Mufassil Islam

Mufassil Muhammed Mazhaarul Islam is a former British–Bangladeshi lawyer, academic, journalist, activist, political commentator, His grandfather Muhamad Sulaiman was a Sufi saint. Mufassil Islam hails from a distinguished family with notable contributions in law, medicine, and the arts. His maternal grandfather, K. M. Sadequr Rahman, was a prominent lawyer and the founder of the High Speed Group, the largest shipping conglomerate in what was then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). On his paternal side, his uncle Dr. Mahbubul Islam was a pioneering bariatric surgeon based in Iowa, USA. His younger sister, Humairia Islam, is a recognized film director in North Carolina and is listed in Who’s Who in America. His elder sister, Dr. Shireen Islam, is a practicing physician also residing in North Carolina.

Mufassil’s maternal lineage traces back to the aristocratic zamindar (landowning) family of Araihajar in Narayanganj. His maternal great-grandfather, Advocate Mumtaj Uddin Ahmed, was among the founding members of the Dhaka Bar Association, contributing significantly to the early legal infrastructure of the region.

Education Islam received his LLB (Honors) and LL.M. from Dhaka University in 1991 and 1992, respectively, and later studied law at London Metropolitan University. He was pursuing his PhD in law at Trinity College Dublin when he was forced to suspend his studies due to threats from Islamists. and the US. He has also served as a journalist, contributing to several national and international newspapers and periodicals, including The Daily Star and The Bangladesh Observer.

Islam was the founding executive editor of the first law journal of Bangladesh, Aain Porikroma. He also makes vlogs on social media.

Controversies

Islam renounced his religion in 2016 and blamed Islamist extremism for his apostasy. He later considered himself an apatheist and became a vocal critic of all religions. He often used to engage in debates with theologian scholars, including David Wood and Michael Nugent. That same year, he posted a YouTube speech condemning the Paris atrocities, and criticizing and opposing the attempts to impose Sharia law and radical Islam in the West.

Since then, he has faced numerous death threats from radical Islamists, including from ISIS supporters. The book details his journey from being a Muslim preacher to renouncing Islam in 2016 due to the threat of Islamist extremism, also the challenges and dangers he faced as he spoke out against radical Islam and attempted to reform the religion. His decision was met with mixed reactions: some praised him for finding his way back to religion, while others have questioned the sincerity of his conversion and accused him of pandering to the demands of his critics.

In 2019, Mufassil Islam was criticized for his controversial remarks on Rabindranath Tagore and the National Anthem of Bangladesh. According to him, Tagore was a 'Hindutwa fanatic' and thus "Tagore's song should not be the national anthem of Bangladesh".

In 2021, Islam filed a lawsuit against Facebook Ireland Ltd, alleging that the company's failure to remove threatening content and censorship of his account constituted breaches of data protection, privacy, and harassment. His case against Facebook was resolved under undisclosed terms.

Islam has been prohibited from being employed by any law firms which the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regulates since 2008. Mufassil Islam not ever being a member of SRA in England, finds the prohibition irrelevant.

Personal life

Islam has two children and he lives in Belfast He believes that Muslim immigrants who come to Britain from the Middle East should be grateful for the protection and shelter the country offers. He also condemns those who try to impose Islamic law and says that they do not have the right to kill.