How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?

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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #30 - December 23, 2009, 10:04 PM

An Iranian guy who was born into a secular family told me he was kinda into Islam when he was young due to the school obligatory religious education, but soon was out of it.
Another one who is kinda having doubts (and expressed clearly, 'I am not sure if Islam is true anymore').

Each would make half an ex-Muslim, so I voted 1.

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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #31 - December 23, 2009, 10:30 PM

85% of those who responded only know 5 people or less that are ex-muslims (outside of forums).

Goes to show we have a lot of work to do, if you consider that on average that we probably come across hundreds of muslims during our lifetime, on this basis at best I would guesstimate that only 5% of Muslims apostate, but reaslistically this figure is probably lower than 1% if you take into consideration the fact that due to our respectve environments as a whole we are more likely to bump into ex-muslims than an ordinary muslim would.

Make me wonder if an easier objective would be to take the sting out of Islam, rather than hoping people will leave it

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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #32 - December 23, 2009, 10:35 PM

I think there are way more Muslims who are simply irrelgious and basically the same as us in their views and day to day life.. but they just don't express themselves, preferring to not draw attention. I know 2-5 declared apostates, who clearly state they are disbelievers. But there are tonnes of people I know who are simply irreligious and don't care about the matter of religion at all, I can't call them ex-muslims though.

Quote from: thinkfree on September 28, 2010, 07:58 PM
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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #33 - December 23, 2009, 10:40 PM

I have heard, that Bangladesh has more secular atheist intellectuals than Pakistan. I'm not sure how true that is though.
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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #34 - December 23, 2009, 10:46 PM

Quote from: Kafirist on December 23, 2009, 10:35 PM
I think there are way more Muslims who are simply irrelgious and basically the same as us in their views and day to day life.. but they just don't express themselves, preferring to not draw attention. I know 2-5 declared apostates, who clearly state they are disbelievers. But there are tonnes of people I know who are simply irreligious and don't care about the matter of religion at all, I can't call them ex-muslims though.

I know, but if they dont identify themselves as such then they there is a possibility that they will marry a muslim, and the indoctrination will continue into the next generation. For those purposes, I discount them here.

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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #35 - December 23, 2009, 11:04 PM

Quote from: IsLame on December 23, 2009, 10:30 PM
Make me wonder if an easier objective would be to take the sting out of Islam, rather than hoping people will leave it

I don't get it, please explain.

Let's not forget that many ex-Muslims are closet ex-Muslims. People who know me would assume that I'm a Muslim even though I'm a very outspoken ex-Muslim (outspoken on the internet at least).

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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #36 - December 23, 2009, 11:09 PM

Quote from: Omaar Khayaam on December 23, 2009, 10:40 PM
I have heard, that Bangladesh has more secular atheist intellectuals than Pakistan. I'm not sure how true that is though.

Bangladesh has quite a few open atheists in it's universities, politics and arts. They are however very careful not to 'rock the boat' too much - especially in light of the governments caving into Islamists on Taslima Nasrin.

Quote from: thinkfree on September 28, 2010, 07:58 PM
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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #37 - December 23, 2009, 11:21 PM

Quote from: Kafirist on December 23, 2009, 11:09 PM
very careful not to 'rock the boat' too much - especially in light of the governments caving into Islamists on Taslima Nasrin.

There you go, the cycle of repression has already begun. Next Islamisation. Watch this space.

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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #38 - December 23, 2009, 11:30 PM

No Islame, thats not really the case. If anything the opposite is occuring. For a period the Islamists used to get at least 10 seats in parliament. (which is still not much) Now they have 3. There has been a huge backlash against both the BNP (b'deshs republicans) and the fundamentalists in general. This was due to some attacks fundies carried out on Bangladeshi cultural/art events which they deemed to be rooted in kuffar and hinduism. Bengalis have no taste for fundamentalism whatsoever. Its not in our nature or our history.

Quote from: thinkfree on September 28, 2010, 07:58 PM
Iblis has mad debaterin' skillz. Best not step up unless you're prepared to recieve da pain.
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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #39 - December 23, 2009, 11:32 PM

In that case, I stand corrected. Respect to the Land of the Bangs.

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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #40 - December 24, 2009, 12:17 AM

Quote from: Kafirist on December 23, 2009, 11:09 PM
Bangladesh has quite a few open atheists in it's universities, politics and arts. They are however very careful not to 'rock the boat' too much - especially in light of the governments caving into Islamists on Taslima Nasrin.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/bangladesh-police-mount-hunt-for-atheist-writer-1420939.html
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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #41 - December 24, 2009, 12:18 AM

I'm sure i've met hundreds but open ex-Muslims perhaps about 20 before joining this forum and a few thereafter. I would argue that about 10-30% of the worlds Muslims seriously doubt their faith. Some just don't care enough to think it through and reach a robust conclusion, others have left Islam mentally but don't declare it to anyone and don't wish to celebrate the fact. And then you have the proud Murtads like us.

Take the Pakman challenge and convince me there is a God and Mo was not a murdering, power hungry sex maniac.
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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #42 - December 24, 2009, 12:44 AM

Well I know my dad's late communist uncle was a confirmed atheist. I also have 5 friends who are nonbelievers. I guess I shoulda checked 6-10 instead of 2-5. Can I recast my vote ?
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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #43 - December 24, 2009, 12:49 AM

Quote from: pakman on December 24, 2009, 12:18 AM
Some just don't care enough to think it through and reach a robust conclusion,

I would agree with this statement, I don't think many nominal muslims give it much thought or realise that what they have done indirectly is made a giant leap.
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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #44 - December 24, 2009, 12:58 AM

Quote from: Omaar Khayaam on December 24, 2009, 12:49 AM
I would agree with this statement, I don't think many nominal muslims give it much thought or realise that what they have done indirectly is made a giant leap.

Its pretty much irrelevent though - as such muslims will continue to breed muslims. Their offspring can go either way - ive seen many salafists born from successfully vacinated muslims

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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #45 - December 24, 2009, 01:25 AM

Quote from: Kafirist on December 23, 2009, 11:30 PM
Bengalis have no taste for fundamentalism whatsoever. Its not in our nature or our history.

Last time Bangladeshis faced a strict ruled government, they were killed off in a genocide. I dont think Bangladeshis people will ever forget that, so they will never let fundamentalist style government come in. At least we can hope so.
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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #46 - December 24, 2009, 01:52 AM

Quote from: _truth_ on December 24, 2009, 01:25 AM
Last time Bangladeshis faced a strict ruled government, they were killed off in a genocide. I dont think Bangladeshis people will ever forget that, so they will never let fundamentalist style government come in. At least we can hope so.

Yes, the atrocities the Jamaat and other Islamists commited alongside the Pakistani army is a very important reason why fundamentalist has no credibility or appeal among Bangladeshis.

Quote from: thinkfree on September 28, 2010, 07:58 PM
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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #47 - December 24, 2009, 05:39 AM

Quote from: Kafirist on December 23, 2009, 07:06 PM
@Manat,

Were these friends similar to you in religious views? Did they suffer some sort of "burnout"?

Um, no not really. Maybe two were. The others were from different viewpoints, mainly that sort of mainstreamy ISNA ish Islam with doses of sufism (the non-strict versions) and three who were liberal / progressive. All of us except for one went through some sort of salafism, either being salafi or being in a community where salafism was shoved down your throat whether you followed it or not.

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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #48 - December 24, 2009, 04:11 PM

I came from a fairly nominal barelwi household so i was fairly inclined towards traditional sufi islam.
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Re: How many ex-muslims have you met personally in your life?
Reply #49 - December 24, 2009, 04:18 PM

OMG - 36% are all alone and have never come across an ex-muslim before. I commend you boys & girls for being prepared to stand out amongst the crowd

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