ex-muslim

[Amandine]

So apparently the most respected school of Islam, Al-azhar University, that my muslim friends really like, thinks apostates from the religion should be killed based on ahadith. Now, I don't think my friends would want to do this, but others they know might...I feel like the entire future of myself and my close kin is in potential danger b/c I never know who would get zealous and decide to target me. How can I tell them I'm no longer a muslim??? I was never a very orthodox muslim in the first place and most of the time was not their official definition of a good muslim b/c I didn't believe half the things. This was one of the worse hasty decisions I ever made. What should I do???

 

[Suzannah]

Hello my friend.

I wonder if you really have to say anything at all at this point? I care about your situation but I am unclear about a couple things?
Are you in school at the same uni with them?
Your flag says France...do you live there? If so, perhaps there are some things you could do to protect yourself, such as moving to a new neighborhood or city, etc.

I do care about and I'm very sorry you are in this situation. It must be a very terrible fear and it must be very difficult.

How does your family feel about all this? Can you talk to them?

Love,
Suzannah

 

[Amandine]

I wonder if you really have to say anything at all at this point? I care about your situation but I am unclear about a couple things?
Are you in school at the same uni with them?
Your flag says France...do you live there? If so, perhaps there are some things you could do to protect yourself, such as moving to a new neighborhood or city, etc.

Hi Suzannah!
I go to a university, but most of the muslims I've befriended are late 20s. I'm also employed by a muslim family (thank God, ends next week) so maybe I can just slip quietly into my other activities once school starts and blow them off (which is a bit cruel, but I'm nervous). I actually live in America, but recently got rid of some profile information for more anonymity.

I do care about and I'm very sorry you are in this situation. It must be a very terrible fear and it must be very difficult.

Thank you for your concerns. I think I'm just very vulnerable right now and made a hasty decision. It probably won't be dangerous but then there's always that possiblity. I'll don't think I'll feel secure visiting certain countries that I've always wanted to see.

How does your family feel about all this? Can you talk to them?

Well, it was a rather recent decision, so I didn't even bother telling them before I had started to change my mind.

 

[Pele]

So apparently the most respected school of Islam, Al-azhar University, that my muslim friends really like, thinks apostates from the religion should be killed based on ahadith. Now, I don't think my friends would want to do this, but others they know might...I feel like the entire future of myself and my close kin is in potential danger b/c I never know who would get zealous and decide to target me. How can I tell them I'm no longer a muslim??? I was never a very orthodox muslim in the first place and most of the time was not their official definition of a good muslim b/c I didn't believe half the things. This was one of the worse hasty decisions I ever made. What should I do???

I'll pray for you my friend. Question: Do you trust God?

 

[jameseb]

Amandine, I just wanted to step in and say that I will be praying for you.

 

[Amandine]

I'll pray for you my friend. Question: Do you trust God?

Of course.

But I'll add, please don't let the question be a proselytization lead. I know I am a target for that as I am asking for Christian support (I do not reject all possiblity of becoming Christian, but find it highly unlikely, especially the Baptist viewpoint), but many on CF have the courtesy to care in a more personal way first.

 

[Amandine]

Amandine, I just wanted to step in and say that I will be praying for you.

Thank you james.

 

[crossrunner]

Sweetie...
You are brave. and you are in my prayers.

 

[Suzannah]

Hi Suzannah!
I go to a university, but most of the muslims I've befriended are late 20s. I'm also employed by a muslim family (thank God, ends next week) so maybe I can just slip quietly into my other activities once school starts and blow them off (which is a bit cruel, but I'm nervous).

Hi Amandine! I thought about you today.
I think this is very wise...a low profile and just quiet retreat....if you go and tell them outright, it could lead to a confrontation. ANd even if that confrontation is not violent, it could very well be unpleasant and upsetting all the way around. I guess I am more of a pacifist. I like your idea of just slowly and quietly "getting into your own thing".

I actually live in America, but recently got rid of some profile information for more anonymity.

This was EXTREMELY wise! I understand more than you know. I too, come from a troubled country.

Thank you for your concerns. I think I'm just very vulnerable right now and made a hasty decision. It probably won't be dangerous but then there's always that possiblity.

I can see how you might feel that way. In my own country, we have our brand of extremists. And they are not "friendly"....I can understand how scared you might feel. Believe me, I do.

I'll don't think I'll feel secure visiting certain countries that I've always wanted to see.

I know... This is sad for me too, because there are some wonderful places out there, that I would really love to visit.

Well, it was a rather recent decision, so I didn't even bother telling them before I had started to change my mind.

Well, at the very least, I hope that you will just think about sharing with at least one person in your family. Carrying that kind of burden by yourself is too lonely. If there's anyone in your family who might listen to you and be on your side, I strongly urge you to share with them. But if you don't feel safe doing that, (I don't presume to know your situation) then I would say "trust your guts".

I will be thinking of you and hope that you will stay in touch. If you'd like to chat I'm usually here. *suzannah cannot seem to get off the computer ....

I care about you and hope that at least, maybe if you have friends here at CF you will share with them how you feel and how it's going for you.

Love,
Suzannah

 

[alancooney]

Sick eh! Btw, check out faithfreedom.org for the truth about Islam

 

[bethdinsmore]

I am so sorry that you are having to endure these sufferings and danger. I know you said you don't want to be proseletyzed (and I'm a Baptist besides!), so I'll be leaving out a lot - hope I will still make sense.

Even though you live in America now, I have many friends who are missionaries to Muslim countries, and I realize that the danger is very real. My reason for writing is in the hope of encouraging you a bit from something I have witnessed concerning the supernatural world, (though I realize your situation is different) and the hope that something I say might result in your increased safety. I can summarize it by saying that the true God is able to protect you as you seek Him. "You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."

Please forgive me if any of the following seems like proseletyzing to you - I am sincerely trying to honor your wishes and your choices.

I had been an atheist, then accidentally got involved in the occult (it can happen), then trusted in Christ as my sinbearer. A Christian friend I had, told some of her friends about me. They wanted to talk to me because they were in the occult, and had eventually gotten very frightened. They wanted out. (One was a Satanist, one was a black witch, and two were white witches.)

The person who seemed in the greatest immediate danger was a Satanist. (The Satan Seeker gives a good example of the types of things he did and things that happened to him).Through card reading, etc., the demons had told him that the wife of his parent's pastor would die within a week (it happened - she commited suicide). Later they told him that his father would die within a week (it happened - he had a heart attack). So when they told him he would one day die by fire or by water, he was terrified. At that time, he asked my friend to make an appointment for the three of us. We did, and prayed daily for his safety. Because he was so terrified, he delayed for months before finally seeing me.

That particular day, the phone rang at 8:00am - I figured it was something really important, because my friends knew not to call around that time since I would be having daily devotions. Sure enough, it turned out to be my friend "Shirley". She said that "John" wanted to make an appointment to meet that night, for the first time. I was so happy, and told her that when the phone rang I had been praying for John's safety.

Long story short, while I was telling John that night about my occult experiences, Shirley interrupted all of a sudden and said, "Cathy was praying for your safety at eight this morning." John looked astonished, and said, "I was at the top of a long flight of concrete steps at that time - I had just looked at my watch. Though no one was behind me, I felt like someone shoved me in the back. I fell all the way down, but I wasn't hurt in the slightest." Eventually John left the occult and became a ......... (you guessed it) , and was never harmed. (The other friends, once they made the same choices, also were delivered from harm).

Now, I'm hoping you're thinking "Hmmm, that's interesting", and not "Boy is she crazy". I'm taking a chance on the former, tho, because I really wanted to encourage you. I'm praying for you and for your safety. Please contact me if you ever want to ask questions.

Aloha

 

[I <3 Abraham]

Armandine

Correct this if some of it is wrong.

1)you were a muslim and are not now
2)you lived and continue to live in America
3)you know/work with some muslims in America
4)you heard a muslim university that you consider to be very authoritative thinks that muslims who abandon the faith should be killed.

are these facts right? Are there any more significant facts?

 

[Amandine]

4)you heard a muslim university that you consider to be very authoritative thinks that muslims who abandon the faith should be killed.

are these facts right? Are there any more significant facts?

Yes. And not just "heard", know. And apparently it's a common belief among religious muslims who seek implication of Sharia law. (Which is most practicing muslims).

And...I would just like to say something to an earlier poster. Whatever the actions of extremists, Muslims do believe in the same God as you. They do not believe the same stuff about God so much so that you would think they are different, but they believe in the same one. And as an ex-Christian I am aware of this saving power from the occult, but I have no reason to believe it wasn't just God in his mercy saving me from demons instead of "Jesus's name specifically". I find more reason in Hindu and Judaism right now. If I ever did become a Christian I highly doubt it would be your brand. But thanks for concern

 

[bethdinsmore]

Quote: ...
And...I would just like to say something to an earlier poster. Whatever the actions of extremists, Muslims do believe in the same God as you. They do not believe the same stuff about God so much so that you would think they are different, but they believe in the same one. And as an ex-Christian I am aware of this saving power from the occult, but I have no reason to believe it wasn't just God in his mercy saving me from demons instead of "Jesus's name specifically". I find more reason in Hindu and Judaism right now. If I ever did become a Christian I highly doubt it would be your brand. But thanks for concern [/QUOTE]

Hi again, I think you were referring to me. One thing I would like to clarify about "Muslims do believe in the same God as you" from your above quotation - I believe in the God of the Trinity (God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). It is my understanding that Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet, but do not believe that He was God. Am I wrong? I sincerely want to know, not trying to debate. Thanks.

 

[Amandine]

Hi again, I think you were referring to me. One thing I would like to clarify about "Muslims do believe in the same God as you" from your above quotation - I believe in the God of the Trinity (God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). It is my understanding that Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet, but do not believe that He was God. Am I wrong? I sincerely want to know, not trying to debate. Thanks.

Yes that is true. But Jews do not believe Jesus is God either...do you think you worship the same God?
(Well ok, I guess some people don't but...)

Although you believe completely different things, in belief, the Muslims are worshipping the one God that spoke to Israel, and that spoke to Jesus. Because of this, technically, they are worshipping the same God, even if you think in a way abhorrent to him. To say they worship another God would be rather henotheistic.

 

[I <3 Abraham]

Yes. And not just "heard", know. And apparently it's a common belief among religious muslims who seek implication of Sharia law. (Which is most practicing muslims).

Alrighty then, since there aren't any further facts I want to let you know that you are in no danger. There aren't any religious assasinations to speak of in this country and if there were, I'm sure it would Muslims getting the short end of the stick. There are a lot of people in this country and no one keeps track of the comings and goings of some person that went to their mosque. For all anybody knows, you go to a different mosque, or you're ill or you moved. The point is that nobody knows and nobody cares. That's just how people are, we are absorbed in our own world and don't pay all that much attention, muslims are no different. Rest easy knowing that you are just another citizen of the U.S, no more likely to be killed by muslim extremists than myself or Bill Gates (probably a lot less likely than Gates actually).

 

[alancooney]

Do not the overwhelming majority of Muslims follow the Sunnah, a book that preeches the killing of non-muslims. The Quran does for that matter anyhow. Good luck, ull need it!

 

[Sketcher]

I recommend you move and disappear from the Muslims you are afraid of. For now, I would only tell your family, if they can be trusted - It's easy to do bad things to people you are not related to, but the bonds of family generally do a good job of restraining that. If you had become a Christian, I would have suggested praying for help and support, that would have been your best weapon.

 

[rahma]

I have never read anything about a person leaving Islam in america being killed. You do not have to worry, especially since you were not muslim for long. I would bet that your muslim friends would be sad to hear that you decided not to follow through on your shahada, and may try to convince you to rethink it, but nothing more.

 

[Amandine]

Ok, I really don't fear American muslims. I'm just nervous b/c some women I know are rather strict and they have foreign husbands from those persecuting countries. I just feel a lot of stress. I dunno. Close this thread I guess.