First of all - FINALLY, somewhere on the world wide web that isn't filled with angry replies from Muslims about how you shouldn't doubt the word of the Quran!
I am an almost-twenty-one year old from Pakistan, lived in England virtually my whole life, and now studying in Australia (where I came partly to escape from my family believe it or not).
I am dating a white, Atheist Australian who I am head over heels about, but my parents do not know.
My brother, who is older, spends his time out with friends, getting drunk and smoking. My parents pardon him and do not bother questioning him about where he has been. Me being the young girl of the family, I get all their attention, lucky me.
I have an uncle who converted to Christianity more than thirty years ago, and his parents disowned him. He has not spoken to my family in over 30 years and now I am finally getting him back in touch with my mother, his sister. We had a huge discussion about what would happen if I happened to decide to become Atheist. She said that she would accept it. However a few days later when it became evident to her that I was researching, we had a huge argument. She won't accept it.
I've decided that I want to live my life my way, and I'm not a bad person, I have morals and I'm generally a good human being. I'm fed up of being made to feel guilty just because I choose not to follow religion!
That's me in a nutshell!
Great post, and welcome to the forum. I am a Punjabi (Pakistani) Cultural Muslim. In other words, an atheist who still follows Islam based on principles, and culture. I drink and smoke, used to date too (before I got married) and I am in my mid-twenties.