Wasn't quite sure where to stick this thread so finally decided to stick it here. Mods feel free to move it where it belongs.
So as most of you know i offered to attend a radio show regarding life as an ex muslim. It was a nerve racking experience which i am delightful to have gone through. To be completely honest it was the first time i felt that i could put mine and fellow ex muslim's fight and plight to some use by airing it to the big bad world out there.
I am hoping to put the recording of the show up here somewhere somehow, but i just haven't received it yet. *watch this space*
The general gist of the show went like this:
Converts of Islam and their experiences and reasons of conversion.
My experience and reasons as an ex muslim for leaving Islam, and how my life took it's journey from then on.
An atheist's/humanist's experiences and reasons for disbelieving in organised faiths.I was informed that it would be a one to one conversation with the radio presenter where i would just basically have to indulge in how my life took it's toll after apostatising. However, i decided that i wanted it to be a civilised debate with the convert. I was genuinely curious to hear why she chose Islam over her western background and upbringing. Of course i was sub consciously expecting it to be one of the misconceptions of Islam liberating women etc, unsurprisingly i was right.
She spoke like a pre recorded muslim da'wah spokesperson. She attacked or at the very least decided to accuse my parents for not teaching me 'my deen' well enough and that it was somehow their fault that i was where i am now. To this i expressed my complete and utter disagreement that the result of my life, whatever it may be, is not the immediate result of my parents upbringing and nor are they responsible for my apostasy. Frankly because my parents are by definition the epitome of perfect practicing muslim parents, and despite this fact their daughter who decided to go out and see the world for what it really is, research and come to a conclusion purely based on evidence and not by hearsay, does not prove as failings of my parents.
If i remember rightly so, she assumed that i never really knew the 'true' Islam and that for me to be able to reject Islam i first had to know Islam. I can imagine most of you will be /facepalming at this assumption as it's such a common one, trust me i facepalmed too. Let's not forget we're talking to an english convert here, who claims that she knows the true Islam than most of us ex muslims despite the fact that we were indoctrinated at a very vital stage of our lives; whilst we were young lil inklings of humanity.
Anyway, we moved on to discuss what the pivotal point in my life was that ultimately made me renounce Islam. Here i mentioned that funnily enough it was during the time i went on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia where i did experience a spiritual feeling, however this spirituality did not justify or confirm that Islam was a True religion. In fact it was during this quest that i realised that Islam was not a fair and just religion, i saw this fact in life rather than just on paper. I saw that women were treated as inferior beings, I saw women were discriminated, I saw women were placed in a confined space in the Kabaah compared to the indefinite amount of space for the men. I found myself thinking if Islam is the true religion then why isn't this truth being expressed in Allah's most holiest of places? Why had Allah not chosen to show an example of epitomised muslims from all regions of the globe at his so called blessed Kabaah?
You'd think this would be a valid point and not denouncable (i love making up words
) well here She decided to mention, something along the lines of, humans are not perfect and the Islam they follow is the result of tradition and culture rather than the 'real' Islam.
I think this was the general discussion that took place, if i remember more i shall most definitely post it here.
Topic: Radio Show Discussion