often focuses on the challenges faced by Muslims in the modern world,<ref>{{Cite news |title=ISLAM AND HINDUISM Part 4: Similarity of the two divine messages |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/EL25Aa02.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040202080751/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/EL25Aa02.html |archive-date=2004-02-02 }}</ref> particularly the rise of radicalism and the need for a progressive interpretation of Islam.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bammi |first=Y. M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uf2pCQAAQBAJ&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PA106 |title=India Bangladesh Relations: The Way Ahead |date=2010-11-11 |publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-82573-20-3 |language=en}}</ref> He has been an outspoken critic of extremist ideologies and has called for a reformative approach within the Muslim community to counteract the narratives of violence and intolerance.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rosenfeld |first=Alvin H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G4uFDwAAQBAJ&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PT264 |title=Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism: The Dynamics of Delegitimization |date=2019-01-09 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-03874-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sharma |first=Dr Tripti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2YZCEAAAQBAJ&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PA296 |title=India-ASEAN Relations |date=2021-09-11 |publisher=K.K. Publications |language=en}}</ref>

In 2008, Sultan Shahin founded ''New Age Islam,''<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dehRAQAAMAAJ&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=RA41-PA3 |title=Socialist India |date=1975 |publisher=Indian National Congress. All India Congress Committee. |language=en}}</ref> a web magazine dedicated to promoting moderate and progressive views within Islam.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Khanduri |first=Ritu Gairola |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lf-GBAAAQBAJ&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PA292 |title=Caricaturing Culture in India: Cartoons and History in the Modern World |date=2014-10-02 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-04332-9 |language=en}}</ref> The platform provides a space for intellectual discourse on a wide range of topics,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Sinderpal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M4nHBQAAQBAJ&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PT201 |title=India in South Asia: Domestic Identity Politics and Foreign Policy from Nehru to the BJP |date=2013-09-02 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-135-90788-4 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Chandler |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wkY2-U7JW3wC&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PA104 |title=Shadow World: Resurgent Russia, the Global New Left, and Radical Islam |date=2008-08-26 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-59698-580-3 |language=en}}</ref> including the reinterpretation of Islamic scriptures, the role of [[women in Islam]], and the relationship between Islam and modernity.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Mahapatra |first1=Debidatta Aurobinda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NFc6HRtveZQC&dq=sultan+shahin&pg=PA159 |title=Kashmir Across Loc |last2=Shekhawat |first2=Seema |date=2007-11-30 |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |isbn=978-81-212-0968-7 |language=en}}</ref>

== Ideology and influences ==
Shahin’s ideology, as reflected in his writings on NewAgeIslam.com, center on a passionate call for reform within Islamic thought and practice. As the founder and editor of the platform, Shahin positions himself as a progressive Muslim voice advocating for a reimagined Islam that aligns with modern values of peace, pluralism, gender justice, and tolerance, while fiercely opposing extremist ideologies like [[jihadism]], Salafism, and [[Wahhabism]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=SHAHIN |first=SULTAN |date=2013-11-14 |title=Wahhabi Impact: Influence of Wahhabi Islam on the Indian Muslim community is growing |url=https://www.newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/sultan-shahin-founding-editor-new-age-islam/wahhabi-impact-influence-wahhabi-islam-indian-muslim-community-growing/d/24413 |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=New Age Islam |language=en-US}}</ref>

Shahin’s work is rooted in the belief that Islam, at its core, is a spiritual path to salvation rather than a political or totalitarian ideology. He critiques the historical evolution of Islamic theology and jurisprudence, particularly from the 8th and 9th centuries, which he argues has been distorted into a framework of supremacism, xenophobia, and violence—fueling contemporary radicalism. His speeches and writings, such as "Defeating Islamism and Jihadism: Evolve a New Theology of Peace, Pluralism and Gender Justice"<ref>{{Cite web |last=SHAHIN |first=SULTAN |date=2023-07-20 |title=Defeating Islamism and Jihadism: Evolve a New Theology of Peace, Pluralism and Gender Justice |url=https://southasiajournal.net/defeating-islamism-and-jihadism-evolve-a-new-theology-of-peace-pluralism-and-gender-justice-sultan-shahin-asks-muslim-states-at-unhrc-in-geneva/ |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=South Asia Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> and "If Islam Means Peace, Why Is Much of Its Theology Soaked In Hatred, Humiliation, Offensive War?",<ref>{{Cite web |last=SHAHIN |first=SULTAN |date=2016-10-10 |title=If Islam Means Peace, Why Is Much Of Its Theology Soaked In Hatred, Humiliation, Offensive War? |url=https://www.newageislam.com/ijtihad-rethinking-islam/sultan-shahin-new-age-islam/if-islam-means-peace-its-theology-soaked-hatred-humiliation-offensive-war/d/108826 |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=New Age Islam |language=en-US}}</ref> emphasize the urgent need for Muslims to rethink these theological foundations. He urges the development of a counter-narrative that reflects Islam’s original ideals of coexistence and harmony, as he perceives them, to combat the allure of jihadist ideologies among youth.

A key aspect of Shahin’s work is his critique of what he terms "Petrodollar Islam" — the spread of rigid, exclusivist interpretations funded by oil-rich states, which he sees as a betrayal of Islam’s pluralistic heritage.<ref>{{Cite web |last= Wajihuddin |first= Mohammad |date=2010-08-11 |title=I Fight Petrodollar Islam: Sultan Shahin |url=https://www.newageislam.com/the-war-islam/mohammad-wajihuddin-talks-sultan-shahin/i-fight-petrodollar-islam-sultan-shahin/d/3275 |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=New Age Islam |language=en-US}}</ref> He positions himself as a defender of a tolerant, inclusive Islam, drawing from his personal experiences with extremism to underline the stakes. His advocacy extends to practical reforms, such as in "Reform Muslim Personal Law, Use Debate on Triple Talaq as an Opportunity,"<ref>{{Cite web |last=SHAHIN |first=SULTAN |date=2016-05-15 |title=Reform Muslim Personal Law, Use Debate on Triple Talaq as an opportunity to Breach the Stagnation in Muslim Religious Thought |url=https://www.newageislam.com/debating-islam/sultan-shahin-editor-new-age-islam/reform-muslim-personal-law-use-debate-triple-talaq-opportunity-breach-stagnation-muslim-religious-thought/d/107305 |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=New Age Islam |language=en-US}}</ref> where he calls for modernizing Muslim personal laws in India, particularly on issues like triple talaq, to address gender inequality and stagnation in religious thought.

Shahin’s approach is both intellectual and activist. He engages with Islamic texts, history, and contemporary issues, often addressing the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]] (UNHRC) to amplify his message globally.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-09-26 |title=Addressing the UNHRC at Geneva Sultan Shahin Questions Contemporary Applicability of Contextual Verses of Quran Meant For 7th Century Wars and the Divinity of Hadith and Sharia |url=https://www.newageislam.com/ijtihad-rethinking-islam/sultan-shahin-founding-editor-new-age-islam/addressing-unhrc-geneva-sultan-shahin-questions-contemporary-applicability-contextual-verses-quran-meant-7th-century-wars-divinity-hadith-sharia/d/108674 |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=New Age Islam |language=en-US}}</ref> His writings reflect a deep frustration with the Muslim community’s failure to confront radicalism proactively and a conviction that progressive reinterpretation (via principles like [[Ijtihad]]) is essential for Islam to remain relevant in the 21st century. While he acknowledges the diversity of Muslim societies, he consistently challenges the ulema and traditional scholars to shed outdated doctrines and embrace a theology that prioritizes human rights and mutual respect across faiths.

In essence, Shahin’s work reveals an ideology that is reformist, pluralistic, and anti-extremist, driven by a vision of Islam as a dynamic, evolving faith capable of fostering peace and justice in a modern, interconnected world.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://www.newageislam.com/interview/sultan-shahin-editor-new-age-islam-yoginder-s/sultan-shahin-muslims-islam-boy-said-kill-them-all-those-muslims-ahl-e-hadees/d/2924 Sultan Shahin on Muslims and Islam: The Boy Said: "Kill Them, All Those Muslims Who Are Not Ahl-e-Hadees"]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shahin, Sultan}}
[[Category:Indian male journalists]]
[[Category:Indian journalists]]
[[Category:Indian critics]]
[[Category:Indian bloggers]]
[[Category:Patna University alumni]]
[[Category:People from Aurangabad district, Bihar]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Sultan Shahin - Revision history

ModestoMolino5: Adding First Article V1