Saif Rahman's Blog
April 17, 2013
HMCA (Humanist and Cultural Muslim Assoc) Manifesto/Mission Statement
Final Working document - draft here.. https://www.facebook.com/groups/12295...
April 5, 2013
NewHumanist-What’s a Cultural Muslim
NewHumanist-What’s a Cultural Muslim
December 15, 2012
HMCA (Humanist & Cultural Muslim Association) - Manifesto & Mission Statement
Working Document - original can be found here https://www.facebook.com/groups/12295...
November 26, 2012
The Islamic Memeplex
So how can Islam’s initial accelerated period growth during its first 1400 years be explained?
The answer lies with the memes. Dawkins coined the term from the Greek word mimema ("something imitated"). It describes the way in which cultural traits and patterns evolve, spread and become normalised.
The answer lies with the memes. Dawkins coined the term from the Greek word mimema ("something imitated"). It describes the way in which cultural traits and patterns evolve, spread and become normalised.
November 12, 2012
Abooali- Snapshots of My Life
This is Hassans story. I recommend people read Hassan's story. Its an spellbinding read http://abooali.wordpress.com/
Before he left Islam he wrote Islamic books which were published & still available for sale.He was born in UK, and of Egyptian heritage, so he can speak Arabic. He used to teach at Cat Stevens Islamia school after studying for a PhD in Islamic Studies. He always had questions, and eventually decided to leave Islam and quit his teaching job at the Islamic School and is active on the CEMB Board (Council of Exmuslims) these days and still posts on the CEMB forum.
"I wrote it as a cathartic exercise as well as to try and help me make sense of my life. To understand why I traveled the paths I did and came to the conclusions I have. I hope it may also interest and inform others. I have focused on the early & latter years. I have not used real names except in a very few cases."
Source : http://abooali.wordpress.com/
Before he left Islam he wrote Islamic books which were published & still available for sale.He was born in UK, and of Egyptian heritage, so he can speak Arabic. He used to teach at Cat Stevens Islamia school after studying for a PhD in Islamic Studies. He always had questions, and eventually decided to leave Islam and quit his teaching job at the Islamic School and is active on the CEMB Board (Council of Exmuslims) these days and still posts on the CEMB forum.
"I wrote it as a cathartic exercise as well as to try and help me make sense of my life. To understand why I traveled the paths I did and came to the conclusions I have. I hope it may also interest and inform others. I have focused on the early & latter years. I have not used real names except in a very few cases."
Source : http://abooali.wordpress.com/
May 9, 2010
Imam Abbas AbdulNoor becomes an exmuslim English translation can be found here http://www.councilofexmuslims.com/doc...
Abbas AbdulNoor, a former Imam and Egyptian Islamic scholar, who studied Islam at the prestigious Al-Azhar University, who after many years of doubt and currently 80 years of age recently came to the realisation that Islam was a falsehood.
He chronicled all his finding in a document written in Arabic here. http://www.wikiupload.com/2Ps87tDu.
You will note this book is banned in all Arab and Islamic countries, and a brief search on google will show it is not widely publicised.
This is a brief section
Quote
About the author:
Abbas Abdul Nur was born in Damanhur in 1927. A Sufi Sheikh, pious Muslim of the Sunni sect, jurist, and chief of a Khanaqah. He inherited the religion from fathers and grandfathers recognized for their piety and strength of doctrine.
Enrolled in the Facuty of Theology at Al Azhar where he studied for three years. He decided to complete the fourth year at the University of Fuad I, Faculty of Literature, Department of Philosophy where he studied under intellectual titans such as Abdulrahman Badawai, Zaki Naguib Mahmood, Muhammed Abdul Hadi, Abu Reeda Al-Ahwani, Yusuf Murad, and others.
Despite all of that, he was disappointed in both universities and said that he wasted four years of his life. From Fuad I he transferred to the Higher Institute of Education and obtained a degree from there. He was awarded a scholarship from the Agency of Islamic Endowments to Study in Paris at the Sorbonne for a doctorate. And so he obtained what he pursued.
When he returned to his city, he resumed his religious endeavour so he became a preacher, imam, and a speaker in one of its mosques. He then pegged away at academic education and writing scientific and philosophical books and had several works in Arab and Islamic philosophy published recurrently in Beirut and Cairo. After he retired, he devoted himself to writing and research in the various fields of philosophy, literature, and religion.
But his intellectual life was not without worries and his religious life was not free of doubts. He grew up in a pious devout household; however, there was mystery, trouble, and endless queries in his mind. His mind was raising provocative subjects but his faith was enough to answer every enigma.
The conflict between science and religion started early with Abbas. A conflict that had no chance to be made public. Had this conflict emerged from the darkness since its inception, he wouldn’t have reached this degree of fervour that is conveyed in this unrivalled book. If he was allowed to express his mind and heart, the result would have been the same but it wouldn’t have been with such intensity and fervour.
Abbas is not responsible for the rejection of the Quran and the god of the Quran. Neither are the Quran or Allah responsible. It’s all Muslims and particularly the loudmouthed Mufassirun who are responsible for this bizarre Western view of the Quran and the god of the Quran.
The Muslims have extracted the Quran from its environment and presented it to us as an eternal, divine text that has no relation with the human thought and the circumstances of its origins. Which is the whole problem to Dr. Abbas. He wants nothing but to return back to history. A wonderful text in its time but full with mistakes and misguidances when not in its time.***
We ask the reader to read slowly in order to judge, to read the suffering of the author, and to let his mind and faith work together. Let the reader know that faith works when the mind is not working but not without it.
For more information, please visit this thread (http://www.councilofexmuslims.com/ind...)
As its a huge undertaking, and if you can provide any help promoting this project, then please let us know
Thanks
Council Of Exmuslims
He chronicled all his finding in a document written in Arabic here. http://www.wikiupload.com/2Ps87tDu.
You will note this book is banned in all Arab and Islamic countries, and a brief search on google will show it is not widely publicised.
This is a brief section
Quote
About the author:
Abbas Abdul Nur was born in Damanhur in 1927. A Sufi Sheikh, pious Muslim of the Sunni sect, jurist, and chief of a Khanaqah. He inherited the religion from fathers and grandfathers recognized for their piety and strength of doctrine.
Enrolled in the Facuty of Theology at Al Azhar where he studied for three years. He decided to complete the fourth year at the University of Fuad I, Faculty of Literature, Department of Philosophy where he studied under intellectual titans such as Abdulrahman Badawai, Zaki Naguib Mahmood, Muhammed Abdul Hadi, Abu Reeda Al-Ahwani, Yusuf Murad, and others.
Despite all of that, he was disappointed in both universities and said that he wasted four years of his life. From Fuad I he transferred to the Higher Institute of Education and obtained a degree from there. He was awarded a scholarship from the Agency of Islamic Endowments to Study in Paris at the Sorbonne for a doctorate. And so he obtained what he pursued.
When he returned to his city, he resumed his religious endeavour so he became a preacher, imam, and a speaker in one of its mosques. He then pegged away at academic education and writing scientific and philosophical books and had several works in Arab and Islamic philosophy published recurrently in Beirut and Cairo. After he retired, he devoted himself to writing and research in the various fields of philosophy, literature, and religion.
But his intellectual life was not without worries and his religious life was not free of doubts. He grew up in a pious devout household; however, there was mystery, trouble, and endless queries in his mind. His mind was raising provocative subjects but his faith was enough to answer every enigma.
The conflict between science and religion started early with Abbas. A conflict that had no chance to be made public. Had this conflict emerged from the darkness since its inception, he wouldn’t have reached this degree of fervour that is conveyed in this unrivalled book. If he was allowed to express his mind and heart, the result would have been the same but it wouldn’t have been with such intensity and fervour.
Abbas is not responsible for the rejection of the Quran and the god of the Quran. Neither are the Quran or Allah responsible. It’s all Muslims and particularly the loudmouthed Mufassirun who are responsible for this bizarre Western view of the Quran and the god of the Quran.
The Muslims have extracted the Quran from its environment and presented it to us as an eternal, divine text that has no relation with the human thought and the circumstances of its origins. Which is the whole problem to Dr. Abbas. He wants nothing but to return back to history. A wonderful text in its time but full with mistakes and misguidances when not in its time.***
We ask the reader to read slowly in order to judge, to read the suffering of the author, and to let his mind and faith work together. Let the reader know that faith works when the mind is not working but not without it.
For more information, please visit this thread (http://www.councilofexmuslims.com/ind...)
As its a huge undertaking, and if you can provide any help promoting this project, then please let us know
Thanks
Council Of Exmuslims
December 24, 2009
Ghamdi vs. Sina Debate (muslim vs ex-muslim debate)
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi (Urdu: جاوید احمد غامدی) (born 1951) is a well-known Pakistani Islamic scholar, exegete, and educationist. A former member of the Jamaat-e-Islami, who extended the work of his tutor, Amin Ahsan Islahi.[1] Ghamidi is the founder of Al-Mawrid Institute of Islamic Sciences and its sister organization Danish Sara.[1] He is a member of Council of Islamic Ideology since January 28, 2006,[2][3] a constitutional body responsible for giving legal advice on Islamic issues to Pakistan Government and the Parliament. He has also taught at the Civil Services Academy from 1980 until 1991. Ali Sina ex-Muslim, the pseudonym of the founder of Faith Freedom International, a secularist website with critiques of Islam. Since issuing his challenge in 2001, Ali Sina has held numerous debates with both Muslim scholars and non-scholars on his website. Prominent scholars among those who debated with Sina include Prof. Abdul Hadi Palazzi, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi and Edip Yuksel. Arguably the most prominent of the scholars with whom Sina exchanged a letter with was the Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, the former deputy of Ayatollah Khomeini who later became a dissident and critic of the Islamic Republic. Ali also posted a letter in his website claiming to be sent to Dr. Zakir Naik[14] inviting him for an open online debate.
September 3, 2009
The Islamist Delusion : From Islamist to Cultural Muslim Humanist
**Now available in Amazon Bookstore**
see http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Allah-Del...
Saif Rahman is a Strategic consultant & Founder of HMCA (Humanist & Cultural Muslim & Assoc).
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An insider's look at behind-the-scenes Islam.
Written by a prominent anti-Islamist activist over the course of 8 years detailing his reasons for leaving Islam & becoming an agnostic humanist. A comprehensive and objective study for Muslims seeking a fair & balanced analysis of traditionalist Islam ; and for non-Muslims interested in gaining rarely found insight.
All funds donated to support related humanitarian causes.
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A single question kickstarts the journey for this book.
My Muslim cousin came to stay with us in the UK when he was over on holiday from Pakistan. I knew his stay would prove contentious as previously he had told me that as a Muslim I had to believe in all of it as it stood, or I had to admit I was no longer a Muslim. This time I was prepared for the inevitable question of “Why?” I had subsequently left Islam. Sure enough it soon came and started the ball-rolling till 4 a.m. as he attempted to refute each one of my contentions, but this time to no avail.
The following day, prior to boarding his flight back to Pakistan, he made me promise one thing. As he was well connected, he asked me to put all my arguments together so he could take them in writing to a learned scholar of Islam. I did so, and looking forward to his response I also copied in all my siblings. After waiting 3 months my brother received a phone call from my cousin saying that he hadn’t forgotten and was still working on the reply. It’s been 8 years, and I never did hear back from him.
Nonetheless it was an invigorating exercise. Over the course of these subsequent years I became an exmuslim activist and the original letter (contained in next chapter) was used as a skeletal working document which I regularly updated with new findings. A comprehensive Scribd online blog was borne. It was heartening to see it climb to 49,000 views and being powerful enough to influence many of its Muslim readers to leave Islam.
To connect with a wider audience, I developed the blog for use in visual media and from it spawned my ‘ExMuslim Confession’ YouTube series. It flourished as it climbed to half-a-million hits along with my group grew to 7,500 members, but along with its success so did the harassment. My more vocal presence was paralleled with increasing resistance, reaching up to 139 death threats to date.
Undeterred this spurred me on to make the blog ever more mainstream, and the original Letter-Blog-YouTube Series finally matured into the Book you see before you today..
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(You can read more about this author online by seeing his RaheelQ interview)
