We Have An Announcement
Today is Apostasy Day—a day that matters to millions who have questioned and left Islam. Many do so in silence, and far too often at great personal risk.
This year, we’re marking Apostasy Day by launching two new initiatives:
whyNOTIslam.net —a resource of secretly asked questions for Muslims, Ex-Muslims, and anyone who values the freedom to doubt, dissent, and leave religion.
Two billboards in northern and central New Jersey!
In Islam, apostasy is forbidden. In over a dozen countries, it’s a crime. In countless families, it brings punishment and shame.
That’s why we’re not asking. We’re saying: why NOT Islam!
Leaving Islam isn’t hate—it's a choice. And you’re not alone: nearly 1 in 4 Muslims leave the faith.
What you can do:
Share: Someone you know may need this resource.
Amplify: Use #whyNOTIslam.
Subscribe: Get Dissent Dispatch weekly.
Donate: Help normalize dissent.
Speak up: If safe, add your voice.
Send: Our billboard is live at Exit 9 in Edison, NJ, with another going live this Monday morning on I-80 in Bergen County. Spot one? DM us a photo!
Unbelief Brief
Today is Apostasy Day, and Ex-Muslims International (EXMI) is launching a campaign to free Moroccan activist Ibtissame “Betty” Lachgar with the hashtag #FreeBetty. Ibtissame was arrested for “offensive expressions towards God” and Islam after she posted a photo of herself wearing a shirt that read “Allah is lesbian.” As a member of EXMI, Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA) reiterates our call for the immediate release of Betty, who is currently being detained for doing nothing other than exercising her right to free expression.
This Apostasy Day, join us as we demand this freedom for Betty, and look forward with the hope that some day—perhaps not some day soon, but some day—this kind of theocratic repression becomes nothing more than a memory.
Also: the parents in the attempted honor killing case in Lacey, Washington have been sentenced. Ihsan Ali, the father, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for assault and unlawful imprisonment; the mother, Zahraa Ali, was sentenced to 364 days in prison for violating a court order. They were both found not guilty of attempted murder. Additionally, a 10-year no-contact order was issued to Ihsan for his daughter, along with a two-year no-contact order for his daughter’s boyfriend, who he also assaulted.
The daughter would be dead if not for the intervention of adult bystanders though justice was hardly done with this verdict.
Persecution Tracker Updates
The case of Ibtissame “Betty” Lachgar referenced above has been added to our Persecution Tracker, and it will be updated regularly as new developments emerge. Read it here.
Until next week,
The Team at Ex-Muslims of North America
P.S. We’d love to hear from you! Share your feedback at [email protected]