045 – Interview with Former Taiwanese Muslim Convert Now Exmuslim Abdul
I am interviewing a Taiwanese Muslim Convert who has left Islam. He is going to tell us how he became Muslim and eventually left it.
The YouTube version of this podcast can be found here: https://youtu.be/ppvAh2BYq7Y
Here are the timestamps for this podcast:
0:00 Introductions
0:40 Why Abdul is sharing his story? Why is he doing it anonymously?
3:35 How Abdul found out about Islam? What drew him to Islam exactly?
9:40 Ignoring ex-Muslim friends’ advice.
11:30 Inconsistent faith. Having moments of doubts and faltering faith.
13:20 Doubts and why Abdul left Islam – real-life experience with a hardcore Salafi. Quran 3:28. Why was this a problem?
20:30 Not being able to practice cultural aspects because of Islam.
24:00 Leaving Salafism to become a non-sectarian Muslim. Doubting Islam and the many problems in Islamic texts and history.
27:35 When did Abdul learn about the problematic issues in Islamic texts and history? How did he reconcile them with modern moral values when he was a practicing Muslim?
32:00 How Abdul came to the final conclusion that Islam was not for him. Vestiges of the old Islamic states being taken seriously and being applied in the modern-day.
38:40 Paradox of nominal Muslims being disappointed by people living Islam when they themselves are not fully practicing.
44:20 If Islam is really true, why not go all the way instead of the half-hearted attempts? The Kaaba.
50:10 Is the Kaaba pagan? Demi-gods.
52:42 Spreading religion by the sword. Forcing both followers and non-believers to pay different types of taxes.
56:00 The unholy alliance of religion and politics and how it feeds into the concept of jihad.
1:01:20 Channel announcements.
1:03:12 How Abdul is planning to handle the process of leaving Islam and coming out.
1:07:10 Cultish characteristics of Islam particularly regarding apostates. How nominal Muslims take Islam more as an Identity/cultural heritage and less of a religion.
1:10:20 Having Muslim friends who have other things in common with you. It is a personal decision on whether to disclose information about your apostasy.
1:13:45 Adbul’s current spiritual status. The importance of skepticism.
1:17:43 Abdul and Abdullah’s final remarks.
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