Why do people reject Islam?

[SplodgeWaddler]

Just curious really. A lovely colleague of mine used to be a Muslim but was quite vocal in telling us she was no longer a Muslim. It was a clear, decisive rejection of the religion and not just a lapse of faith.

Has anyone done similar, I'd love to know your reasons.

There were many Muslim girls at my school, some of whom had massively restricted prospects in life. One girl (who was a bit wild) told us she was worried that she was going to be forced into an arranged marriage. She just didn't come back one day, she was under 16.

Things do seem to have moved on since then though but there still seems to be huge variation.

Maybe because people should have free will. That includes not believing in a book written by a man.
Just as one can chose to say that the writing of say John Grisham isn’t very good, and I will no longer read it nor give it any more thought.

Not sure why people feel ok with this, it rarely comes up.

@suburburban
I only found out recently that it's considered you are born Muslim like a race.

So pretty hard to chose...

Because to bring it up would be Islamophobic and potentially racist which in turn will create further division which will then possibly lead to terrorist attacks.

https://youtube.com/shorts/GJE8Z_S52-U?si=Jv7rCy3gBarPxT4t

The definition of racism has really widened now. It used to simply mean the irrational superiority / prejudice some people get towards those of different skin colour. Which, as I’m sure those who’ve experienced can tell you, still exists.

Over the years of mass immigration, there has been a slow and increasing rejection of the old ideas about an obligation to integrate into the culture you migrate to.

Gradually ‘racism’ has been broadened to mean that you can’t say anything against another culture or their ideas whatsoever. Which is plainly ridiculous but accounts for part of the perception that Britain is becoming more right wing and ‘racist’. I don’t believe it is, in the old sense of irrational objections to skin colour. But cultures by definition have the ability to choose which cultural traits they assimilate how, and irrational practices towards a non existent god is one many of us will never swallow.

Conflicts have widened now, thanks to various reasons - posts like this are necessarily a very brief summary. Probably many of those immigrating here never realised - or cared - that they were coming to a society with a very real class system not much less restrictive than the Indian caste system. It has so many hierarchical stresses and power politics already, and immigrants have become a tool and part of the local power games as well as bringing their own.

True, it’s quite effective at stopping any talk about it. I find the reluctance baffling, ok we are taught to be tolerant at every stage but it’s not something that should be overlooked.

The idea of being ‘taught to be tolerant’ - re-educated, really - is part of the native power games. The West has never welcomed Islam. Islam has been our enemy for a very long time - politics and religion are one and the same in these religions and Islam is not an innocent.

I think a lot of the time people use the word racism when they mean xenophobia. I think that's a more appropriate term for the issues we have in the UK whereas racism is more fitting for the US. Whatever you want to call it many people who are perceived to be Muslim or from a Muslim country based on how they look experience hatred in this country.

For women it’s all or nothing. You have to do everything Islam says to get into ‘heaven’. For men provided you pray 5 x a day & don’t commit any major sins you’re golden.

But even then, as per Islamic teachings in the UK, women who convert aren’t treated as equals to women born in Islam. This is despite 70% of converts to Islam being women.

Most of the women who give up Islam fall into several camps:

1. Daughters of female converts whose mothers were treated poorly by their muslim family.
2. Daughters of females who were born muslim who were treated poorly by their fathers.
3. Women who don’t or can’t fit into the cultural (as opposed to religious) norms. Eg in Arab countries women can and do and are encouraged hold extremely responsible jobs while marrying & kids. Eg in the military, stem etc. But Indian, Pakistani and Afghanistani families still expect women to centre marriage & kids to the exclusion of everything else.

Still hoping for a comment about Islam and the environment. When Islam was founded it was revolutionary. It set very strict standards of behaviour and frowned on drunken lewd out of control behaviour. It also recognised the importance of stewardship with respect to Planet Earth. This teaching is more relevant than ever given the state of the Earth. However, so many Muslims are only interested in the cultural aspects of being a Muslim, women’s restrictive clothing being dominant.
I believe that Muslims who are true to real Islam and not cultural Islam, would put the sacred planet at the heart of modern Islam. Please will a Muslim MNer explain why this is so. The Muslim lobby on here seems only concerned about saving their hair and body for their husbands. I would like to see Muslims supporting campaigns to get people using bikes instead of cars. But they won’t because of their hair and clothes. It doesn’t seem in keeping with true Islam to me.

Exactly, people join and leave religion all the time?
Why just Islam in this thread, and only wanting to know about when people do with that?

Revert is the word that Muslims use because they believe every baby is born a Muslim but those who aren’t initially in the faith lose it, then ‘revert’ to their original faith.

This is true of all Abrahamic religions of course -
lots in the bible about stewardship of the earth. Hence the Noah’s ark startover story

Well ask the same for every Christian as the bible has very similar teachings.

Any true Christian in this country should be voting Green - they’re matching Jesus policy for policy on the environment and treatment of refugees and migrants.

But they’re not.

Absolutely, @WhatNextImScared. I deliberately used stewardship rather than the Islamic Khalifah. I just do not understand why modern Islam has become obsessed with women and covering up rather than whether we will still have a planet after the ravages of global warming. It is superficial Islam, cultural if you wish, rather than fundamental Islam. I just think a true Muslim woman would focus on real Islam than on implied, interpretation of cultural Islam.

It all seems Life of Brian ish. arguing about clothing rather than focusing on core Islam.

Because its a satanic, barbaric religion designed to control women while justifying never ending expansion of the ideology through intolerance and war.

Check out some late, great Christopher Hitchens:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/u6cpNhMx_AE

When Islam was founded it converted other people by force. The Arabs spread Islam across the Near East and Africa by fire and sword.

They were only held out of Europe, by force because that was what it took, by the bulwark of Byzantium with the occasional twisted support of Venice.

If people should be allowed to 'choose their faith', why are there faith schools? How does anyone know which faith, if any, their children are going to be?

Examples please. And if so, then they have gone against islam as the quran clearly states there is no compulsion in islam. It is a sin to force people to convert. You only take the shahadah (statement of testimony of faith) when you beleive in your heart in One God and his prophets including Noah, Abraham, Jesus and Muhammed!

Has anyone here read the Quran or the Hadiths?

I read it and hated it. Can’t understand the appeal. Lots of violence and war and very boring

The quran there is only one translation. It haa never edited or changed. Its been translated into every language but every single one is the same.

The bible however has several different Versions, good news bible, king James etc. Even some chapters have been removed. And several contradictions which I learnt when I was Christian and also was shocked.

Fine, if you read and hated it.

Did you also hate the parts about being good to the elderly, helping the poor and orphans, giving the orphans their due money, the best of you are best to your wives, that dont gossip, backstab and harm others, dont kill, save people as if it is if you saved everybody, be kind, spread good words, be peaceful, be gentle in speech, dont swear, dont argue. Yeah, all sounds quite horrible!