My Journey away from Islam part 3

I started to read from the beginning and not long I stumbled upon a passage about violence and abuse in a chapter where ironically has been dedicated to women. In fact it’s called Sūrat an-Nisāʼ (Arabic: سورة النساء‎) and It goes on to say in 4.11 that “Allah enjoins you concerning your children: for the male is the equal of the portion of two females" and another equally delightful passage concerning who men are allowed to marry in 4.24 "And all married women except those whom your right hands possess (are forbidden); (this is) Allah’s ordinance to you.”

It was clear to me at this point that Islam painted women not only as inferior to men but also that women are a possession to be 'had' when it comes to what the “right hand possess”. It was evident that sex slaves were permitted in Islam – a religion I thought for a long time promoted peace and love to the world. How weird is it that an entire CHAPTER that specifically puts down females can attract many non-muslim women to convert into Islam and yet have the nerve to call it the “most feminist religion in the world”. Yes, folks, this is an actual quote by an Australia ‘liberal feminist’ by the name of Yassmin Abdel Magied who made this dumb comment. I’m not sure how she would feel about the quotes above and how it's perfectly permissible for her husband to beat her.  In the same chapter, it says “righteous wives are devout and guard what God would have them guard in their husband’s absence. If you fear high handedness from your wives, remind them, then ignore them when you go to bed, then hit them”.  Once I finished the Quran translation (which took about a week and a half) I went to my sister to tell her that I was no longer part of the Ummah- that I couldn't support a religion that promotes violence, ignorance, hate, sexism and slavery.

“I never believed in that shit anyway, thank goodness you opened your eyes” was all my sister said after I read to her the chapters that conflicted with today's human rights.  I got up and closed the Quran and felt a slight dampness on my cheeks. I wiped my eyes and found myself in tears from the empty hollow feeling I had during my week of reading has started to lift. The thick obscure cloud that followed me for long started to fade and I felt, for a lack of better term, reborn again.

I’ve found the answers to all the burning questions I never got the answers for and I was no longer afraid to stand in my truth - no matter how alone I felt. The concepts of hell and heaven which hung around my neck like a noose started to untie itself. I knew from that moment onwards, that I was free. I am free. But I couldn't become public. There wouldn't be a coming out party nor would my family support my decisions. In Muslim households, the word 'choice' doesn't exist and being here in Somalia poses many challenges for people like me. You see, my mother decided to bring her kids to Somalia for a year. That is a year to 'reconnect with Islam' only to have me see the truth and run the other way. 

I was no longer a sheep to a God that wanted me to submit in a lifetime of servitude and I knew it would be life or death if I told anyone about this. I’ve heard stories about people getting attacked in the street (on broad daylight) if they are a suspected ‘apostate’ or even ‘Christians’ and not to mention the terrorist group Al- Shabab carrying out frequent bombing and shooting to innocent citizens because they 'think' they work for the infidels. Thankfully I have supportive friends who often text me to keep safe and not to tell anyone who I am but it’s time to speak out about how people like me are treated in the Muslim world. It has become my duty to shine a light on how poisonous and totalitarian Islam is and how it promotes everything opposite to peace.