I am from Iraq, born and raised in the Kurdish north (Kurdistan). I am not an ex-Muslim, particularly because I was never a Muslim to start with. I grew up in a secular family, which was to my advantage, that didn\'t pay any attention to spiritual/religious matters. I myself was always sceptical about the explanations of life offered by religion, and all of the sudden I found myself as an atheist when I was first exposed to the works of Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens and others. I am interested in joining your group because it represents a portal for awareness about the impact of religious dogma and oppression in countries like Iraq and Iran, and a window for activity against the spread of such a backward mentality. I am also interested in the conferences held by the council, and in particular regret not being able to join the international conference.