"One of the things I heard again and again was: I thought I was the only one." — Muhammad Syed 

Leaving religion can be one of the most liberating decisions of a person's life. For those leaving Islam, it can also be one of the most dangerous. This episode looks at why so many ex-Muslims stay hidden, how community breaks that isolation, and what the data really tells us about people leaving the faith worldwide.

Our guest is Muhammad Syed, human rights activist, writer, and co-founder and president of Ex-Muslims of North America (EXMNA), the first ex-Muslim advocacy and community organisation in North America.

In this conversation we cover:

• Why so many ex-Muslims believe they are "the only one", and how visibility and community change that
• What scripture, interpretation and culture each contribute to the risks ex-Muslims face, from loss of family to threats of violence
• The numbers behind a global trend, and how both the political left and right get the conversation wrong

Links for support:

• Ex-Muslims of North America: https://exmuslims.org
• Faith to Faithless (UK support): https://www.humanists.uk/our-work/faith-to-faithless/
• r/exmuslim global reddit community: https://www.reddit.com/r/exmuslim/

References:

• Pakistan college student lynched after discussing Adam and Eve/incest
• Nigeria college girl lynched over a WhatsApp class chat
• Ayan Hirsi Ali threatened, lost security/neighborhood in Netherlands, moved to U.S.
• Somali gay atheist kidnapped/taken to Kenya for “re-education”
• Canadian mother whose children were taken to Africa; hasn’t seen them in over a decade
• Ex-Muslim husband/wife/siblings chain deconversion story
• IIraq lowering age of consent/marriage age to nine
• 
  
• -Pew: one in four U.S. Muslims raised Muslim have left Islam
• -Pew: among U.S. ex-Muslims, ~55% became nonbelievers and ~23% became Christian
• -Arab Barometer: younger people in parts of North Africa around 18% nonreligious/nonbelieving
• -Turkey survey showing rising nonbelief
• -Iran survey showing roughly 40% nonbelief 
• -Saudi Arabia survey showing ~4–5% confirmed atheists, higher broader nonbelief
• -Pakistan poll: ~60–70% support killing apostates
• -EXMNA data/reporting: ~60% lost friends/social circle; similar share verbal abuse; high 40s/around 50% lost family; one in three experienced threats of violence

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

What does it take to stay human in a world that often forgets what that means? This episode explores storytelling as an act of resistance: why humans need fiction, why representation matters, and how meeting difference with curiosity rather than judgement can ease the loneliness of modern life.

Our guest is Kestral Gaian, an award-winning writer of fiction, theatre and poetry, whose debut young adult novel "The Boy From Elsewhere" is out now.

In this conversation we cover:

• The origins of "The Boy From Elsewhere", born from a 26-hour charity writing livestream, and what tiredness taught Kestral about creativity and craft
• Why storytelling is fundamental to being human, and how representation shapes what young readers believe is possible
• Whether all art is political, the recent publishing pushback against LGBTQ+ fiction, and meeting strangeness with kindness

Links:

• The Boy From Elsewhere: https://reconnectingrainbows.co.uk/book/tbfe/
• Kestral Gaian's website: https://kestr.al
• Support Humanism Now: https://ko-fi.com/humanismnowpod

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

What does humanism actually ask of us when we confront the Israel-Palestine conflict? In this episode we preview a special Festival of Humanism session, exploring how secular, rational and compassionate values can cut through motivated reasoning and moral blind spots to rebuild shared ground between Palestinians and Israelis.

Our guests are Dr Jasr Kawkby, a British-Palestinian paediatrician raised in Gaza, and Yaniv Aknin, a British-Israeli software engineer and former soldier, who work together on peacebuilding, dialogue and nonviolent advocacy.

In this conversation we cover:

• Their personal journeys from a Gaza refugee camp and a secular Zionist household in Tel Aviv to a shared humanist platform
• How humanist values (curiosity, rationality, secularism and the dignity of every life) can reframe history, accountability and the path forward
• Why both believe nonviolence and sustained dialogue, not force, are the only routes to peace, justice and equality

Jasr and Yaniv host "No Hope But Peace: A Dialogue Between an Israeli and a Palestinian" at the Festival of Humanism in Bournemouth on 13–14 June.

Links:

• Festival of Humanism 2026: https://humanists.uk/events/festival2026/

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

 "It's amazing how enduring humans can be with their willingness to look for good."

Kimberly Haley-Coleman is the founder and executive director of GlobeAware, a nonprofit building ethical, community-led volunteer service programmes across more than 25 countries. With a background spanning international business, nonprofit leadership, and global partnership building, Kimberly has spent years thinking deeply about how service, cultural exchange, and shared work can bring people together with dignity, curiosity, and compassion.

Topics we cover

✔︎ What ethical volunteering actually looks like — and why locally led, community-designed programmes are so different from voluntourism 
✔︎ How shared work breaks down assumptions faster than almost anything else — and what that means for building genuine cross-cultural empathy 
✔︎ How GlobeAware's programmes are responding to sweeping foreign aid cuts and what resilience looks like on the ground in 2026

Connect with Kimberly and Globe Aware

• Website www.globeaware.org
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/globeaware
• Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyglobeaware/
• Podcasts https://open.spotify.com/show/6n9cfb4QIVb2aqUD6XSttE
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/globeaware/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@globeaware
• X Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlobeAware
• Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/globe-aware/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@globe_aware
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_Aware
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/globeaware.bksy.social
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/globeaware/

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

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"Dogmatism is the enemy of reason, after all."

Dr Anjan Chakravartty is the Apignani Foundation Chair for the Study of Atheism, Humanism, and Secular Ethics at the University of Miami and a philosopher of science whose work explores the nature of knowledge and what science tells us about the world. His latest edited volume, Science and Humanism: Knowledge, Values, and the Common Good, brings together leading philosophers to examine the relationship between science and humanist values — historically deep and increasingly urgent.

Topics we cover

✔︎ Why science is not a value-neutral tool — and why humanists need to think more carefully about what science is actually for 

✔︎ How disinformation campaigns exploit the language of science to manufacture doubt on climate, health, and more 

✔︎ What a genuinely humanistic science looks like in practice — from diversifying research communities to confronting scientism

Connect with Dr Chakravartty and find out more

• University of Miami profile: https://people.miami.edu/profile/[email protected]
• Science and Humanism: Knowledge, Values, and the Common Good: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/science-and-humanism/
• Personal Website: https://anjanchakravartty.com/

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

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"Culture is a representation of what our habits are on a daily basis. If we drop the habit, we are not building the culture we're wanting to see."

Dr AJ Lauer is a leadership and diversity educator, executive coach, and founder of Thriving IBIS Leadership Solutions. With two decades of experience across higher education, non-profit research, and STEM, she specialises in imposter syndrome, psychological safety, and helping organisations make more human-centred decisions. She is also the author of My Monster Mungo, an illustrated book for adults about the imposter phenomenon.

Topics we cover

✔︎ What the imposter phenomenon actually is — and why 82% of people experience it 

✔︎ How to build psychologically safe, inclusive teams where dissent and creativity are welcomed 

✔︎ Why burnout and perfectionism are connected — and how leaders can interrupt the cycle

Connect with Dr AJ Lauer

• Thriving IBIS Leadership Solutions: https://www.thrivingibis.com
• My Monster Mungo — illustrated book: https://www.thrivingibis.com/my-monster-mungo

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"You are unlocked to a whole new world... you're not alone, and it's that community that makes you reaffirming yourself"

Timothy David, known as Tim Talks, is a UK-based content creator whose TikTok videos on humanism, faith deconstruction, and Black freethinking have racked up millions of views. Drawing on his own journey away from Pentecostal Christianity, Tim uses social media to spark honest conversations about belief, identity, inclusivity, and what it means to question everything.

Topics we cover

✔︎ What deconstruction really means and why it is a lifelong process rather than a single moment 

✔︎ Why social media is a powerful tool for humanists — and why more of us should be using it 

✔︎ How to start questioning your own beliefs and build community on the other side of faith

Connect with Timothy

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_timtalks
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_t1m24
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TimTalksUK

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

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"That's what humanism is about, isn't it? That we have the freedom to do whatever we feel is right for us."

Tale Pleym is Chair of the European Humanist Professionals and Senior Ceremonial Advisor of the Norwegian Humanist Association, where she has been conducting humanist ceremonies for more than 15 years. She joins us to explore how humanist ceremonies and secular services are shared and strengthened across Europe, and what organised humanism can achieve when it grows deep roots in society.

Topics we cover

✔︎ How the European Humanist Professionals network connects practitioners across borders through webinars, workshops, and conferences 

✔︎ How Norway's humanist confirmation became a genuine secular rite of passage that now outgrows the church in major cities 

✔︎ What other humanist organisations can learn from Norway — and what large organisations can learn from small ones

Connect with Tale and find out more

• Norwegian Humanist Association: https://www.human.no/om-oss/norwegian-humanist-association
• Email: [email protected]
• European Humanist Professionals: https://www.humanistprofessionals.eu
• Festival of Humanism, Bournemouth — Humanists UK: https://humanists.uk/events/festival2026/

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Subscribe to Unholy Histories wherever you get your podcasts:

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unholy-histories-the-humanist-heritage-podcast-from/id1893320823
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Unholy Histories is the new Humanist Heritage Podcast from Humanists UK and inspired by the research of the Humanist Heritage Project.

Join Andrew Copson and Madeleine Goodall as they uncover the rebels, reformers, and freethinkers who shaped a more open and compassionate Britain.

The first episodes go live very soon. Subscribe now via your preferred podcast app to be notified the moment new episodes are released.

• Join Humanists UK: humanists.uk/join
• Discover more Humanist Heritage: heritage.humanists.uk
• Send us your questions or feedback to [email protected]

Unholy Histories is produced by Humanise Live a production agency creating values-led podcast content. Start podcasting today at humanise.live

Music: Small Things by Simon Folwar

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community! 

Micki McAllen, known online as Apostate Barbie, spent 30 years as a Jehovah's Witness before leaving in 2021. Now based in the UK, she uses social media to raise awareness of high control religious groups, support others navigating life beyond faith, and advocate for an end to mandated shunning.

Topics we cover

✔︎ What life inside a high control group really looks like — and how coercive control works without physical force 

✔︎ The Norway Supreme Court case challenging government funding of the JWs over shunning practices 

✔︎ How to rebuild community, identity, and agency after leaving a high control religion

Connect with Micki

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apostatebarbie/

References and further reading

• JWFacts.com — ex-Witness resource recommended by Micki: https://www.jwfacts.com
• Faith to Faithless — UK support for those leaving high control religion: https://faithtofaithless.com
• Stop Mandated Shunning — organisation Micki volunteers with: https://www.stopmandatedshunning.org/
• BITE Model of authoritarian control — Steven Hassan: https://www.bitemodel.com
• Decult Conference, New Zealand: https://www.decult.nz

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.