It was good to see an article in the Independent this weekend on the growing number of British atheists from Muslim backgrounds. In the piece, several ex-Muslims discuss their experiences in breaking with the religion, and the difficulties they have faced in revealing their beliefs to their families.
Speaking publicly about her atheism for the first time, one of the interviewees, Amal Farah, describes her mother's reaction to her rejection of Islam:
"I was having doubts. My mum was shocked; she began to cry. It was very painful for her. When she realised I actually meant it, she cut communication with me. She was suspicious of me being in contact with my brothers and sisters. She didn’t want me to poison their heads in any way. I felt like a leper and I lived in fear. As long as they knew where I was, I wasn’t safe.”
You can read more in the full Independent piece, which also includes comments from the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, the Muslim Council of Britain, and Baroness Warsi, the Minister of State for Faith and Communities, who says that freedom of religion and belief is a key concern for the British government.
If you're interested in reading more about the experiences of ex-Muslims, it's a subject we've covered frequently on this site. We'd recommend this testimony from an anonymous ex-Muslim, this piece from the Council for Ex-Muslims Forum on why it's important for ex-Muslims to self-identify as such, and Alom Shaha's piece on how he came to leave the faith and eventually write his book The Young Atheist's Handbook.
