I was born and raised in the UK. I do not come from a strict muslim background but I have been exposed to it through various members of my family. I grew up in a \'white\' area and so was isolated from the asian-muslim community in general and I believe I had a much easier time transitioning from being someone with a muslim identity to one who doesn\'t.

From a young age, I\'ve always had a creative streak and a love for art of all kinds. This is mainly what led to my questioning of Islam. That and the violence within religions and the idea that one religion is superior to another.

Personally, I consider myself more spiritual. I have naturally gravitated towards a gaia-like outlook on life over the years. I believe we are no different (except for the physical) to plants and animals and each have a place here on earth. I am against speciesism where humans deem themselves superior to other life on this planet. Islam and many other religions have speciesism rooted in them and this was probably the most difficult aspect for me to accept and the decision not to accept it was when I realised I am not muslim.

I do not hate Islam or any other religion. Instead I dislike how \'man\' has left their imprint on them. All religions essentially say the same thing - what you are left with is not necessarily bad. This understanding alone has helped me along the way and I encourage others to explore this more.

Considering my journey to no longer identifying as a muslim has been a long one with some dark spells along the way, I can honestly say that I am at peace with it all. I am not \'out the closet\' yet when it concerns my family, but tbh, they all know anyway especially when we\'ve had discussions where my views have been made clear. I am happy to offer support to anyone who is struggling with their transition or those who feel isolated and alone.