Your suspicion is wrong. My English in the book was helped by online translation tools and I took my time revising and improving it. This is not the case here.
I have to “copy and paste” the Quran verses and the narratives and scientific quotations. My work was to research everything, prepare them with comments and arrange them in proper composition.
All that was in Arabic, after translating scientific writings from English sources.
Try to understand our position as ex-Muslims inside Muslim countries.
If we leave the field of spreading the message to them without challenging them and offering our message, they’ll continue with practicing oppression, torture, imprisonment, killing, and other forms of persecution against us and anyone who disagrees. This is in addition to global terrorism. So religion is not just their problem; it’s the problem of us and most people in the world.
All what I’m trying to do is to document why I left religion for anyone interested to know, and to show its followers that ex-Muslims are not just a few misled ignorant ones who are seduced by the pleasures that infidels enjoy.
Now both you and your message are confused. You are trying to “help.” You are trying to “convert.” You are trying to “document.” The bottom line is this… “You don’t know what you are doing.” Hence – a lack of focus. You do not know your audience or the actual reasons you wrote the book. You my friend are confused.
No confusion or contradiction here: “Documenting” my reasons to leave Islam can “help” others do the same and “convert” to be with us instead of being against us.
My main audience is Muslims. I’ve posted about it here in an atheist website because it’s the only place I found that accepts such a post against Islam.
Cognostic is right, what you are doing is not going to help anyone. You’ll just piss a lot of people off.
I spent several years as a “militant atheist” and thought I was going to change hearts and minds if I could only reason with them. I was sure they would listen.
You want to help others? Shut up for a while and make yourself available for believers. Forcing the issue leads to conflict and reenforces people’s distain for atheists.
Now that sounds honest. So now that it is out of your mind, stash it in a dark place and don’t look at it for another 10 years. Stop pretending you are doing something noble to help others. You are working through your own shit the best way you know how, especially since there are few people around you to bounce ideas off of. So toss the bullshit aside, join the site, and start having some fun. Self publishing is a bitch because you are not going through an editor or a major publishing company who can help you identify your market and keep you focused. This shows… Set it aside, join the forum, and lets see where your search has taken you.
I know this is an 8 months old topic, but I can’t resist clarifying some things for the author, as I’m an ex-Muslim as well and I believe I may be able to explain, perhaps more compassionately, as to why this book shouldn’t be posted here.
Since you’re not new to atheism, as I’ve read from your posts, I’d like to explain why your book shouldn’t have been posted here.
First of all, it’s your own personal experience and to put it kindly, everyone has their own life to care about here. An already ex-Muslim will not bother reading why another Muslim left the religion. Chances are, the reasons are the same, so why waste time reading your own life’s replica?
This is an atheist forum. People come here to engage in debates and seek meaningful interaction with other users. In my case, I also use the forum to get help for my awful critical thinking skills. But my case is special because I’m a new atheist who is still struggling. I don’t think anyone else needs help here, most of the people here have spends decades already as an atheist. They’re far more experienced than you or I may be. Hence, creating threads to help others is pointless. If someone else posts a thread and requests help regarding a specific claim or something, do help them, that’s good.
Since you’re an Arab, I’m sure you know about the browsing laws in Muslim countries. Atheist Republic is banned in every Muslim country and not many people know how to use a VPN. So, apart from me, you will not find any active ex-Muslim here. But even I won’t find your book useful because I’ve already researched and found out all the things you’ve mentioned here.
Your intention is noble but the medium is wrong. You should use YouTube or create a blog of your own (it’s free) or something and then post your research there. As I mentioned before, almost every atheist here has passed those struggling stages of leaving religion. Nobody needs help anymore to leave religion, especially a religion as stupid as Islam. Besides, a huge majority of people here are ex-Christians and ex-Jehovah’s witnesses. I’m the only ex-Muslim here, and I no longer have any use for your book.
I’d like to reiterate another point. This is a forum of experienced atheists. Your target audience is Muslims, and not just any Muslims but new Muslims who have just left Islam and need help to reassure their decision further, or practicing Muslims, or Muslims who are trying to leave Islam but they are not sure yet. You will not find any such person here. I was one such person 3 years ago, but it’s rare to find someone lucky enough to find Atheist Republic right after leaving religion.
Last but not least, atheism is not about converting others. There is nothing to convert to. Atheism is the absence of belief in a god(s). Do not be confused. And, as others have mentioned, don’t try to be a militant atheist. Stick to your own life, no need to help others unless asked for. You cannot help anyone anyway. Leaving religion is not that easy, and those who are interested to leave religion will themselves do the hardwork and find videos and relevant content to help them further. For that, there already are more experienced debaters in the world (like Hitchens, but he’s no longer alive).
Pretty good post. However, I haven’t seen sunbelief around for some time.
Didn’t know about the browsing laws in Muslim countries although I’m not surprised. Does the ban apply in Malaysia and Indonesia? Just curious because I lived in Malaysia a lifetime ago. Malaysia had religious police to see that say Ramadan and alcohol abstinence were respected. Apostate Muslims could be put in prison for 2 years.(although that was rare)
Not sure if your suggestion about posting on YouTube or having a blog is a good idea. Unless of course you could post anonymously. I would be afraid to let my face be seen if I was going to criticise Islam in a Muslim country.
I think you might find quite a few ex Muslims know how to use a VPN, it’s not complicated ( I have one) However, I’m not sure I would trust my life to the anonymity of a VPN.
Aaand quite right too. Every commercial VPN has in its TOS somewhere the catch all get out that allows it to release its metadata to authorised agencies on demand. The wording varies but that is the spirit of the get out.
If you want to keep your browsing secret and secure use Tor over a VPN, that way if a packet does get past TOR it cant be traced back to you.
However be warned security and Police agencies are keeping a close watch on known Tor nodes.
It isnt rocket science, and anonymity is a mirage on the web.
Tor over a VPN is the best bet for a disaffected muslim as most western (and chinese based) VPN will not recognise demands from those muslim states as legitimate.
Imo the only guaranteed ways of staying anonymous on the web are to be scrupulously honest, boring and to stay away from Social Network platforms.
There ya go, as dull as dishwater and not at all noteworthy.
Having said that, it has occurred to me that different Government agencies around the world might have an interest in this forum. Some on religious grounds***. Atheists seem to make some people feel threatened. Not a good idea to make officials feel threatened in an authoritarian country imo.
Then there’s political. We have the full spectrum here , from the lunar right to the pinko left.
*** I learned only today that AR is banned in some Muslim countries. Took me aback a bit, but I guess it’s to be expected. People here tend to insist on expressing genuine feelings about religion and politics.
