Questions and answers on Leaving Islam
1/20/2012
(First published in August, 2009 – Editor)
Questions and answers on Leaving Islam
My answers to questions concerning ‘leaving Islam’ from a postgraduate student from Finland, who is doing a thesis on the subject.
On Thursday, 30 July 2009, I recieved the following email from student in Finland:
Hello,
I got your e-mail address from www.apostatesofislam.com. I’m working on my Master’s Thesis at the University of Helsinki and my thesis is about leaving Islam. In particular, I’m interested in how the social pressure affects the process of leaving Islam and what the actual consequences for apostates are in today’s world.
As you can imagine, it is extremely difficult to find interviewees on this subject. I have interviewed some people in Finland, but I’d definitely like to hear from more. The testimonials on websites are also an important source, but they don’t always answer my particular questions. Therefore, I’m hoping that you could take the time to answer these questions with as few or many sentences as you like. Absolute anonymity is of course guaranteed.
Best regards,
The Thesis Writer
My reply:
Hello Thesis Writer,
Thank you for your e-mail. Below is my response to your questions. I hope you do well in your thesis. I shall be interested in reading the synopsis of your thesis.
I would like to post my answers in web sites. Please let me know.
If I do not receive any reply from you within the next 24 hours, I shall assume you have no objection.
Sincerely,
Abul Kasem
Questions and answers:
Q: Age
A: Sixty years.
Q: Sex:
A: Male
Q: Home country:
Bangladesh
Q: Current country, if not same as home country:
Australia
Q: To what extent were you aware of the possible consequences of leaving Islam before you left Islam?
I was fully aware that apostasy in Islam is punishable by death.
Q: Were you aware of the debates concerning leaving Islam?
Yes
Q: Were you aware of trials and sentences for apostates? If yes, where did you get this information (for example, newspapers, websites)?
Yes, I was aware of the process of trial and the sentence that is meted out to an apostate as per the Islamic law. I read the Qur’an and ahadith and learned about the laws on apostasy in Islam. Web sites did help me, but my main sources of information were books and articles on Islam.
Q: What attitude in general did your family and friends seem to have about leaving Islam? How did this come out?
Most of my family members are not aware of my apostasy. Only a handful of them know that I have left Islam. They are very considerate, do not bother me too much, and I would say they are very supportive. Only a handful of my friends know about my apostasy. They are also apostates or have serious doubts about Islam.
Q: Did you share your doubts with any religious authorities?
No. Why must I endanger my life by approaching such blood-thirsty Mullahs?
Q: If you did, what kind of guidance or advice did you receive? If you didn’t, why?
I thought it is useless to approach the authority about my apostasy. Authorities are supportive only of the much publicised apostates such as ibn Warraq, Wafa Sultan, Ayaan Hirsi Ali… and such personalities. I do not think authorities will really protect me when it comes to the crunch.
Q: Have you told your family and/or friends about your decision to leave Islam? What were your reasons for telling/not telling?
Please read the previous answer.
Q: If you have told your family and/or friends, what have their reactions been?
Please read the previous answer.
Q: If you have moved from your hometown/country to another place, was this move relevant to your leaving Islam?
This question does not apply to me, as I left my country of origin long before my apostasy.
Q: Did you have thoughts about leaving Islam or had you made your decision before your move?
Since my childhood, I had doubts about Islam. During that period I had asked my religious teacher and my parents many questions about Islam, without receiving any pertinent answers. In many instances I was even physically punished for asking such audacious questions. My religious teacher told me never to question anything in the Qur’an or about Islam. Even under such Islamic tyranny and bigotry, I did not think of leaving Islam. Only after I studied thoroughly the Qur’an and other canonical books of Islam, I found Islam to be barbaric, false, and imperialistic. That was when I made up my mind to abandon Islam. This happened after my migration to Australia.
Q: If you feel the move was relevant, what circumstances in your new surroundings made it possible for you to leave Islam?
The atmosphere of freedom of expression, democracy, equal rights for all religious belief and a fair justice system in Australia favoured my decision to leave Islam. These elements of human rights are absent in Islamic societies.
Q: What circumstances prevented this in your hometown/country?
In Bangladesh, though apostasy is not punishable by death, apostates are isolated from the society, stigmatised and live under constant threat of being murdered by the Islamists. That is why most apostates of Islam in Bangladesh prefer to remain silent. These apostates leave Islam silently, never disclosing to anyone except for the trusting friends and relatives. These apostates simply stop practicing Islam in their lives. That is how a Muslim may leave Islam quietly, without any publicity.
Q: What consequences has there been for you for leaving Islam? I’m interested in any legal, social and emotional consequences you might have experienced.
My leaving Islam was not a simple decision. It had taken me many years of constant study, analyses, understanding and pondering before I was convinced beyond a shadow of doubt that Islam is false, barbaric and imperialistic. I have studied Islam for around thirty years, though the last ten years had been truly vigorous and contemplative. I discovered Islam is fearful, sadistic, and murderous. Islam is the root cause of current terrorism around the globe; we may call this Islamic Terrorism. When we note that today’s Islamic terrorists are simply following what the Qur’an and Sunna propel them to do, we cannot hide the truth that the sources of all Islamic Terrorism is in the Qur’an and other founts of Islam, such as Sunna (Muhammad’s traditions), Sharia (Islamic laws) and Sira (Muhammad’s biography). There is no joy in Islam; there is no happiness in Islam; there is no pleasure in Islam. Anything joyous, pleasurable, enjoyable and comfortable is prohibited in Islam.
I must tell the truth that having left Islam, I feel so relieved. I feel that a huge chunk of boulder has been removed from my chest. Although I have to live a double-life, I feel so free and happy: that I have no hindrance to my thoughts and actions. It is like being freed from a prison after a long sentence, or being relieved after a death sentence has been quashed on appeal.
Leaving Islam is like being re-born as a human being—truly free, happy and loving to every creature on earth.
Reply from the student:
Hello,
and thank you so much for your quick reply and your thorough answers. I’d be more than happy to send you the synopsis of my thesis once it’s done and I wouldn’t mind at all if you post your answers on your website.
Thank you
Abul Kasem writes from Sydney, Australia. Comments may be sent to nirribilli@gmail.com.
Posted by Abul Kasem
on January 20 2012. Filed under Apostates of Islam.
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To Abul Kasem & ex Muslims reading this: If you have left Islam AND you are a meat eater, do you eat “pork”? If you do not eat pork, what is the underlying reason behind ur conscious decision? Please note this question is related to psychology.
Bingo,
No, I can’t eat pork & the reason is in the question itself, It’s psychology. From my childhood I was taught pork is haraam & pig is the most filthy creature on the face of earth. Anyway personally I prefer vegitarian food over non-veg.
Bingo yours is an interesting question as is muhammed's answer, which I can identify with:
I am Jewish and when I married I moved with my husband to an area where there were few Jews and no shops which sold kosher food. I no longer keep strictly kosher but I will not have anything from the pig in my house (and that includes ingredients in ready made food, nor could I bring myself to eat it. When my Jewish friends and family visit or come to stay, I serve vegetarian/vegan food.
We socialise with Jews and non-Jews. If I had kept strictly kosher I would not have been able to make the wonderful friends I have.
My childhood was orthodox Jewish and I believe that this aversion to pork (and, incidentally, to shellfish too) comes from my having internalised my early education about kashrut (kosher-ness).
Thank you for raising the point for discussion.
Islam seem to be a religion fit only for murderers and let me tell you why
A few years ago I visited a Country (A non muslim one) with a good number of muslims. I have been there a few times and made friends with a Kadiari family in a village. (They belong to the islamic sect Ahamadi whom the mainstream sunni and shia muslims say are heretics and must be wiped out) . They were a very good family and I even stayed at their home for a few days. The 2 brothers and sister owned a small tea shop by the side of the road.
During me last visit i was told that the 2 brothers and sister were all murdered by the sunnis . All 3 were stabbed i was told. Sunnis have been unleashing this terrible wave of violence on the Ahamedi sect in that country since the 1960s and it continues to this day. The government although been non islamic still plays up to sunnis because of the generous cash donations that flows in to this country from Gulf Countries. So they turn a blind eye whenever entire Ahamedi families are been brutally murdered.
Continued in me next post……………….
From me previous post………
During me last visit I made friends with a sunni man who runs a small shop in that village and i used to go there almost daily to buy Cigerettes and a soft drink. He was a very friendly chap and we used to discuss world affairs. One day when I came out with the topic of Ahamedis and the murder of the 2 boys and the sister, this man screamed and told me this,
'Madam they deserve it and we will continue our struggle until every single ahamedi man, woman and child is killed . We are on a mission to do allah's work and protect the pure islam which is sunni. Ahamedis are not muslims and they must stop calling themselves muslims. And our duty is to kill them'
That made me realise that you can never ever trust any muslim. They are dangerous lunatics who are more than willing to kill anyone just because its written in a damn silly book known as the koran
shameful!
Freedom of Faith: There are no forced conversions in Islam, the non Muslim
subjects have the right to freely choose to convert to Islam or keep practicing
their faith. But once a person converts to Islam, it is obligatory to practice his
faith to be a good Muslim. Apostasy has always been considered as a capital
offence in all the religions and political systems of the world, because it is
considered as a high treason against the established norms of society.
The Bible prescribes death by stoning for apostasy:
“You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw
you away from the LORD your God..”(Deutrony;13:10).
The pagan Romans brutally killed the early Christians on same ground.
Subsequently this practice was repeated by the Christian Church against
opposing Christians, who were killed and burnt alive. Death penalty for
apostasy remained in force in England for long time. It was abolished due to
social and cultural developments. In early Islam, the pagans of Makkah, and
Jews of Medina used to indulge in this practice to gain intelligence and to
demoralize the fragile expanding Muslim community of Median. Hence
apostasy is considered as a major sin in Islam. Whether it is punishable by
Islamic law is a debatable matter among Muslim scholars. Some believe that the
apostate should be punished after trial because they consider this crime as a
betrayal, high treason against the community, while others opine that if
someone changes his faith and does not challenge the Islamic society, it is a
matter between him and Allah, Who will punish him in hereafter. However,
both opinions agree that it is a major worst form of sin punishable by Allah. As
per Qur’an; “Those who turn back as apostates after Guidance was clearly
shown to them the Evil One has instigated them and buoyed them up with false
you said: "the non Muslim subjects have the right to freely choose to convert to Islam or keep practicing their faith"
you lie. all the time muslims are threatening non-muslims with death if they don't convert. christian and hindu girls are being kidnapped, raped and forced to convert. a 2 year old pakistani christian girl was raped because her father refused to convert to islam. will you please stop with the taqiyya?
have you tried speaking out against those who threaten to kill non-muslims if they do not convert? if you really believe in what you copy/paste here, do something about it and come back and tell us your experiences..
Thanks to our virtual reality, today one finds individuals with almost exact life experience.
“Since my childhood, I had my doubts about Islam”. This is totally true for me.
“There is no joy in Islam; there is no pleasure in Islam; there is no happiness in Islam. Anything joyous, pleasurable, enjoyable and comfortable is prohibited in Islam”. This is very true about Islam and once one leaves Islam, there is a deluge of all these emotions to the point of ecstasy.
@BustedDivinity, ka na lafiya. You see, right now, 9ja(Nigeria) is agonizing under the evil activities of Muslims. May the true God make them leave Islam so that peace reign in 9ja.
There is joy in islam, happiness in islam, ecstasy in pisslam, except that the kafirs have an inverted view of these experiences.
there is joy in thighing little girls and who but a kafir can deny this? Allah has given this gift of thighing little girls to only scum bag moslems.Kindly do not arrest me kafirs as I am only writing here the moslem scum point of view.
There is extreme joy in child screwing and allah has made this halal for all the moslem scum bags. Most gracious and compassionate allah knows it all.
There is joy in kicking out the old wilves and replacing them with fresh new ones.
There is joy in raping kafir women and killing the kafir males.
Who can deny the joy of screwing the right hand possessions?
Allah the most gracious and merciful has given the moslems all the brains and so are best!
there is immense joy in banging the head 5 times a day for allah who is compassionate and merciful.What more do you need? Islam is joyous
@Bingo
Answering your question: I left Islam about 2 years ago. I still can't brig myself to eat the "obvious" kind of pig-meat (I feel sick just smelling it), like ham and bacon, even though I'm trying (because I know that the hinder is only psychological). Since a couple of months back, I eat hot dogs, though only with bread. A couple of months after leaving Islam, I started eating steak pork, I don't have problem with that and I think it's delicious. The day after I left Islam I tried eating candy with Gelatin from pigs. I don't have problem eating such candy but I don't like them very much because of the substance. After leaving Islam, I also started eating pastries and cheese cakes with Gelatin in the ingredients without experiencing any major difficulty. I even bake with Gelatin now.
For the record, I think your question about eating pork is interesting and I'd very much like to read the answers.
Have you thought of trying bacon or sausage that is not made from pork or pork byproducts but are made with beef or turkey instead?
Sausages: Yes, and I liked them. My problem was only with the ones made of pork products.
Bacon: I didn't know that there is bacon made of non-pork products!
@A Kafir
I’m not sure about the head-banging part, but polygamy gives Muslim men such immense joy, so actually the fun ends with the male population of Muslims, I can’t think of anything nice the Muslima enjoys.
@worldpeace
Heard that Kabiru Sokoto(Boko Haram) has escaped and a bounty of N50 million is up for grabs for anyone with useful info on his whereabouts, talk about the wild wild Arewa! Sai anjima.
I hope the demon his caught, his done enough harm in my country. I pity the south western muslims, they don't what they believe in.
Yes, I can see you current with events in Nigeria. We lament the security situation, but any country with a sizeable number(even small) of ignorant, poverty ridden Muslims, will not know peace. Na gode.
Hi, Bewise.
Southwestern Muslims are not gullible like we in the north. They are relatively highly educated and their culture somewhat inclusive. Tunde Bakari is an apostate of Islam but he is today a pastor in the church he established, running it effectively without fear of being killed. In the north, many of us apostate do not have that freedom. But, as you allude, once the correct Islam is allowed in the west, everything could change. Loving God assist us to save ourselves from this demon: Islam. Na gode. Eshe,
I would like to ask you whether it is possible that what you call the "correct" Islam would ever come about? Would it ever be possible for there to be a "pick and mix" form of Islam, where Muslims could openly choose to ignore or to flout the barbaric aspects and yet continue to believe and call themselves Muslims?
I find that it to believe that this sort of Islam would gain precedence, however sensible and life-affirming it might be, because of the reaction (which is based on fear of losing their power) of those Muslims who see themselves as the only good ones, and the apparently inability of the less violently-inclined ones to stand up to them or for themselves
I'd be interested in your thoughts about this..
the essential Islam taught doing kindness, shodaqoh and peace, if a man admitted tht she / he moslem they hv to think these all. thts the important in Islam, so pls read al qur'an, learn al-qur'an, understand al – qur'an, apply based al qur'an
these fuckers who left islam are , actually looking for visa to europe and america they know it will be easy to get visa if they tells them that they have left islam
@Juankhan……and you are angry coz you didn't get visa and missed eating bacon in your country…Lollz
I ask the so called apostates, do you know Islam?
Have you read the Quran and understood the meanings and the reasons for each chapter and verse? There is a story and a reason for each one. Or have you understood them half way and concluded your view with subjective analysis?
Most of the so called apostates are if they are true non practicing Muslims that do not know Islam if it came and shook their hands.
They are people that were raised in a 'Christian' schools or raised in a 'Christian' environment or something similar with no understanding of Arabic or the basics of Islam.
He said himself that he is no expert in Arabic…go figure
Then this
''I concluded that the teachings of this book could not have come from a wise, loving, intelligent being. In fact, if I were to be honest to myself, I would have to say they were cruel and inhumane.''
Yes alright, but wait. how do you explain this:
''The angel of the Lord went forth and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. Early the next morning they were there, all the corpses of the dead.''
(Isaiah 37:36 NA
There are many more.
Then if you think that the Bible is the word of god then why does it use the words ''according to'' like it is going out of fashion?
I think that god was humane in that he sent a final messenger of truth to correct the wrongs of so called writers of the bible (that were inspired by the Holy Ghost of course). But then if the Holy Ghost came to me I would then have to edit the Bible myself to to keep it valid.
How can he leave us to drift into chaos and start to develop our own versions of paganism in making a man into a god.
Not only that but make up a Trinity of gods. Can I use the plural or singular? Hmmmm.
You will do the Council of Nicea proud.
Only One God. No Associates. It is not a law firm
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