Hello everyone, my name is yasmyn, I'm 18, applying to read medicine at uni this year. I have been free thinking for as far back as I can remember.
I was born into religion, with Pakistani/Saudi family on my fathers side. But was always questioning and curious and didn't feel comfortable with the incredibly stereotypical Asian lifestyle, especially gender roles I felt inferior as a young female, this never sat easily. I was told I was a Muslim, taken to mosque, read verses in the quaran, told to wear the hijab, to go to Arabic classes etc. This is why I identify as an ex Muslim.
When my parents eventually got divorced my mother became more and more liberal every day, studying art and encouraging me to think for myself, showing me what a strong independent woman looked like. Religion stopped being apart of our lives. I stopped reading fairy stories and starting reading Germaine Greer, Judy Butler, The Vagina monologues etc, and became a little feminist at about 13. This is also when I started a mainstream, non-faith secondary school.
I have many anecdotes about how I became an atheist and ex-Muslim. I'll say a few, I was 13 and my mother had bought me a book about Buddhism, I had shown an interest in what being a Buddhist actually meant. I went to visit my dad's family and had the book in my bag, my incredibly religious uncle saw this book, snatched it from me and was outraged, shouting in Arabic that my father refused to translate for me. I went home and thought about this, how can a man be so afraid of a book when he's so set in his beliefs? Why would one measly book that preaches peace and wisdom and love make him so angry?
I also read Dawkins 'god delusion', found The Thinking Atheist podcasts, talked to my mum and science teachers about it.
My biology teachers + classes gave me am insight into how beautiful this world is, without harking back to a creator in every sentence. I knew there had to be another way of thinking.
Now I am an avid atheist, the militant atheist of my school as well as policing ridiculous claims on facebook like 'homosexuality is a mental illness and 'God says marriage is between one man an one woman'. I am curious about religion in the modern world, indoctrination of children, the psychology behind religion.
This forum interests me so much. We're all here because we have thought about it, and come to similar conclusions, it's nice to know that I'm not crazy
I don't know how active I can be on here right now, I have exams coming up but reading your thoughts and opinions is inspiring.
Okay I'm going to go now
thanks for reading.
Topic: Hello from a young freethinking human ex Muslim.