India: ex-Muslim Sahil returns to Islam to honor his mother’s last wish

Sahil, one of the best-known faces of the ex-Muslim movement in India, surprised everyone by announcing his return to Islam. In a video posted before deleting his main YouTube channel, followed by nearly half a million people, he explained that it was not a spiritual return, but an act of love and duty: fulfilling the last wish of his late mother.

“People can judge me or make fun of me, it’s their right,” he said calmly, before specifying that he was putting an end to all his activist activities. Sahil became known for his marathon debates and his tough exchanges with preachers, often masked to protect his identity. His change of heart caused a real shock in the ex-Muslim community, where many see him as a symbol of the courage to think differently.

Since the announcement, reactions have multiplied. Some welcome the gesture of a respectful son, others see it as a sign of unbearable pressure. But everyone implicitly recognizes the same reality: in a country where religion remains at the heart of identity, personal choices, even the most intimate, are rarely made without cost or consequence.