Why ex-Muslims are such outstanding people

Submitted by Dave (United States), Aug 8, 2020 at 07:08

There's a kind of Darwinian process that winnows out exceptional people who have the wherewithal to overcome daunting odds to distinguish themselves. Among them are war heroes, wealthy businessmen from starkly deprived backgrounds, and ex-Muslims.
Imagine growing up immersed in an environment saturated with Islamic ideology and prejudices: hatred of infidels, Israel, Jews, glorification of martyrs (suicide bombers), but then having the mental fortitude to reject it all and become an independent-minded, decent person by the finest of Western standards. It's no wonder that ex-Muslims like Ibn Warraq, Nonie Darwish, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Green Prince etc., are so impressive. They are truly superior people, the top of the heap. If people of their caliber ruled the world we would be in paradise. But alas, the exceptional are always the exception.
In fairness, I should add that there are moderate Muslims who have similar values despite evident conflicts with the literal tenets of Islamic ideology. They too are an inspiration, particularly for their courage as they can be targeted as surely as the apostates.
These people are our hope for the future. Thank you Dr. Pipes for highlighting them.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".