The latest Economist has an eye-opening piece on ex-Muslims and how apostasy is incredibly difficult even when you don’t live in a country under Islamic law.

If you haven’t heard their stories, it’s hard to ignore them.

The vast majority, whether young or old, are silent about their faithlessness. One Muslim college student, who came home drunk one evening, was confronted by his father. Not thinking clearly, the son confessed to his father that he was an atheist, whereupon the father revealed that he too had lost his faith many years ago. Yet he still admonished his son for not hiding his secret well enough. Publicly leaving Islam is difficult because many Muslims live in tight-knit communities. Many apostates are left closeted, afraid to put at risk their relationships with their parents, on whom they may still depend, or with their siblings and their friends… “The most frustrating part is living knowing that my life has to be guided by the rules I don’t agree with,” says one still deep in the closet.

One of the best ways to change this reality is by sharing the compelling stories of former Muslims and what it took for them to leave Islam, something the Ex-Muslims of North America have been doing incredibly well with their YouTube series.

As more Muslims realize the harm they’re causing, hopefully the guilt will set in for some and they’ll fight to make the transition out of Islam a little easier for their brothers and sisters who choose it.

No one deserves to be punished just for asking tough questions and coming to their own conclusions.

(Image via Shutterstock)

