How an Iraqi Muslimah Left Islam and Embraced Buddhism!
03 Apr, 2009
Helen, born and brought up in Iraq, sent us the following testimony of her experience with Islam and her embracing Buddhism as non-godly way of life:
I was born an Iraqi Muslim and grew up in a moderate Muslim environment hearing the horror stories about hell, endless torture and burning, angles on both sides of your shoulders one is writing your good deeds and the other bad deeds, an other magic things that are hard for a logical human mind to accept it.
I remember when I was in Primary School sitting down in the classroom in terror thinking to myself what if judgment day is tomorrow? What if judgment day is next hour and I would go to hell? It’s a total brain poison for a little children.
At my early teens, I started wondering more and more.. I read ( asma2 allah ilhusna) and started wondering. Why would god praise himself so much? God shouldn’t be a show off; he can't be vain!
And I must mention a few things that put me off most at that time. One of them is the inheritance law, which gives male siblings twice as much. I thought that was extremely unfair. Also the four-marriages for men that is allowed in Islam, Islam's violence in punishment (cut this, chop that etc.).
And I started being pretty sure that Islam is a fake... Muhammad did it the profit... He fooled everyone.
So I started to explore different options to myself.
I explored Christianity, went to Sunday school to learn more.
And I found no lasting peace. Same magical stories.. Heaven / hell and so on.
So finally I decided that I better find a different path for myself. I wanted to use my own brain to examine facts and weigh them.
I came to a conclusion that there is no God: male or female God. If there was something, it might be a higher power.
I traveled to Japan a few times and I explored Buddhism. They have always emphasized to me that Buddhism is not a religion. It’s a WAY OF LIFE.
That description set very well with me. And I started learning more.
I started meditating to clear my mind and create peace within. I started to have a peaceful approach to situations in life. And I grew a lot of compassion towards people with negative attitude.
My hope for everybody is just to use your own mind/brain to examine all facts that are presented to them...
Don’t be afraid to challenge ideologies that have been taught to you since you were born.
If there is a GOD... He/She would be very happy to see the human race use their minds, with which He/She has endowed His/Her human creation most richly. He/She must be fascinated, not infuriated, by the fact that the brain He/She has given to human beings may even question His/Her existence and logically analyze things to unravel the truth of the Universe, including Himself/Herself.
Ask you self...
If there is god... What would he/she do???
I am sure he/she is not in need for people to wash up and pray for him 5 times days to praise him/her.
He/She would rather have them do some thing positive to improve their lives… plant a tree… clean the house or send flower to a sick friend and so on.
Ask your self…………..Don’t be afraid.
God is not watching you. God is in you.
Slightly edited
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Name: Indian
Subject: Try Vipasana
Date: Friday April 03, 2009
Time: 09:47:32 -0500
Comment
Try vipasana which is actully what Buddha did to attain his enlightenment. Please visit http://www.dhamma.org for more details and take at least one 10day meditation course.
Name: RSK
Subject: very interesting
Date: Friday April 03, 2009
Time: 09:49:48 -0500
Comment
Very interesting view point and macthes very closely to my own thinking. I'm really surprised, pleasantly though to see these ideas coming from other folks with different back grounds. It's really admirable to have this level independence for a person that was brought up in an pppressive atmosphere in the middle East. I hail from India and there's lot of freedom for these kind of thoughts.
Name: Anti Clot
Subject: Buddhism
Date: Friday April 03, 2009
Time: 13:40:31 -0500
Comment
Buddhism does not ask for any god because it teaches us to rely on ourselves. It is also peaceful and in harmony with modern science since there is no creationism and nothing against the evrolution theory.
Name: Demsci
Subject: God + Way of life
Date: Friday April 03, 2009
Time: 17:55:43 -0500
Comment
Helen, I admired and enjoyed your article as I learned some things and agreed with most. Yes, if there IS a God, (s)he likes independent thinking! So Free speech, Science too! If Islam was just a WAY OF LIFE, it could be chosen and discarded by everyone, judged on its merits, to choose the BEST way. Fine. But no, Muslims claim to have the absolute truth and the ONLY way! But not all faiths who claim this can be true! Doesn't this give them pause?
Name: zenner
Subject: buddhism
Date: Friday April 03, 2009
Time: 22:13:16 -0500
Comment
I too,coming from a fairly religious family...fel; in love with buddhism...specially when I read...the following.. "...Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense." THE BUDDHA...now this is a man who earns my repsect and admiration...
Name: Kafir No: 1
Subject: Islam is all anti-human,anti-nature and satanic.
Date: Friday April 03, 2009
Time: 23:52:53 -0500
Comment
They believe in no nation, but nations are natural, genetic cultural and local. They do not love their parents, if parents are non muslims or Kufric., There are mulsim sons who kill their mothers and sisters as well as Muslim sisters supporting the killing of their brothers. It means that there is no affinity in blood relations. Further there cannot be any democracy since quran dictates everything. Finally it is unnatural to block changes. Islam blocks changes and therefore the evolution of human race to higher planes. Islam is altogether an anti-human cruel as well as illogical belief system.
Name: muslims u r quoting kuffar hindu vedic ideology when u say god is in u !!!!
Subject: muslims u r quoting kuffar hindu vedic ideology when u say god is in u !!!!
Date: Saturday April 04, 2009
Time: 01:26:17 -0500
Comment
muslims u r quoting kuffar hindu vedic ideology when u say god is in u !!!! why do i say this ? bcoz we r not created by any false god/alla but evoled by nature and nature is the only provable being and all that exists is nature.we r also part of nature and inside and outside all that is is nature.this is very ebautifully explained in srimad devi atharvasheehs in atharva ved.so u believe in truth=nature !!! congratulations.
Name: vipassana is a kuffar pagan hindu practice taken up by buddha
Subject: vipassana is a kuffar pagan hindu practice taken up by buddha
Date: Saturday April 04, 2009
Time: 02:26:35 -0500
Comment
vipassana is a kuffar naturalist pagan hindu practice taken up by buddha and i am glad the world is knowing the fact that religion is a disease and truth is the only cure.no imaginary jehova-jesus/allah created man from mud/dirt.man is evoled by nature from 1 celled organisms and proof is in our genes-dna.believe in truth=nature and attain liberation.
Name: Archpagan
Subject:
Date: Saturday April 04, 2009
Time: 08:45:12 -0500
Comment
Core concept of both Buddhism and Hinduism is "Dharma", which is defined as " Dharma Rakshati Rakshitah" (Dharma Protected, Protects);that is to say self-ethics protects oneself.No God can protect you.Welcome madam to the Dharmic tradition.However, spiritualism with a concept of almighty God is necessary for emotional balance in our hours of travails.
Name: Surender
Subject:
Date: Saturday April 04, 2009
Time: 08:50:36 -0500
Comment
You are right .God is with in you and and in all living beings and nature too.It is wrapped in love ,sympathy,truthfulness,freedom of soul,liberalism and in thought process free from dogmas and intermediaries and agents and priests of God.Budhism is one of the most rationale and truthful religions.Rest are dogmas,heresay and enslaving ,sinful and detestable. Try reading last 17 chapters of Bhagwat Gita avoiding the first chapter also read Paul Carus book on Budhism.This should be enough.Dont ever detest or hate any religion or book that is first .Have a open mind.Donot punish any religion by your thought.All religions are partly good and bad too.Follow all religions as far as goodness is concerned .I do that and hence am totally free.
Name: Dr. D. M. to Helen
Subject: Hi
Date: Saturday April 04, 2009
Time: 10:58:22 -0500
Comment
Hi Helen, Nice article. If people love and respect one another that is all important. Hindu dharma also has evolved and adapted with time, and various philosophy and school of thought is there inside the hindu philosophy. When we serve human being we serve God. We see the divinity in human beings. Good luck, and peace.
Name: fiur
Subject:
Date: Sunday April 05, 2009
Time: 04:28:27 -0400
Comment
Buddha is one of the greatest liar on earth. There is no truth and salvation in buddhism. buddhism know nothings in after life, God, heaven and hell. buddhism is a cult came from satan and taught its followers to worship idols because satan dont want human beings to worship the true God.
Name: To helen
Subject:
Date: Sunday April 05, 2009
Time: 04:55:21 -0400
Comment
If there is no GOD, why Chirstians can received Holy Spirit or Spirit of God. You like to believe in lies. Buddhism cannot save you from going to hell. You are a sinner and you are already sentence to hell. Meditating is useless, it will not help you anythings. Prolong meditating is very dangerous later your mind is control by evil spirit. Now you are lies believer. Buddhism teaches to worship idols. Idolators will go to hell.
Name: to helen
Subject:
Date: Sunday April 05, 2009
Time: 05:15:02 -0400
Comment
Christianity is the best and true religion. Because Jesus is the 1st person in this world that taught perfection and only he can sent Holy Spirit to those who ask him. Jesus is the best person I ever know and he is very generous. Holy Spirit was GOD. Jesus is the only way to God The Father and only he can save human beings from going to hell.
Name: zenner
Subject: god not god
Date: Sunday April 05, 2009
Time: 19:02:50 -0400
Comment
to assert existence of a god or to deny its existence ,is an exercise in TOTAL futility..... both theism amd atheism are two sides of the same coin....one BEELIEVES in god..the other BELIEVES there is no god...both DO NOT KNOW... NOBODY DOES!!!!!!both conceptual NONESENSE!! This is why Einstein called buddhism the religion of the future. When one examines christ's teachings,one finds nothing new..it has all been said 500 years before... by the buddha..and all this without the hulabaloo nonsense that his(christ') followes created..virgin birth ,resurrection angels,devils etc etc all that foolishnes.. here it is fyi... "...Jesus: If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also. Buddha: If anyone should give you a blow with his hand, with a stick, or with a knife, you should abandon any desires and utter no evil words. Jesus: Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, “Friend, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You, hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. Buddha: The faults of others are easier to see than one’s own; the faults of others are easily seen, for they are sifted like chaff, but one’s own faults are hard to see. This is like the cheat who hides his dice and shows the dice of his opponent, calling attention to the other’s shortcomings, continually thinking of accusing him. Jesus: Your father in heaven makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. Buddha: The great cloud rains down on all whether their nature is superior or inferior. The light of the sun and the moon illuminates the whole world, both him who does well and him who does ill, both him who stands high and him who stands low. Jesus: He said to them, “When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “No, not a thing.” Buddha: Then the Lord addressed the monks, saying: “I am freed from all snares. And you, monks, you are freed from all snares.” Jesus: The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Buddha: If by giving up limited pleasures one sees far-reaching happiness, the wise one leaves aside limited pleasures, looking to far-reaching happiness. Jesus: Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. Buddha: With the relinquishing of all thought and egotism, the enlightened one is liberated through not clinging I wonder who copied from whom ???just remmeber buddha was born 500 YEars BEFORE crhist..!!!
Name: educate your self
Subject: eisnstein and buddha
Date: Sunday April 05, 2009
Time: 19:08:14 -0400
Comment
EINSTEIN BUDDHA According to general relativity, the concept of space detached from any physical content does not exist. -Einstein If there is only empty space, with no suns nor planets in it, then space loses its substantiality. -Buddha Physical concepts are free creations of the human mind, and are not, however it may seem, uniquely determined by the external world. -Einstein All such notions as causation, succession, atoms, primary elements...are all figments of the imagination and manifestations of the mind. -Buddha Time and again the passion for understanding has led to the illusion that man is able to comprehend the objective world rationally by pure thought without any empirical foundations—in short, by metaphysics. -Einstein By becoming attached to names and forms, not realising that they have no more basis than the activities of the mind itself, error rises...and the way to emancipation is blocked. -Buddha In our thinking...we attribute to this concept of the bodily object a significance, which is to high degree independent of the sense impression which originally gives rise to it. This is what we mean when we attribute to the bodily object "a real existence." ...By means of such concepts and mental relations between them, we are able to orient ourselves in the labyrinth of sense impressions. These notions and relations...appear to us as stronger and more unalterable than the individual sense experience itself, the character of which as anything other than the result of an illusion or hallucination is never completely guaranteed. -Einstein I teach that the multitudinousness of objects have no reality in themselves but are only seen of the mind and, therefore, are of the nature of maya and a dream. ...It is true that in one sense they are seen and discriminated by the senses as individualized objects; but in another sense, because of the absence of any characteristic marks of self-nature, they are not seen but are only imagined. In one sense they are graspable, but in another sense, they are not graspable. -Buddha The belief in an external world independent of the perceiving subject is the basis of all natural science. Since, however, sense perception only gives information of this external world or of "physical reality" indirectly, we can only grasp the latter by speculative means. It follows from this that our notions of physical reality can never be final. We must always be ready to change these notions—that is to say, the axiomatic basis of physics—in order to do justice to perceived facts in the most perfect way logically. -Einstein While the Tathagata, in his teaching, constantly makes use of conceptions and ideas about them, disciples should keep in mind the unreality of all such conceptions and ideas. They should recall that the Tathagata, in making use of them in explaining the Dharma always uses them in the semblance of a raft that is of use only to cross a river. As the raft is of no further use after the river is crossed, it should be discarded. So these arbitrary conceptions of things and about things should be wholly given up as one attains enlightenment. buddha
Name: zenner
Subject: educate yourself
Date: Sunday April 05, 2009
Time: 19:10:10 -0400
Comment
as a non buddhist and non christian non muslim and non jew... "...furthermore... "the religion of the future will be a cosmic religion.it should transcend personal god and avoid dogma and theology.covering both the natutal and spiritual,it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a meaningful unity.buddhism answers the description. if there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific need it would be buddhism" ALBERT EINSTEIN !!!!!!!!
Name: richard
Subject: welcome to humanity
Date: Monday April 06, 2009
Time: 02:33:31 -0400
Comment
If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism. -Albert Einstein
Name: vbv
Subject:
Date: Monday April 06, 2009
Time: 07:16:20 -0400
Comment
Bravo! I fully concur with you ,Helen, there is no spooky creature called "God" and there is certainly no 'Heaven', 'Hell' or the 'Judgement Day'. All total "BULLSHIT". Islam and Christianity are both hideous cults and paint a gloomy picture of humanity with a superspook watching over you! Hahahahaha! How stupid? This 'God' is a tyrant watching over you from cloud'9' ever ready to "punish" you with with "hell" in the "hereafter" ( that is after your 'death in this world') for the slightest transgression of his lousy 'commandments'...Aha, he is highy intolerant, immeasurablyharsh and cruel ,and yet he is supposed to be "merciful"...Hahahaha...What a joke! I don't know how those billions of christian and muslim zombies swallow this rubbish and be taken for a ride by the mullahs and padres, and evangelists,priests,imams,etc? Ofcourse ,people by and large are stupid and gullible, and that is the sad tale of the majority of humanity.
Name: Re : vbv
Subject:
Date: Monday April 06, 2009
Time: 16:19:34 -0400
Comment
You call God "intolerant"?? Go back and read what you wrote and then go look in the mirror. Pot calling the kettle black.
Name: Zunera
Subject: religion
Date: Monday April 06, 2009
Time: 16:43:35 -0400
Comment
sorry to say but your way of thinking is so bad,this is your parents fault for not explaining to you islam properly which lead your mind to think all these bads things which are very unaceptable islam is not a fake religion,we were brought into this world by allah and will go with allahs choice.ISLAM IS NOT FAKE YOU ARE
Name: zenner
Subject: to zunera
Date: Monday April 06, 2009
Time: 18:08:40 -0400
Comment
the first step to become liberated,is not to insult a relgion....but to look profoundly and see ..that this is a mere regurgitation of what has been unfairly shoved down your throat..you are looking at the world through tinted glasses that were put on your face,and you take that to be the real you...wisdom ,honesty and sagacity will reveal that you were really not free,but indirectly forced into accepting an idealogy whether your core self was/is against or not..you have lost the precious freedom that was given to you by allah/god/nature (choose whatever suits your background) and this is true of all religions particularly abrahamic religons...brainwashing without your consentand this process is so subtle that only few wake up..and say hey "I don't agree with this or that". changing from one religion into another is basically changing masks...the real you,has nothing to do with those masks..have you the courage to see into this ? ther are many passages in the quran I like,and many I find sheere nonesene,with cultural connotations..of the same applies to the bibles..some good stuff and some not so good... I, alone decide...I can not and should not tolerate any forceful imposition that would be degrading...islam is brutal in that sense,whereas christianity is more subtle,yet both want to dominate you...you, that was born free by the grace of whatever you want to call it. my parents are not me...they could have erred..I have a mind of my own..I have read about all relgions ,I have decided they are sheerr nonesense..you may do or think otherwise t,that is YOUR prerogative...no relgion should tell me what to think ..
Name: zenner
Subject: to zunera
Date: Monday April 06, 2009
Time: 18:12:53 -0400
Comment
furthermore..you can not discuss anything outside your religion...you are conditioned...had you been born in the vatican..you would have used the same sentence about "your parentts didn't...." to justify catholcism...is it really that hard to see ?
Name: toxotis2000
Subject:
Date: Monday April 06, 2009
Time: 23:57:18 -0400
Comment
GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE.WHEN WE LEARN THAT GOD IS WITHIN YOU ,YOU NEED NO OTHER.I AM A CHRISTIAN,I RESPECT YOUR DECISION, BECAUSE FAITH IS SO MUCH BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR LORD.AND NOT FORCEDLIKE THE THE POISONOUS BASTERDISED SAITANIC BARBERIANS TRY TO FORCE IT UPON OTHERS.
Name: toxotis2000
Subject:
Date: Tuesday April 07, 2009
Time: 00:08:43 -0400
Comment
OH, FOTGOT ONE MORE THING allah MY ASS.AND MOHAMMADI SPIT ON HIM (PISS BE UPON HIM)AND FUCK ALLLLLL MUSLIMS EVEN THE GOOD ONES..
Name: Re : toxotis2000
Subject:
Date: Thursday April 09, 2009
Time: 02:37:12 -0400
Comment
You sound extremely angry. I feel sorry for you. Maybe you should ask your doctor for some valium pills. Like the size of a round urinal block.
Name: The Wonderer
Subject: interesting.....
Date: Thursday April 09, 2009
Time: 20:32:50 -0400
Comment
I personally find your story interesting, Helen. I have to agree with you. Though I am only 16, I myself have personally noticed some things in Islam that generally does not make sense. I mean if God really was this great being, then why supposedly would he NEED people to pray to him like five times a day to a black building? And why whould we have to pray to some building in the first place if it seems as if were praying for the building? I've pondered on these questions over the time being and came to not belive in Islam anymore (Don't get me wrong, I mean there are many other reasons why I dont belive in Islam anymore, not just these). I really like though how you decided that there must be more to life then just Islam and you discovered Buddhism. (And I disagree that Buddhism is 'satanic'. I dont know who the heck would come up with something as rediculous as that). But yeah, I pretty much think you've made the right choice. Keep doing what you are doing =) But I personally am indecisive on whether or not there is a god. Still a great mystery to me...
Name: To Wonderer
Subject: Psalm 19:1
Date: Friday April 10, 2009
Time: 01:37:13 -0400
Comment
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork."
Name: Imad Taha
Subject: Comment
Date: Tuesday April 14, 2009
Time: 02:35:12 -0400
Comment
GOD or NO GOD????? The point of history is to look back at things and learn wat happened so we dont do the same stupid things again. There are 3 religions that share the exact same themes and stories with some minor differences. (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) basically, God sent many many prophets to ppl, the ppl dont believe, god punished them badly and the rest believed, until a new badge of dumasses came and thought oh there is no god and the cycle keeps going on and on. If you have 1% of logic, the three religions that have the most ppl in the world today and have the most controversy against each other and kill each other on daily basis, agree on this. so for those of you who believe that there is no god, i can only say may god have mercy on u. Now if you say Christianity is right or buddihsm is right or whatever is right just shut up please. I'm a muslim but just because i am doesnt mean i am right. You are what you do and not what group of ppl u choose to relate urself too. in islam we believe that there r non-muslims who will go to heaven and muslims (who call themeselves muslims that will go to hell) we believe that islam there for u to teach u the perfect way of life and then use ur logic to apply it. now if someone learns this somewhere else he is good. and doesnt have to be muslim. but when a christain tells me that he is going to heaven beacause jesus loves him and he loves jesus and he will save him and he goes on and fucks and drinks and commits every sin possible, u see what im sayin. We believe that judaism, christianity, and islam are religions sent from god and they believe in god. Buddihsm and Hinduism are beautiful conecpts. let me just say that they r missing the big picture. it's not enough to just be good and live right. u need to know why r we living good and why r we doing right and what is this existence all about. I have respect for every religion and may god guide u to the right path... "you don't guide those whom u love, god guides the ones that wish to be guided"... which means, if you look for the answer deep enough, god will show u the way.
Name: imad taha
Subject: wussup with toxotis2000???
Date: Tuesday April 14, 2009
Time: 02:40:28 -0400
Comment
"OH, FOTGOT ONE MORE THING allah MY ASS.AND MOHAMMADI SPIT ON HIM (PISS BE UPON HIM)AND FUCK ALLLLLL MUSLIMS EVEN THE GOOD ONES.." is this what jesus taught you??? i dont think so. you r no better than those fake muslims u r talking about. may god have mercy on u
Name: Imad Taha
Subject: To: The Wonderer
Date: Tuesday April 14, 2009
Time: 02:50:31 -0400
Comment
I first off congratulate u on seeking the truth. it's too bad that you already have it you just dont seem to understand it. god doesn't need you to pray to him and it's clearly stated in the quraan that if all mankind choose to disobey it wont change a thing for allah (which is just an arabic for god) yes the same god of jesus and moses and all the prophets. The reason you pray to god is kinda of the same idea why u meditate, it's to remind u wat ur values r and wat u believe in. Humans have to wills within, one is to do good and the other is to do bad. being a good person is merely about following ur good will and limiting ur bad wills to a minimum. by praying to god 5 times a day, it increases ur chances of doing good greatly. Muslims know they pray to god, the point of the building is also just a reminder of the prophets' struggle and all the history behind islam which no one seems to have ever heard of. I know you have so many questions. Please feel free to just lay these questions on me and see wat i have to say about it. The decision is still urs at last, it won't hurt to know the truth ;)
Name: DharmRakshak
Subject: Funny thing
Date: Tuesday April 14, 2009
Time: 21:43:44 -0400
Comment
Its funny how some muslims and christians here are trying to scare this Helen person back to islam by saying the same things and behaving the same way that made her leave islam in the first place! Truly you have to be a total retard to be a beliving christian or muslim. The abrahamic religions teach nothing but self-denial, self-loathing and perpetual fear of a fictional charachter that they call God, this god is more like a demon then any deity! Even if he was real, and he is clearly a HE, i would not think him worty of my respect, let alone worthy of my worship. I would rather burn in hell for all eternity then worship such a big asshole!
Name: Re : DharmRakshak
Subject:
Date: Wednesday April 15, 2009
Time: 18:38:14 -0400
Comment
For all your criticism of people who believe in God, it sure sounds like you have a god too. Yourself!!