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| Daniel Haqiqatjou | |||||||||||||||
| Birth Name: | Daniel Reza Haqiqatjou | ||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | March 25, 1990 | ||||||||||||||
| Religion: | Islam | ||||||||||||||
| Denomination: | Sunni | ||||||||||||||
| Jurisprudence: | Hanbali[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Movement: | Deobandi, Salafi | ||||||||||||||
| Known For: | Critique of Islamic modernism, debate and comparative religion | ||||||||||||||
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| Birth Place: | Houston, Texas, US | ||||||||||||||
| Alma Mater: | Harvard University Tufts University | ||||||||||||||
Daniel Reza Haqiqatjou (born March 25, 1990), commonly known as Daniel Haqiqatjou, is an American Muslim polemicist, writer, public speaker, debater, and Islamic proselytizer. He is known for his online debates, critiques of Modernism, pro-Islam polemics, and writings and lectures on issues surrounding Muslims and Modernity as well as the intersection of western philosophical thought and Islamic intellectual history.[2] [3]
Haqiqatjou was born in Houston, Texas to Iranian parents Reza Haqiqatjou, a systems engineer at Boeing, and Nili Haqiqatjou, a real estate agent.[4] [5] Haqiqatjou grew up in Houston, where he currently lives. Haqiqatjou studied physics with a minor in philosophy at Harvard University and completed a master's degree in philosophy at Tufts University.[6] Haqiqatjou also studies the traditional Islamic sciences with Islamic scholars part-time.
Haqiqatjou was a writer for the online magazine Muslim Matters from 2014 till 2017.[7] Around 2015–2016, Haqiqatjou created the YouTube Channel Muslim Skeptic and also created a website with the same name, both providing personal research, and opinion outlet, particularly on interfaith critique, Modernism, current events, family, and accountability reports on figures he claims are attempting to change Islam from within.[5] [8]
Haqiqatjou labels some Imams as "compassionate Imams", criticizing them over socio-political stances; among these imams are Omar Suleiman, Yasir Qadhi, Hamza Yusuf, Suhaib Webb and others.
Haqiqatjou along with his wife, founded the Alasna Institute, a learning institute dedicated to providing an Islamically oriented education and overcome doubts about Islam.[9] Haqiqatjou is known for his online debates and discussions on YouTube, most notably with Apostate Prophet, David Wood, Aron Ra, Vaush, and Destiny, as well as his intellectual, ideological, and polemical commentary on issues faced by Muslims and on comparative religion.[10]
Haqiqatjou often criticizes what he calls Madkhalism, a strain of Salafi Islam, which he claims is pro-West and often pro-Zionist.
In 2023, Haqiqatjou's invitation to several New York colleges sparked controversy among some of its Muslim students due to his controversial and alleged misogynistic opinions, namely his views on gender roles and the issue of women's education.[11]
In March 2024, the Anti-Defamation League claimed Haqiqatjou has promoted anti-Jewish conspiracy theories, used anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, and made statements online they claimed were misogynistic on many occasions, and based on this the ADL accused Haqiqatjou of anti-Semitism, promoting terrorism, being a conspiracy theorist, and pushing extremist, prejudiced, misogynistic, and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.[12] [13] ADL's accusation against Haqiqatjou led to dismay and criticism of the ADL from many Muslim public figures.[14] Haqiqatjou is the first American born Muslim to be targeted by the ADL. Their claims came after his pointed criticism of the indiscriminate Israeli aggression and his Pro Palestine advocacy in general, as American Imam Tom Faccine noted in a statement addressing the ADL.[15]
Born into a nominal and secular Shia family, Haqiqatjou has converted to Sunni Islam. He has been identified as an adherent of the Salafi and Deobandi movements,[16] and has said himself that he stands with them.[17] He identifies as a traditionalist Sunni Muslim, but despite this accusations of him being a closeted Shia given his Iranian background and advocating for Sunni-Shia unity, exist nonetheless.
Haqiqatjou's sister, Donna Haqiqatjou, aged 19, went missing in California in 2007 during a party and disappeared with convicted sex offender John Steven Burgess, who told the police that he had given her drugs on which she overdosed, and that he had discarded her body into the ocean, after which it was never found.[18] [19] [20]
Haqiqatjou has been married since 2009 to Umm Khalid, who was born in Egypt, but moved to the US as a child and also attended Harvard University where she met Haqiqatjou. Haqiqatjou has four children with his wife and lives in the suburbs of Houston.[21] [22]