How are things at work now that you are no longer a muslim?

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- Sir Wankalot
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How are things at work now that you are no longer a muslim?
OP - June 01, 2010, 05:35 PM

You don't have to answer this if you aren't comfortable and you certainly don't have to give much away in terms of your nature of employment!

I am just curious about what your work life would have been like after you dropped islam. Did everyone at work know that you were a fairly religious muslim?
As you started to shed your faith, did aspects about you change? Did you change the way you look or act? Maybe being more sociable with non-muslims etc?
Were such subtle changes noticed by your co-workers and what were their reactions?

P.S. You don't have to be ex-muslim to answer this obviously. And of course, if you're not working, but a student etc you could still relate experiences with your peers or teachers/professors.
- Iraqi Atheist
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Re: How are things at work now that you are no longer a muslim?
Reply #1 - June 02, 2010, 11:48 PM

I don't work and I'm currently on a gap year. But the first time I ever came out to anyone face-to-face (as opposed to chat) was in Egypt when I was studying at university . I only told 6 Iraqi friends and one Syrian Catholic friend.

Contrary to my expectations the Catholic guy was not only he very cold but also he was slightly offended that I didn't believed in God. He then started telling me that just because Islam isn't true doesn't mean Jesus isn't the son of God What I didn't know is that he was very religious and went to church weekly. He had to travel 50 KMs to the other end of Cairo to go to this Catholic church as most churches in Egypt are Coptic.

Of the 6 Iraqi guys I told (who were all raised Muslim), 2 were atheists, 1 was a deist, 1 was nodding and laughing without saying anything, and the other 2 Muslims were on the defense. It was an AWESOME moment. I had just anxiously admitted my atheism for the first time and within seconds 3 of my friends were making fun of Islam and bombarding the other 2 Muslims guys with anti-Islam argument. If it wasn't for this experience I probably wouldn't have had the confidence to come out to my parents.

As for my lifestyle, it didn't change enough for anybody to notice a change. I didn't get to know any Egyptians closely. My group consisted of about 15 Iraqi medical and dental students who fled Iraq in 06 and transferred to unis in Egypt. Of the 15 only 2 prayed regularly and only 4 abstained from alcohol. I've been living a secular life for quite sometime now.
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Re: How are things at work now that you are no longer a muslim?
Reply #2 - June 03, 2010, 12:08 AM

Quote from: CocoPop on June 01, 2010, 05:35 PM
You don't have to answer this if you aren't comfortable and you certainly don't have to give much away in terms of your nature of employment!

I am just curious about what your work life would have been like after you dropped islam. Did everyone at work know that you were a fairly religious muslim?
As you started to shed your faith, did aspects about you change? Did you change the way you look or act? Maybe being more sociable with non-muslims etc?
Were such subtle changes noticed by your co-workers and what were their reactions?

P.S. You don't have to be ex-muslim to answer this obviously. And of course, if you're not working, but a student etc you could still relate experiences with your peers or teachers/professors.

haha good one.

My last job overlapped with Ramadan. there were these two Muslim Pakistani guys who i used to talk to regularly. these two would take prayer breaks and head out for jumma prayers. during Ramadan they fasted. they would come to work early and leave early so they dont get too tired. well for me i would come with my lunch fully prepared and enjoy my lunch breaks.

Morning coffee would have been a hard thing to live without had i been a muslim

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Re: How are things at work now that you are no longer a muslim?
Reply #3 - June 03, 2010, 08:34 AM

Things haven't really changed. I haven't come out to anyone, except this one ex-coworker who is a Kabylian woman and who always makes fun of religion and say that even though she believes in God and is culturally a muslim, she never buys into that bullshit. It didn't change our relationship much, especially since at that time I only said (and meant) that I had doubts about the whole thing.

Other than that, nothing changed. I still have to bite my tongue down when someone says something especially retarded about religion. I sometimes voice opinions like "I don't believe in maktoob (destiny)" or "male circumcision isn't at all necessary", but it doesn't really shock people.

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Re: How are things at work now that you are no longer a muslim?
Reply #4 - June 03, 2010, 08:49 AM

There's only one other Muslim guy in my section. There used to be a Bosnian woman who never fasted, prayed etc. and thought religion was a thing best reserved for births, deaths and marriages. "I'm not into that" she would tell me if I ever brought up Islam. The Muslim guy used to tell me what a munafiq she was and how she knew nothing. Guess I joined her ranks. He still calls me "brother" but he's seen me eating during Ramadan for a couple of years now.

The non-Muslims are pretty much all atheist/agnostics so I have a lot better conversations with them and feel a hell of a lot more integrated. Not that they ever disrespected me before. It's quite a relief socially actually, not having to pay lip service to barbarism.

There was one Christian bloke there but he's lost his faith as well. We sometimes talk about that but not much.

The language of the mob was only the language of public opinion cleansed of hypocrisy and restraint - Hannah Arendt.
- Sir Wankalot
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Re: How are things at work now that you are no longer a muslim?
Reply #5 - June 03, 2010, 07:33 PM

Thanks everyone so far for sharing your experiences!

I kept my religion and faith fairly low key among my peers. Even back then I thought it was rude and snobbish to make your beliefs very obvious since they were supposed to be something personal and private.

So it didn't really affect me in any way as I started to change my outlook.
- Shahid Raza
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Re: How are things at work now that you are no longer a muslim?
Reply #6 - June 06, 2010, 09:51 PM

All of my colleagues are non-Muslim so I eat during Ramadan and eat non-halal food infront of them with no problem. I've told them that I don't believe in any religion. If a Muslim joined my team (especially one who knows someone who knows someone who knows my family) then I would have to behave slightly differently.

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Re: How are things at work now that you are no longer a muslim?
Reply #7 - June 06, 2010, 10:11 PM

^^ same for me.

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Re: How are things at work now that you are no longer a muslim?
Reply #8 - June 06, 2010, 10:19 PM

It must suck ass to have to pretend to be someone you're not.

Lucky for me, I live in one of the least religious countries in the world

The only thing that people really have a religious mentality towards, where I'm from, is football. And you get the odd football-related stabbing, but that's about as bad as it gets.
- Elifaz
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Re: How are things at work now that you are no longer a muslim?
Reply #9 - June 07, 2010, 08:53 PM

I just started a new job about a week ago, initial training and all that. It's far from my ideal job but really just to get some money coming in. As this is my first job since leaving Islam I am already finding everything really different from my last job.

Don't get me wrong, there are still barriers. I still feel like an "outsider" amongst my non-muslim coworkers and their tales of nights-out and actually "enjoying" university. I feel like Islam left a big void in my life which will always make it difficult to fully connect. But the main difference that exists now, as strange as it sounds, is I actually "care" about my coworkers now, rather than seeing them as bit parts in my daily routine who I have no intention of getting to know, or worse still, looking down on them as kafirs. Even though I feel there are these barriers, and I actually envy them for their life experience. I am working with an 18 year old girl who has experienced more than I may by the time I am 30.

Another fantastic perk is that I no longer have to worry about negotiating how to fit my prayers in, or how many rakats I have to make up when I get home. I am no longer dreading Ramadan. I am looking forward to spending time with my colleagues outside of work rather than thinking of excuses I can make to avoid them...
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