How many more 'apostates' are silently suffering in Islamic states?
The Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain — to which the NSS is affiliated — has released some of the letters it has received from people within Islamist states who fear for their lives if their true thinking was ever made public. The heartrending letters, written to Maryam Namazie, give some indication of the fear and oppression under which many people who will not toe the Islamic line live. The letters have not been corrected for spelling or syntax.
A man in Saudi Arabia writes:
Hello Ms. Maryam
Hope u r doing well in Ur great life. Right now I m not capable to do something for u but I ever wish all the best of luck for u. & I m sure you need to know that why I do think for u in this way? Because u r the one who gave me a hope of thinking that I m not the only one thinking this way but also there are a lot of people like me. So I m not wrong too. Before I got your contact I have been thinking a lot on my final decision of faith. Before I got you I was really confused that am I right or wrong? But now I m totally satisfy & happy on my decision of faith.
But I want to pay your great attention on the people who want to take out themselves from these rubbish things but cannot due to not suitable circumstances around them. But someone has to think about those all. Ms. Maryam please keep doing this great thing for the helpless humanity.
My point of this mail: I don’t know how but I want to participate /contribute my services and efforts for this great mission. Because I m sure that we WILL be written in the golden words in the history. I am not supporting this mission that I shall be called in a good name but I must have to help those helpless people living a screwed life as well as I was. But madam I am still in a screwed life of Islam by force.
Last week a very bad thing happened to me. Actually I was in the market for some shopping. Meanwhile I got the prayer time. Also I was in hurry to go back to my office. But I was caught by the Religious Scholars while I was taking out my vehicle from the parking. They stopped me by force and asked me to present the work permit (Iqama) I apologized that I m in a great hurry that is why I cannot go to Mosque. But they denied my all requests. And they took me to their center for preach and punishment. They slapped on my face and kicked on my back. And put me forcibly in the toilet for punishment for hours. After a long time they released me and I reached to my car by a taxi.
Now can u imagine this thing that what kind of humiliation is there in Saudi Arabia for us? (if we will not go to mosque on the time of prayer). In my homeland at my town a lot of people know my thoughts and that is why they hate me a lot. & calls me (Kaafir) even most of my close relative don’t want to see me.
Madam that is all the status of my life up to now. Sometime I am so hopeless from my life & think that when everything will be okay? But you please take care of yourself always.
This one from a woman in Pakistan:
I am Sana from Karachi, Pakistan, as I am a keen observer and an admirer of ur courageous work but I always feel that u guys help and give legal support only in Britain, why not in a country like Pakistan, I do raise my voice on internet only as its too risky to talk against religion or ask valid questions here because sometimes I really do feel choking and its a complete male dominating society, a girl like me can’t even go around and yell what I feel inside, hatred against so called islamic-hijackers is growing day by day but its unislamic unethical to talk against them or even portray what one feel, well I wish to volunteer but wonder only, I am so hopeless, inside me is a quite rebel but wimpy indeed, as I have been mauled by my best friend and a sister for being unfaithful to god, though I am depressed but not scared.
Dear mariam,
I am really happy about what you did in London, we are defending upon ourselves and our future, and we will win as the humankind win in many parts in the world. I am so sorry that I was not with you. It is the occasion to talk to you about the problem of my wife. She is living in Syria, and she joined UNHCR on Feb. 2008. She is under pressure of her clan and many people to divorce and goes back to Iraq because of my principle in Islam. UNHCR fixed first of June to talk to her, but that is too far. I am now seeking for refuge in Sweden because ex-Islam will cause murder in Iraq and that clear in the second article of Iraqi constitution which put Islam above the law.
Dear Maryam,
My name is Dua’ a 27 years girl from Jordan and I am college teacher. I was forced by my father to wear the veil (Hijab) and what is supposed to be Islamic style of clothing. I am not very convinced with Islam in many way, especially the way it deals with woman.
The fact that woman should be fully covered, because they may look attractive to men. The fact that woman should obey men, and with many other issues. I want to leave this religion, but I am SO afraid on my life. My father is threatening me, he want to keep me locked in the house and to force me to leave my job because he want me to be fully dependent on him. He is a very violent man. I read your story and it was very inspiring for me. PLEASE I want your help and goodness, what should I do??
My best chance is to get out of the country, I don’t know to where yet and because of the world wide economy crises I think it is harder for me to find a job and settle in other country. Especially that I don't want to tell anyone I know, because they may tell him, and stop me from getting out.
I have masters in computer science, and 3 years experience in teaching at the university. so I may apply for a PhD scholarship maybe and work at the university at the same time, and see how things go. I was thinking about emigration too, to any non Arab country. I was investigating Jordanian law, and I found out that there is something called honor killing, which let fathers kill there daughters and get prisoned for only couple of months, do you believe that!
See also:
Afghan president approves law that legalises rape
There’s nothing Islamic about a state
9 April 2009