Long and hard path of Disillusionment
Reply #12 - August 29, 2015, 07:24 AM
Hi asbie,
Thank you for the warm welcome. I loved the book and I found the critique of society, although aimed at Western capitalism, very relevant when looking at societies who wish to reinforce an 'Islamic' law. My experience with the more religious members of my community is their desire to control everyone. This is heightened when it comes to women. It can be stifling and leaves no room for individualism, free thought, creativity, beauty, art, literature...
On a grand scale the very fact that certain sects, arguably most Muslims societies, reinforce harsh punishments for apostasy is part of this oppression of freedom of thought.
Infact another defining moment which led to my apostasy was when I tried to envisage a world where everyone was Muslim and Islamic 'law' or more accurately 'Islamic values' was established universally, I did not make me particularly excited. If anything it made me think of societies seen in 1984 and Brave New World: a place where everything you do is controlled..
As imperfect as our world is, I value diversity. I think its because I am a Londoner (that I love London so! lol kidding), that drives this need to want to be with people who are not exactly like me, even if I dont agree with them.
Hassan: thank you, once again. I forget to mention that your writings have had such a profound impact on me. I found your journey so poignant and a real testament to how humans are so complex: we are changing all the time, even to ourselves.. You were questioning the same things I was and knowing that there was someone out there who was struggling with some of the concepts of Islam made me feel less strange.
My experience of reading your work Hassan and the discussions that I've read on this forum, reminded me of a quotation attributed to Frida Kahlo:
“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it's true I'm here, and I'm just as strange as you.”
Topic: Long and hard path of Disillusionment