Why India’s ex-Muslims struggle for recognition amid fear of retribution from the community

Zahra, 27, an educator at Srinagar, is like all other aspirational millennial, looking forward to a life in any Indian metro. But that’s not the sole reason why she wants to go away . She may be a closeted ex-Muslim who fears for her safety and feels uninterested in leading a dual life: being a practicing Muslim ahead of her friends and family but seeking a special life in her heart.

“Sharing my beliefs and thoughts on Islam is impossible. In fact, if I do, not just mine but my family’s lives are going to be in peril too. I even have seen a lawyer being killed by his neighbour due to his liberal views,” says Zahra, who didn’t reveal her real name.

She is among a growing tribe of ex-Muslims in India who are shy of beginning publicly but articulate their anxieties and concerns through social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Reddit and Instagram.

According to a Pew Research Centre survey released earlier this year, 6 percent of Indian Muslims described themselves as not believing in God, quite the other religious community.

“The number of ex-Muslims is growing. In India, they are doing not begin within the open thanks to fear of persecution and find yourself leading hypocritical lives. Some people are getting ex-Muslims because they’re uninterested with the theology of political Islam,” says Waris Mazhari, professor at the Department of Islamic Studies, Jamia Hamdard University, and alumni of the Deoband Madrasa.

Who are ex-Muslims.

Ex-Muslims is an umbrella term that has born-Muslims who don’t want to spot themselves with Islam, those that have converted to other religions and therefore the ones who call themselves atheists.

The co-founder of Ex-Muslims of India, a web group that was formed two years ago, who goes by the pseudonym Hina, calls it a political identity that distinguishes them from Muslims. “Islam dominates all aspects of our lives. Our actions are judged supported the tag of ‘Muslim’. Hence, differentiating ourselves becomes important,” she says.

Hina, who is predicated in Hyderabad, was drawn towards feminism in college but the thought of girls in Islam didn’t sit well together with her new-found ideology. “What disturbed me the foremost was Prophet Mohammad’s marriage to Ayesha, who was only nine years old. As a Muslim, i attempted to rationalise this by trying to seek out answers in Islamic theology. But none of the answers satisfied me,” says Hina.

This finally led to her break from Islam. She finally found a voice when she met like-minded people and co-founded her online group. To some extent, this group helps fight the ‘invisibilsation’ of ex-Muslims. From Kashmir to Kerala, there are similar online and offline ex-Muslim groups. having the ability to share their angst and views on social media has been a liberating experience for people like Zahra and Hina.

Most ex-Muslims like better to remain within the shadows for fear of castigation or, worse, being labelled apostate and becoming a target of hardline Muslims for his or her views. for a few it’s Islam’s lack of respect for the minorities, for others, it’s the contradiction between Islam and science.

“Many Muslims, who aren’t conscious of multiple Islamic traditions, are ashamed that their religion gets identified with extremism and violence. The rights of girls and minorities are important questions today but Islamic theology is stuck within the past and refuses to revisit these questions. the sole recourse for a few of those Muslims is to go away the faith ,” says Mazhari.

For Zahra, who is an Alima (religious scholar), it had been Islam’s position on slavery and women’s rights that led her on a special path. “Being a lady , the thought of getting sex slaves unnerved me. The more I read as a spiritual scholar, the more I became convinced that the thought of gender equality was foreign to my religion,” says Zahra, who goes around during a headscarf after 10 years of wrapping herself during a full burqa that covers even the hands and eyes. “After my religious training, I found myself armed with less logic and more empty arguments.”

Activism

Some ex-Muslims are not any longer content with creating safe spaces. they need became full-time activists, who now want to require their message across to Muslims.

Kohram, 40, based in Hyderabad, left his career to determine a YouTube channel called Dystopia to Reason. The channel organises regular debates and discussions to challenge mainstream Islamic ideology through a dispassionate, historical reading of the faith . “I invite experts who can question this totalitarian ideology of Islam through their knowledge of history also as religious scriptures,” says Kohram.

According to him, there are many Muslims who have gotten disillusioned with the “outdated beliefs” of Islam, but don’t begin within the open thanks to fear of retribution. “It is that the need of the hour to spread awareness that it’s perfectly fine to go away Islam,” he says.

What is also worrisome for ex-Muslims is that the violence perpetrated against them within the name of apostasy. “I know of a family that converted to a different religion in Hyderabad. The family and youngsters were tortured by local religious mobs to such an extent that the gentleman lost his mental soundness and is now in an asylum,” he says, unwilling to reveal the identity of the family for his or her safety. “The killing, torture and marginalization of these who leave Islam must end.”

Kohram isn’t the sole one who is engaged in such activism. another popular YouTube channels travel by Indian ex-Muslims include Zafar Heretic and Apostate Imam.

The rather overt message may be a simple one: most Muslims don’t know what’s written within the Islamic scriptures. Once they realize it , they’re going to leave this religion. “Muslims got to be saved from Islam. I firmly believe that Islam can’t be reformed; the sole thanks to rescue Muslims is to dismantle the faith ,” says Kohram.

Hindutva appropriation

Some of these ex-Muslims faces also lend their voices to Hindu right-wing channels on the social media. Especially within the current political atmosphere where Muslims are being persecuted thanks to their identity, ex-Muslims often get accused of promoting Islamophobia.

“I agree that some ex-Muslims are problematic and find yourself villainising the whole community. But we aren’t against Muslims, we are against Islam. we’d like a voice and an area for our opinions,” says Kohram.

Hina doesn’t like ex-Muslims appearing on Hindu right-wing channels but argues that the fledgling community is isolated because it is shunned and ostracized by Muslims. “Loneliness, invisibility and frustration impels a number of them to form use of whatever platform is out there ,” she says.

“Moreover, even the Left-Liberals don’t understand the extent of violence we face. they are doing not see the necessity for reform within the faith . Under such censoriousness, what options are we left with,” reiterates Kohram.

Reforming theology

One of the most important grouse of ex-Muslims is that nobody is willing to concentrate to them, whether it’s their own families, friends or the clergy. “In the Indian context of secular democracy, religious communities should provide space for dissent and differences of opinions,” says Mohammad Sajjad, professor of history at Aligarh Muslim University. “No Muslim should be penalized for his or her views. As a practising Muslim, i’d not engage with others over fundamentals of my faith but am hospitable discussing all issues which has implications for public life like sharia or apostasy,” says Sajjad.

Hina argues that while Islam ridicules other religions, it’s very sensitive to criticism from within. “This may be a problem peculiar to Muslims; religions like Hinduism don’t really fret over what views individuals might hold about God or sacred personalities,” says Sajjad.

Experts believe that Muslims today are in dire need of reconciling their faith with modern sensibilities. “Why are we still teaching slavery in our religious texts? Till the time we don’t reform our theology, more Muslims will find themselves on this path (of becoming ex-Muslims). Unfortunately, the Ulama (clerics) aren’t paying any attention to the present problem,” says Mazhari.

For ex-Muslims like Zahra though, the reform of Islamic theology may be a tall expectation which can or might not come true. within the meantime, all that she wants is to urge obviate the double life that she is leading. “I just want to measure a life supported my beliefs. what’s wrong with that?”