We conducted a first-of-its-kind survey of North American ex-Muslims’ experiences before, during, and after leaving Islam. We are pleased to share the results with you in the Apostate Report.
Inviting members from our former support communities to participate, we contracted researchers from George Mason University to conduct the survey upon which the Apostate Report is based. Nearly 600 ex-Muslims from all across the United States and Canada participated.
We asked respondents about who they were and who they’ve become; when, why, and how they left their religion; and how apostasy has changed their lives, for better and for worse. What they revealed speaks to the reality of what it means to be ex-Muslim: the joys of freedom, the wounds of rejection, and all that lies in between.
Coming Out of the Shadows...
For too long and too often, ex-Muslims have been overlooked, understudied, and rendered invisible.
As a consequence of this relative lack of attention, where ex-Muslims are not invisible, they are often misunderstood. Islamic religious leaders invoke words like “trauma,” “isolation,” and “misguidance” to explain away defections from the faith. Many Muslims believe that apostates must not truly understand Islam, or that they must be motivated by hidden grudges and resentments.
We wanted to foster mutual understanding by asking ex-Muslims about these issues directly.
The Report
You can read the full Apostate Report here, or just take a look at the key findings, here. Want to know even more? We also have several articles exploring the results in greater depth—here.
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