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I Declare My Apostasy
5/9/2011

After years of having been involved in think tanks, advocacy groups, dawah (invitation or propagation) initiatives and academic apologetics as a Muslim, I have I decided to evolve my perspective of reality and existence as knowledge has reached me and renounce my faith in Islam. This was a thought out decision that took months of prayer, consideration, evaluation and knowledgeseeking on my part. Every bit as it has been a search for meaning and truth is has been a grieving process for me to realize that what I have been attached to all of these years is in fact not the ultimate reality behind our existence. Nevertheless it is simultaneously liberation and continued enlightenment that brings about serenity and peace of mind for me as well. My apostasy has not been based on disliking Islam or its requirements rather it was based on a realization that Islam is in direct contradiction with contemporary knowledge involving and including
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science, philosophy, ethics, anthropology, and the field which I am most interested in, educated in and practice as my line of work, namely, psychology: the science and study of human behavior. In the coming months I plan to contribute articles to FFI which explore the behavior and psyche of the different types of Muslims out there: the western Muslim, the mystic (Sufi), the purist (Salafi), and the politically driven (Hizb/Ikhwan) are among the many colors of the Ummah, each having its own set of advocates with unique behaviors and mentality. I have spent time and energy studying and experiencing the different denominations and sub-cultures within the Ummah. Having experienced their spirituality and religiosity first hand, having studied with their scholars and preachers, and having read books, articles and arguments from them, I believe that I have a grasp of where they stand psychologically and I plan to explore this more in-depth in the near future as I publish articles. I realized that 1400 years worth of consistent Islamiyya theology is not what I believed was the ultimate truth, rather I realized that it was a primitive attempt at understanding and implementing social, spiritual, religious and ethical standards. These seventh century standards might give slight insight into how humanity, and in this case, Arab civilization was evolving and progressing from its previous jahiliyya or ignorance, and yet effectively became stagnant with its own set of conservative traditionalism that would not allow Arab civilization to move forward. The only attempts at progression were the rationalist Mutazilites of the eight century which gave rise to what many observe as the Golden Age of Islam. Yet these rationalists were viewed as heretics and apostates themselves and would become extinct by the thirteenth century. Instead dogmatic traditionalism or Sunnah would thrive in the Muslim world and the European Renaissance with its progressive attitude would pick up where the all but extinct Middle Eastern rationalists left off. Perhaps the most important realization I have come to is that I would receive the death penalty under Shariah law for simply coming to these conclusions or realizations. This disturbs me to the core and demonstrates how the Ummah uses fear tactics under its Shariah system in order to preserve and strengthen their theological and political agenda. What I am grateful for however is the opportunity to witness the evolution of humanity where we no longer are restricted by primitive forms of theology and law and yet we continue to strive for integrity, honesty, humility, character development, and moral stability. There is a promising future for our species and not a dark one as theologians are attempting to brainwash their adherents with. As a Muslim apologist I remember debating at numerous types of venues including Mosques, Churches, Universities, Convention Halls and Libraries. Having engaged with notable Christian apologists such as Dr. James White, Dr. Tony Costa and Professor David Wood I learned that the purpose of apologetics was not confrontation rather to come to an understanding of truth even if it meant evolving ones own perspective. The idea of receiving an apparent truth is to embrace it, not fight it. The moment we try to fight an apparent truth or reality we begin to dwell in hypocrisy: understanding that something is apparently true and yet denying it for selfish reasons or attachment to preconceived notions. I want to thank Ali Sina for giving me the platform to explore Islam and to expose its primitive nature as incompatible with contemporary reality unless and until Muslims choose to reform it.
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Posted by Farhan Qureshi on May 10 2011. Filed under Apostates of Islam. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Comments (110)
Sort by: Date Rating Last Activity Marie 131 weeks ago Welcome to humanity. Good luck.
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sagintoronto 131 weeks ago It takes courage and and moral clarity to do what you are doing. Thanks for sharing your journey.
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konga 131 weeks ago Welcome Farhan.

I really look forward to read your future articles. After I left Islam, I got really interested in the subject of psychology, special psychology and religion. And even more specially, psychology and Islam. It's wonderful to know that someone who is specialized in this subject is planing to write articles about it here. I'm really looking forward to reading them.
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El Padrino 131 weeks ago

I think most muslims are reluctant to leave Islam not for fear of hell but for fear of being with out an identity.Islam has violently robbed muslims of their pre-Islamic cultures,to the point where many even hate,deny & speak ill of their pre-Islamic heritage.Unlike Chicanos/Mexicans & other hispanic mestizos who are extremely proud of their native blood & have managed to incorporate both indigenous american & castillian heritage into their cultures.Muslims on the other hand are ashamed of theirs.The trick is for ex-muslims to help muslims return to their civilized pre-islamic cultures.This would definitely speed up the "leaving Islam" process.
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Arya Anand 131 weeks ago

Mr.Farhan, congratulations for leaving Islam and joining humanity. Islam and humanity are ways different. I look forward to reading your articles.
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Ali Sina 131 weeks ago

Thank you Farhan for the testimony. Great to have you among us and I look forward to work with you. We have a lot of work ahead of us. The field is immense, and the workers are few. But the rewards are copious and sweet. Farhan was an associate of Abdullah Al-Andalusi and Bassam Zawadi. I have debated with Zawadi and he has written several rebuttals to my articles. I hope they too will come to their senses and realize that they are beating a dead horse. It really is not difficult to see the truth. I was there and it was difficult for me at that time. But once I got out of that hole, I wondered why I did not see it earlier. The truth is so obvious. Well Mr. Zawadi and Mr. Andalusi, if you read this page, which I am sure you will, ask me for my book. I will email it to you. Once you read it you too will leave Islam. Islam is undermined completely. It s about to fall and it will fall so rapidly that will take the world by surprise. Remember communism? A good imagery is the collapse of the WTC twin towers, and what a sweet vengeance.
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Splyce 130 weeks ago the mystic (Sufi), the purist (Salafi), and the politically driven (Hizb/Ikhwan) See how the mind in any prison makes the Mother, the Father and Son? As long as we have two brain hemispheres and an ego there will be a mind-prison somewhere saying they are free.

The world must have been an amazing place when you first conquered your fear of letting go and realized nothing happened that you had always been evolved to be master of your own destiny.
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hijazi 130 weeks ago

Mr. Sina you can snatch soul from our body but not love of islam from our hearts and minds. Young immature persons can become your victims but no mature and logical man will even think of leaving islam ........and you know that people who are embracing islam are youg as well as aged men . Those who leave islam ,there only reason for doing so is lack of islamic knowledge......and sina it is also true that muslims are not following islam properly , then its may be fault of muslims not islam but comparitively we are more close to islam then followers of other religions..... Mr. Sina you understand which language..... Why you are spoiling and corrupting young minds against islam? I am on conclusion that you must be taught some lesson......because polite language you donot understand ..... Sina your socalled logics cannot take love of holy prophet (peace be upon him ) out of our hearts... We muslims consider us as dust of the beloved shoes of holy prophet peace be upon him
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christian 130 weeks ago

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Mr Hijazi, the fact that there is so much love in your heart for a murderer, and a thug speaks volumes about you as a person.
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johan 130 weeks ago hijazi " it is also true that muslims are not following islam properly" You are correct to a certain extent. If all Muslims read and follow the Koran all Muslims would be killers and suicide bombers. Hijazi what do you think of the following verse?

Quran; 9:5). fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them and seize them, beleaguer them and lie in wait for them in every stratagem." What made the two professors of the famous Islamic Al Asher Univeristy to leave Islam? Do they lack of Islamic knowledge? What do you think of Farhan Qureshi's article? Does he lack of Islamic knowledge? I predict that you will leave Islam within two years. By the way I salute Farhan Qureshi for the courage and wisdom he has shown. I eagerly look forward to his articles. ,
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theSnail 130 weeks ago I salute your courage Farhan. I shall be very interested to read your forthcoming articles ''@
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Ibn Kammuna 130 weeks ago Congratulations, and I look forward to reading your work Peace
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hijazi 130 weeks ago Mr. John you quoted a verse from holy Quran that fight....................... It is clearly mentioned in Quran to fight with those who fight with muslims not with innocents ............
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Ok quote from quran a single verse where it is written to kill innocents or to carry out suicidal attacks?..... There are proper rules set by quran to wage jihad ........according to them......innocent killing not allowed ....kiling of aged, womenand children not allowed (except when they are part of war)....killing of priests not allowed...... Even destroying of crops and demolishing buildings is prohibited..... You know before hijrat (migration) to madina we were not allowed to fight..........you donot quote those verses according to which jihad with sword was not allowed before hijrat????? .......... Some verses of Quran were for some particular time ....... These are verses before eastablishment of islamic state in Madina.... After eastablishment of govt. Verses of jihad, how to eastablish govt......principles to be followed and more verses were revealed ........ Mr. John do study whole Quran, donot follow blindly mr sina as he himself is blind to see facts.......
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El Padrino 130 weeks ago hijazi:It is clearly mentioned in Quran to fight with those who fight with muslims not with innocents "

Tell me where in the following ayah it says to fight only with those who fight with you.This verse clearly tells muslims to fight innocent people for merely not believing in Allah. (9:29) Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. Here's another verse that speaks of beheading those who's only crime is not believing in Allah (8:12) Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): "I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instil terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them." Here's another verse that speaks of killing innocents without mercy for merely disbelieving (whose hearts is a disease) in Allah. (33:60) Truly, if the Hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who stir up sedition in the City, desist not, We shall certainly stir thee up against them: Then will they not be able to stay in it as thy neighbours for any length of time: (33:61) They shall have a curse on them: whenever they are found, they shall be seized and slain (without mercy). Now please see if you can refute any of these!
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Splyce 130 weeks ago El Padrino,

hijazi already threatened Ali Sina with violence: " I am on conclusion that you must be taught some lesson because polite language you donot understand ... The intimidated always become the intimidator as verily the weak before the strong become the strong before the weak.
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Those Koranic texts you quote, El Padrino, makes hijazi feel strong; because only the vanquished need a sanction to absolve them of consciousness to take what they could never ever create for themselves.
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Freedomofthought 130 weeks ago

Congratulations, Farhan Qureshi for voluntarily renouncing Islam, thereby choosing reason above superstitions. You have given yourself a chance to seek out your own truth. This is what it means to be free. Do not feel sorry for your wasted years as a muslim. At least you have great knowledge of Islam, which can help enlighten others. And, as you probably know, you can be wrong a thousand times, but you only have to be right once.
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jewdog 130 weeks ago

Good thinking. You are going to be with some of the best in the anti-jihadist movement: Ali Sina, The Persian Cat, and his formidable intellectual warriors, with the occasional hound dog. Woof!
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DMartyr 130 weeks ago Gloria Steinem once said, "Truth will set you free. But first, it'll piss you off." Now you are free.
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seifturki 130 weeks ago

It's very hard for me to believe that intellectual Moslems will remain in their religion, because it contradicts logic, science, history and even common sense. So reading Farhan's article above gives me the feeling that the sane intellect can easily overcome the insanity of Islam. It did not take me long to abandon Islam because my liberal parents taught me to think for myself and should never espouse any tradition just because it has religion in it. Thank you Farhan and I am very farhan (happy in Arabic) for you.
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guyindian09 130 weeks ago Farhan,

Great to see that you come out of Islam. Here is a best shock absorber: Try a 10day free mediation [logical, rational, non-religious and more importantly free food and lodging] in http://www.dhamma.org/ There are many psychiatrists who took this course recommending it to others. -Peace
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John K 130 weeks ago

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Congratulations, Farhan, on your great decision. I know it was not easy. I, too, look forward to your articles. The Ummah is such a large phenomenon that any light and understanding that can be shed on it will help us to understand how to deal with it. Dr. Sina, I hope you are right about the speed of Islam's demise. The outward expansion is growing to a critical point, so we need help from its inward collapse urgently.
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freedom 130 weeks ago

I have read the post of Hijazi, I know you can be offended by a lot of people, but it is true that millions are leaving Islam. Its the fact, Its ok if you follow what you believe in, but it takes a courageous mind to sit and think with your own reasoning. Perhaps you are still not ready to see the truth, that is why anger settles faster and all the negativity comes out. You believe in Islam it does not bother us. but yes it does bother you a lot more and accuse Ali Sina that he is influencing young minds. and Sina is only offering the truth. You can believe in what you believe and let other make their own changes, it should not affect you, just as it does not affect us. Farhan, I am so eager to read the Psychological perspectives from your side. The indoctrination is so well laid out that the believer does not know how his mind is shaped. It is sad that the young minds are hijacked for destruction. Yes when one understands psychology then then it is easy to know the Islamic people. I would love to read your articles. Welcome to senses and a happy world of oneness.
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Pussycat 130 weeks ago @ Hijazi

On the contrary, it is not the lack of knowledge that makes people to leave religions (specially Islam), but it is knowledge itself and education and study. The clerics treat people as children, and they want them to remain children so that they can easily control them.....needless to say, the knowledge of a child is limited, and he believes every fairy tale.
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str8tawk 130 weeks ago

Ok. Great that Farhan's seen the wrongs of Islam and as renounced it. Does he now see the Koran as wrong or just the people who "misrepresent" Islam? "My apostasy has not been based on disliking Islam or its requirements rather it was based on a realization that Islam is in direct contradiction with contemporary knowledge involving and including science, philosophy, ethics, anthropology, and the field which I am most interested in, educated in and practice as my line of work, namely, psychology: the science and study of human behavior." If he does not see the deception of Islam and the Koran and come to the true Christ he's come out of one dark room and walked into another. I pray he will see there is no safe ground outside of the Lord Jesus Christ and ask
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Him to reveal Himself as the true and Living God Who loves him and died for us all. Anthony Flew renounced atheism and became a deist before he died but that is not enough to save his soul. If Farhan reads this I pray he will do as God says: Acts 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: My prayer is he will cry out to God Who wants to embrace him as a loving Father to a child. This is relationship, not religion!
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ronyvo 130 weeks ago Hijazi:

I start writin in the Net about Islam on Sept.12/2001. You have no idea how many threats, from Muslims, I got and the name calling were overwhelming. Back then I was almost alone, not like now the Net is full of people who UNDERSTOOD the uglu truth about Islam and are writing about it. As Mr. Sina said and keep saying that Islam will fail. Islam is on life support, its imminent death is, surely, near. Your problem lies in ONE area you read but do not understand. It amazes me those intellecual Muslims who still adhere to this violent fake and evil system of life.
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