I was brought up in a devoutly religious Iraqi family where prayer, Quran recitations and overall religiousness was drilled into every child since birth. I myself was very religious (or tried to be), up until the beginning of last June.

However I always used to struggle with doing my prayers on time, and my mother used to scream and shout at me whenever I did it late. I eventually realised that I wasn\'t praying for myself, I was praying because my mother wanted me to!

The relationship I had with my parents was almost non-existent, because in their eyes I was always sinning- not praying on time, not reading enough Quran, wearing jeans instead of long, baggy, hijab-approved clothing. The house was (and is) full of constant shouting, arguing, and even violence, because of this brainwashing religion my parents have.

I stopped praying altogether, then decided to do my own research into Islam and its teachings. I found a lot of it so illogical, and realised the only reason I followed it in the first place was because my parents brainwashed me. I did it for their approval, more than anything else.

I am now agnostic, and at least on spiritual matters, i am finally beginning to find inner peace after years of emotional and psychological abuse.

It comforts me to find that I am not alone, with the discovery of CEMB.