I was born in a Muslim family. I do not share their beliefs or values now but have tremendous pressure from them to “study Islam. Islam is your only solution.” I feel judged and outcast by them. They have laid conditions on me. Like when I’m visiting my father, he said I could visit if I came on my own not with my boyfriend. This was immense pressure. I don’t get to see my dad that often as he lives abroad. So he plays on the fact that it may be the last time I see him. Pulls on my heart strings. They have used every opportunity to dive in their with pushing the religion as bringing me happiness especially when they know I’m at my most vulnerable. Case in point was 4 years ago. Minutes after my mother passed away, my father was telling me how much mum worried about me and how I should study Islam and how devoted to Islam my mum was despite her ailing condition. At mums funeral, other family members used it as the ideal opportunity to tell me my mums soul would be affected by my actions. They kept hounding me for over 4 hours. I’m not an anti Muslim or anti any faith, but I don’t appreciate the hounding or pushy tactics especially when people are vulnerable. My links with family are therefore very distant and although I have lovely friends, sometimes this is isolating.