Ex-Muslims of North America advocates for acceptance of religious dissent, promotes secular values, and aims to reduce discrimination faced by those who leave Islam.
We envision a world where every person is free to follow their conscience, irrespective of religious dogma or oppression.
Ex-Muslims of North America was founded in 2013, when Muhammad Syed brought together a team of ex-Muslims with the aim of building support communities across the United States and Canada. The groups blossomed rapidly, but it quickly became apparent that support was not enough—an organization was needed to combat the stigma and abuse faced by those who leave Islam, and to fight for the freedom to dissent in the Muslim world.
In 2014, EXMNA was granted 501(c)(3) status in the United States, registering it as a non-profit organization. Despite the danger of establishing an organization for apostates, EXMNA has since grown in the size and scope of its programs and services. In early 2021, its support groups became independent organizations in their own right, allowing EXMNA to focus on research, public education, and advocacy.
Some of the most egregious violations of human rights, including prosecutions for “blasphemy” and restrictions on women’s autonomy, occur in Islamic theocracies and Islamic republics. The judgment of the world and the domain of government should be determined by empirical reality, rational deliberation, and the common good.
Censorship is the first line of defense for orthodoxy, and fighting it is essential to the health of a free society.
The greatest and most consequential innovations in human history have never resulted from an abundance of religious piety. The progress that improves lives comes as a result of scientific inquiry and a spirit of rationality.
EXMNA’s first logo was sketched on a piece of scrap paper during a quick stop at a Washington, D.C., restaurant when the organization was still in its earliest days. One of our board members, Nas Ishmael, imagined two mirrored crescent moons, a symbol closely associated with Islam, overlapping to form an “X” for ex-Muslims. That image later spread far beyond EXMNA and is now used by ex-Muslim groups around the world.
Although we still feel attached to the crescent “X,” its design primarily conveyed the spirit of defiance—a powerful and important aspect of the ex-Muslim experience. But EXMNA has always stood for more than resistance: we champion a forward-looking, hopeful vision rooted in Enlightenment values. The new eclipse-inspired logo stands not only for the absence of belief, but also for the emergence of light and clarity through reason.
The EXMNA logo is copyrighted and may not be adopted by organizations, including other ex-Muslim groups. Allied individuals are welcome to use it for personal purposes, provided it is not used in a negative or defamatory way.