i respect your honesty

Submitted by iskra (United States), Jan 12, 2008 at 22:56

Wow, Aisha -- I was married to a Muslim guy and have known plenty of Muslims, converts and otherwise, but you are the first I ever heard with the bravery to say "I wish I weren't Muslim" -- though I have known plenty who ACTED as though they weren't Muslim, while professing their everlasting devotion to the religion and the truth of the Quran, et cetera.

So, first off, kudos to you. You are one in a billion. It seems like so much pressure is put on Muslims to confirm and march in step with eachother, even if it's just an act and they have really lost faith!

The first question is, do you really believe Islam is the true religion, with the Quran being the word of God and all that? If you believe it, then you're Muslim and you've got to go on as a Muslim despite all adversity. Surely there are mosques and groups you could join that would welcome you. American converts are not outcasts in the Muslim community.

I suspect that you're really saying you've lost your faith that Islam really is the true religion, but you're scared that God and/or your community will punish you for this apostasy.

Remember: you are free, at least in America, to change your mind. Your husband probably has you convinced that you must bow down to him or else YOU are behaving badly, but if he's never around, then it is HE who is at fault. Can you move in with your parents and file for divorce? This is America; you aren't imprisoned by Islam's laws that make it hard for a woman to get away from a bad guy!

You've given me hope that a spark of free thought exists among Muslims. Thank you... and good luck.

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