I post this article because i want this group more active with a brilliant discussion
intead of skim cepat kaya yg tak berfaedah tu among the members. Sorry, tak dapat nak
translate this article coz terlalu pjg.
Events that happened to me as an Ex-Muslim
by Murtad Mama
1980 I was born in Malaysia. However, I had dual citizenship - Canadian and Malaysian.
1994 I decided that I am not a Muslim.
1995 I took the Lower Secondary School Examinations (PMR) which included Islamic
Education.
1994 -1997 Some Muslim students at Convent Kajang Secondary School were trying to
convince me to practice the Islamic lifestyle. Some of them even approached the
Islamic Education teacher for help in bringing me back to Islam. Meanwhile, all
non-Muslim students just respected me for who I am.
Nov - Dec 1997 I took the Malaysian O-Level Examinations (SPM) that included Islamic
Education and I got the highest grade possible for Islamic Education.
June 1998 Universiti Teknologi MARA's Orientation or Brainwashing?
The first few days I was at Universiti Teknologi MARA, I brainswashed into being good
Muslim. I wasn't allowed to have contact with family and friends from outside the
university campus. Everyone was wondering how I was doing my first time away from home
and I received many calls on my cell phone, which I wasn't allowed answer. Finally, I
managed to call my mom from a toilet of a mosque. During those few days, I was sleep
and food deprived. Every women including those who were legally registered as
non-Muslims were forced to wear the tudung or veil. For a few days, at least those who
were legally Muslims were forced to listen to lectures on Islam and practice the
Islamic lifestyle. I said I was menstruating to avoid all the praying, etc. One of the
senior students that was in charge of programs even threatened those who are
menstruating. She said she would "check us" but I was lucky she didn't do so. The last
night of this so-called orientation, I was forced to stay up all night in a
mosque doing Islamic rituals. Since I lied about menstruating, I didn't have to do
much. However, I was tested to do a few Islamic rituals (such a memorizing Koranic
verses in Arabic!) which I failed. Thus, I was threatened to be sent to compulsory
Islamic classes during my whole stay at the university (which didn't happen). Anyway,
I had a few hours of sleep on the floor in that mosque. In the morning, everything was
over and I had to take an English placement test. During the whole so-called
orientation, I frequently broke down into tears, which was common among students.
June 1998 � June 1999 The PETRONAS scholars who I was studying with in Universiti
Teknologi MARA found out that I wasn�t a Muslim. As a result, many of the Muslim ones
said nasty things to me such as, �Your parents brought you up wrong and now you have
to follow us in regards to Islam�. In addition, they tried to convince me to practice
the Islamic lifestyle. They made me feel horrible. I recall my mom sending me an
e-card saying that it okay to be different - to show her support during this difficult
time. In addition, the government required me to take even more Islamic Education in
university.
One day in October 1998 The Date police got us
I went to the Shah Alam lake garden with Amin and we kissed each other. Unfortunately,
a "park authority" caught us. I thought he was a policeman since his uniform was
similar to a policemen. We panicked and surrendered our IDs before we realized that he
was not a policeman. He said that if he informs our university that we were kissing,
we would be expelled and our scholarship to study in the USA would be taken away. He
gave us a few options which included going to "therapy" in a mosque, reporting the
incident to our parents or turning us over to the university for disciplinary action.
I was all for getting our parents involved. Finally, he spoke to Amin personally about
a bribing him. We paid him RM 50 each and never heard from him since. After speaking
to appropriate people, I realized that this "park authority" didn't have the right to
charge us with anything because he didn't have four male Muslims to witness the
kissing. We forgot about the issue for years until the "date
police" upgraded their techniques and it made news in Canada! Here is a short article
from the MetroToday newpaper.
December 1998 PETRONAS Orientation at PERMATA
PETRONAS had an orientation for all their scholars that took their SPM in 1997.
Students registered as Muslims were made sure to go to the praying room, even early in
the morning, to perform Muslim rituals. As usual, I pretended to be menstruating to
avoid this. I brought a lot of sanitary pads to put on my desk in my room just for
show. In addition, everyone, including those registered as non-Muslims, were forced to
attend a lecture about Islam. I spent my time writing love letters for Amin and I know
one of my non-Muslim friends was writing a letter for her boyfriend too. During this
lecture, I was forced to wear the tudung or veil.
August 1999 I left Malaysia to study in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA. When I
arrived in the USA, Amin from Georgia Tech came to greet me at the Albany airport and
we hugged each other. In addition, later on we were kissing each other. As a result, a
Malaysian Muslim threatened Amin that he would get us into trouble if we do not
practice the Islamic lifestyle. I was very sad and cried because I thought I couldn't
even have freedom from religion in the USA! Finally one day, I told the International
Student Advisor about the incident and she said that nobody has the right to force
someone via threats to practise a particular religion on campus.
Jan 2000 My in-laws found out that Amin and I were not Muslims. They asked PETRONAS to
bring me back to Malaysia for faith rehab.
Feb 2000 The PETRONAS student advisor and an ustaz from the Malaysian Students
Department at the Malaysian embassy came to my university. They threatened to drag me
back to Malaysia if they were to find out that I was really not Muslim.
Early 2001 When A.H., a PETRONAS scholar found out that we (myself and Amin) we
thinking of getting married, she wrote an offensive email to us both which mentioned
that Amin should reconsider marrying me because I would bring him to hell.
April 2001 Canadian officials failed to protect another Canadian Citizen from a Muslim
country
I called the Canadian Citizens in distress line at the NY Canadian Consulate for help
in regards to the threat from PETRONAS and running away to Canada. From my point of
view, the people I spoke to were not understanding and offered no help. I was
dissapointed since the Malaysian embassy surely didn't have a problem sending people
over to my university to make sure I was Muslim but the Canadian Consulate couldn't
care less whether I would be dragged back to Malaysia for torture. What is the value
of the Canadian Passport that was issued to me?
May 05, 2001 Amin and I ran away to Canada for freedom from religion.
June 2001 I joined the Humanist Association of Toronto (HAT)
October 2001 I finally came across other Ex-Muslims online and shared my views.
March 2002 I am no longer a Malaysian citizen.
August 08, 2002 I joined the Faith Freedom International forum.
Early 2002 I joined the Apostates of Islam administration team.
Jan � Feb 2003 I wrote my testimony of leaving Islam.
March � April 2003 I realized that Islam could be interpreted and practiced as a
wonderful religion if Muslims wanted to.
March 30th, 2003 I joined the Apostates of Islam forum.
March-April 2003 I created the 1st Ex-Muslims' Survey.
May 2003 My testimony of leaving Islam was published in Leaving Islam: Apostates Speak
Out edited by Ibn Warraq
May 9th, 2003 I joined the exmuslim.com forum
May 17th 2003 I resigned from the Apostates of Islam administration team.
Middle of 2003 I created Murtads from Malaysia
Middle of 2003 I started receiving hate emails from Muslims including death threats.
Middle of 2003 Malaysian Muslims started gossiping about me online.
September 2003 Amin's parents asked me and Amin to get married the Islamic way despite
knowing that we are not Muslims. Plus, we were already legally married.
Sept 2003 � Dec 2003 MENJ started writing web pages about me online.
November 2003 I became a HAT Steering Commitee member and worked on starting a real
life support for people who have problems leaving organized religions.
Dec 2003 I wrote an article about MENJ to ask people to consider whether he is a
reliable source for information about me.
I was interviewed for an article in a magazine because I am an Ex-Muslim
I removed my testimony of leaving Islam from the Internet
Jan 15th 2004 I offered to help the Canadian Islamic Congress with combatting the
prejudice and discrimination that Muslims face in Canada.
Jan 25th 2004 I left the Apostates of Islam forum.
Feb 3rd 2004 I offered to help the Muslim Canadian Congress (e.g. with their petitions
and proposals) since I support many of their policies which overlap with the Humanist
organizations' policies.
Feb 7th 2004 The Coping Without Religion Support Group starts to meet once a week.
Feb 14th 2004 Amin and I broke up. For those who think Amin is an Apostate because of
me, now he should return to Islam, right?
May 24th 2004 The Murtads from Malaysia forum was launched.
June 4th 2004 The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada contacted Murtads from
Malaysia asking for information.
June 5th 2004 An article about Ex-Muslims was published in the Saturday Night
Magazine. My work with Murtads from Malaysia was mentioned in the article.
July 22nd 2004 I was interviewed by Radio Australia in regards to Murtads from
Malaysia.
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Address AutoComplete - You start. We finish.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar.
Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/ZP59lB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Forum IT-Kelate http://itkelate.tk/
Memetakan Kelantan Dalam IT
http://rakan.100free.com
IT-Kelantan tidak membenarkan pengiriman sebarang iklan MLM dan Skim cepat kaya atau
seumpamanya.
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IT-Kelantan/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
