Mini-Documentaries

Apostates are hiding no longer, and we at Ex-Muslims of North America are telling their stories.

life beyond faith

Our mini-documentary series, Life Beyond Faith, pulls back the curtain to show the people behind the label—their lives, their journeys, and their hopes after finding freedom from the confines of faith. Hear the story of Jamal—a Somali ex-Muslim, beaten by his family for leaving the faith. Or of Mahad, kidnapped and taken to a "conversion camp." Hear also the stories of apostates whose families were kinder, who were able to rebuild trust and love.

why we produced life beyond faith

According to the Quran, the message of Allah is perfect. Therefore, when some Muslims choose to leave Islam, alternative theories about who we are and why we leave are fabricated to preserve the faith from scrutiny.

"It is difficult for many believers to accept the decisions made by disbelievers around them."

The most tame paint us as sad, confused, or lost people—influenced by malevolent forces within our environment or reacting to some past abuse or trauma which we wrongly blame on the religion. Others are content to dismiss us as immoral in one fashion or another: liars, attention seekers, and hedonists. These stereotypes allow the believers to feel comfortable with the way they treat us.

"The more effective our demonization, the more justified cruelty against us becomes."

We at Ex-Muslims of North America want to shatter these stereotypes. We want ex-Muslims to know that leaving faith is natural, normal, and a journey undertaken by a variety of people from a diverse array of backgrounds. This is why we have produced the Life Beyond Faith series. It is a celebration of ex-Muslim freethinkers—an exploration into their lives, struggles, and triumphs.

Watch the full series here on Youtube.

Omar: Ex-Muslim, LGBTQ, Defiant

Omar tells his story of growing up as a gay ex-Muslim in a country where both homosexuality and apostasy can be met by death.

Jamal: Family, Conditional Love, and Leaving Islam

What does it mean to lose faith within the context of an American Somali family? Jamal talks about his loss of faith as a teenager and how his family reacted to his apostasy.

Obaid: How weak is your God?

Born in India and raised in Canada, Obaid began questioning faith at a young age.

Sarra: I Will Not Be Erased by Islam

Sarra began to doubt her faith when she discovered philosophy and began studying history and logic. By the age of 21, she no longer considered herself a believer.

Hina: Islam and Shaming Women

Having resided in Pakistan and Indonesia in her youth (the two largest Muslim countries in the world), Hina has experienced the religious hypocrisy plaguing the Muslim world first-hand.

Stephanie: The Price a Mother Paid for Leaving Islam

A Canadian woman who converted to Islam in her late-teens, Stephanie married a Libyan Muslim man, and gave birth to two daughters.

Ghada: Saudi Women are Not Worth Any Less

Raised in Saudi as a hijabi, Ghada shares her story going from a believing woman to a life happy and free without God.

Lawan: Between Two Narratives – Kurdish and Ex-Muslim

Growing up in Dubai and studying Islam for 12 years, Lawan (now an atheist) shares his thoughts on leaving the faith and forming a sense of identity as a minority within a minority.

Huda: Leaving Islam as a Family

Huda and her parents speak about their journey away from Islam—how it has affected their lives and family bonds.

Syed Rizvi: Sixty Years as an Ex-Muslim

An ex-Muslim for more than sixty years, Syed Rizvi’s path to non-belief is a story as old as the partition of India.

Mahad: Kidnapped for Allah

A gay, ex-Muslim Somali man describes his escape from a conversion therapy camp in Kenya with the help of local atheists and Ex-Muslims of North America.

Hiba: Hijab and the Illusion of Choice

Hiba grew up in Lebanon under strict Shia Hezbollah culture where family honor and sexual purity was paramount. She speaks about growing up in a strict patriarchal context and her journey to gain her freedom.

Lina & Hazar: A Story of Family, Faith and #Pride

How can we reconcile faith and a sexual identity it deems “deviant”?

Obaid: Life Beyond Faith

Born in India and raised in Canada, Obaid began questioning faith at a young age.