Resources

Are you an ex-Muslim struggling with all of the emotional and logistical changes that has brought to your life?

Few believers ever understand that belief is not a choice. When we recognize that what we have been sold as true does not comport with reality, we can no longer hold the belief.

On this page, you’ll find links that may help you process and navigate various challenges you might face in your journey clarifying your beliefs and in coping with having let go. For some of you, the struggle continues as you contend with living a closeted life for fear of reprisals or physical survival. We hope the resources here are helpful.

Ramadhan Survival: Logistics and Mindset

This playlist includes videos on how to survive as a closeted ex-Muslim through the most difficult time of the year.

Online Forums

The most popular forum on the Internet is a Reddit group (i.e., “subreddit”) known as /r/exmuslims. Other groups exist too, each with their own personality. Some achieve catharsis through memes and comedy, while others are more serious.

Books

Several books exist on questioning Islam. However, if we were to make one book recommendation, it would be Ali A. Rizvi’s The Atheist Muslim. The audiobook version is also excellent.

Meetup Groups

There are ex-Muslim groups around the world. Many of them organize regular meetups, like EXMTO. In Islamic countries, most of these meetups happen underground. We started a list, although incomplete. You can find it on our Partners page.

Coming Out

Your safety comes first. If you’re not in imminent physical danger, it is generally best to achieve financial independence so you can move out before you reveal to your family that you are no longer Muslim. Many ex-Muslims have learned this the hard way. Two videos are very helpful:

Call-in Shows

At the time this page was last updated, a few ex-Muslim YouTubers have recurring livestream call in shows. One prominent ex-Muslim is Apostate Aladdin. Here’s a playlist of past call in shows to give you a feel for what you can expect if you are considering calling in to share your story. You may also wish to check out Secular Spirit. He doesn’t do live call in shows as often, but he too, has a very gentle style.

For a classic coming out video, Abdullah Sameer‘s Leaving Islam after Promoting if for 15 years is an inspiration.

Mental Health and Therapy

If you’re looking for a therapist, but finding religiously minded therapists triggering, you may wish to consider finding a therapist through the Secular Therapy Project.

Increasingly, there are also several ex-Muslim therapists, including many who accept remote clients. People we know:

  • Jimmy Bangash in the UK. Find him through Integrated Wellness for not only psychotherapy, but also life coaching. He has a Pakistani background, although he grew up in the UK. He has a deep knowledge of issues that ex-Muslims deal with, and is an activist in his own right advocating for ex-Muslims.
  • Mimzy Vidz is in the UK. She has limited spots available now, but you can check with her by email at: mimztherapy@gmail.com. Mimzy is not only a licensed therapist and an ex-Muslim, she was also once devoutly practicing. You may recognize her from her powerful Why I Left Islam video. Mimzy also has an Advice and Therapy playlist on her channel.
  • Aisha Khan in the UK. She runs AfterFaith. She’s also an ex-Muslim, and has appeared on Secular Spirit’s channel.

Local Therapists in the Greater Toronto Area

If you are looking for a local therapist in the greater Toronto region, we do have contact with therapists who understand the challenges of growing up in various Islamic cultures who are also sympathetic to the challenges ex-Muslims face. If you’d like us to try to connect you to one of these therapists, please email us at info@exmuslimstoronto.org with a little background. We’ll then poll our current shortlist of therapists who feel they may be able to assist, facilitating an introduction for you.

If you are an ex-Muslim local to the Toronto area, we strongly encourage you to join our group for easier access to support—both informal and professional.

Mental Health Organizations

Mental health organizations in the Toronto area specifically, include:

Shelters

If you’ve been kicked out of your home and find yourself suddenly homeless, or fled an abusive household, you can find a list of Toronto area shelters here:

General Resources

We recommend checking out the Resources page from one of the premiere ex-Muslim advocacy organizations in the world, the Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA). They now run WikiIslam, as well as the Persecution Tracker. Their mini-documentaries of ex-Muslim stories are both moving and inspiring.

Refugees and Asylum

For those needing to flee oppressive countries or who are otherwise seeking sponsorship to Canada or other liberal democracies, please see our Refugees and Asylum page.