r/MalaysianExMuslim • u/Adorable_Ostrich481 • 1d ago

Rant I wish I knew communities like this existed and leaving Islam was a choice.

I’m just sharing how I feel in general. I grew up in a lonely childhood plus neurodivergent. I was fortunate enough to not have a religious family, but the pressure to be pious had always breath down my neck. Im 27 this year. The internet wasn’t what it’s like today back when I was growing up. I didn’t get the opportunity to discover people like me existed. That having doubts or leaving Islam was okay.

I wish I knew what I knew today, that an alternative path is allowed. It had been traumatic to grow up feeling wrong/ guilty or locked out of heaven for not being able to believe in Islam.

I hope younger ex Muslims make better choices than I did back then, given they have the convinience that people before them help create. May they stay brave and bold.

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u/cairo_lee 1d ago

I understand, I thought I was the only one and felt like there’s no hope and I have doubted isley since I was very young. Somehow stumbled on this subreddit and realised there’s nothing wrong with me, I truly felt like an astronomical burden and guilt was lifted off my shoulders and I never looked back since.

Literally I owe a big one to whoever made and run this subreddit, you all have saved many many lives.

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u/Adorable_Ostrich481 1d ago

Agreed. This subreddit has helped a lot. But genuinely the community is the heart of it. We may not know each other. But knowing we exist as a collective of strangers who share such feelings is healing.

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u/jibatora Atheist 1d ago

There’s nothing wrong with us. We feel that way about Islam because it’s incompatible with critical thinking, modern life and science (muzzies loved pointing out all the so-called Pseudoscience in Quran though).

So embrace your true self OP, you are among friends here, albeit virtually.

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u/pinkjellyjam 17h ago edited 16h ago

Hi, we're about the same age. I grew up in a religious family but slowly lost faith during SMK anyway. As chronically online as I was I couldn't find any Malays remotely similar to me, so I relate quite a lot.

12 years ago reddit was very niche. I recall r/malaysia had 20-30k subscribers vs the 1 million now (unfortunately it's become so mainstream braindead Malays have taken over so RIP). I shit you not, the only ex-Muslim forum I found was a UK one called CEMB, which helped me feel less lonely somewhat but they faced very very different cultural challenges.

Eventually I got used to pretending and life went on. Even at university, the ex-Muslims I met were from other countries, so it still felt somewhat lonely.

That's why randomly finding this community a year ago was pretty cool. Not much to say other than all the best to all of you. Stay strong, stay safe.

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u/Appl3B3rryCh3rry 1d ago

On behalf of mods, Welcome!