I first began to have doubts about the teachings of Islam at about the age of sixteen, living in Pakistan. I started to question why women had a low status and why poverty existed. How could a just Allah allow these injustices to exist? Because I had some distant relatives who were atheists I began to think of myself as one. It was, however, only after I came to the UK that I read some of the literature on the subject and became aware of the existence of atheist/humanist organisations. The Rushdie affair prompted me to become more active and I started to dream of, one day, belonging to an organisation like the Council of Ex-Muslims. I now dream of the day when Islam will no longer be such a destructive force, when it will belong exclusively to the private domain , when Political Islam will cease to exist and , above all , when people like me can , everywhere , openly and publicly state that they are atheists without the fear of discrimination , let alone of losing their lives.