Founder of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco Imad Iddine Habib's former residence was raided the same day the Moroccan press picked up on his activism against Islam. Facing countless death threats, he fled to England.
founding the Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco and the Masayminch ("We will not fast") group in 2012; serving as a spokesperson for the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB)
Imad Iddine Habib is a Moroccan atheist who, in 2013, founded the Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco, the first organization for apostates from Islam in a country where Islam is the state religion. As an outspoken unbeliever, he has long engaged in activism advocating for freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, and staunch secularism; for example, he once organized and led a movement against Ramadan fasting, even posting pictures of himself with food to the internet in the middle of the day—publicly breaking the fast in violation of Moroccan law. His boldness has resulted in direct danger to his life.
Like nearly all Moroccans, Imad was born a Muslim, but he could not stay one for long. Growing up in a family with Salafi beliefs, he was not content with unquestioning obedience to doctrine. When he came out as an atheist at the age of 14, his parents were displeased, reacting with “violence and threats.” When it became clear to them that he would not change his beliefs, his parents kicked him out of the house, leaving him homeless. To date, they have not reconciled.
“In a way I feel I may have shut the emotion of losing my family away somewhere. I try not to feel. There are vivid moments where I miss my mother: her face, her cooking, knowing what she is thinking about, but I can’t afford to get emotional about it.” - Imad Iddine Habib
After his falling out with family, Imad went on to get a degree in Islamic sciences and properly begin his atheist activism. In so doing, he made a name for himself, attracting fame and especially infamy. But as he attracted more attention from the mainstream—being interviewed by a large Moroccan news outlet and professing his beliefs at a public conference—life became dangerous. Police began to look for him as he was accused of violating Morocco’s blasphemy law. Alarmed, Imad first went into hiding, but he ultimately determined he had to relocate to England as a refugee. He lives there still.
“I gave up everything and everyone I know, but I’m free.” - Imad Iddine Habib
When they were looking for Imad, police had questioned his father, who would go on to testify against his own son. In the end, Imad was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, but by then, he was already gone.
Losing my religion: life after extreme belief - The Guardian
International Imad Day (May 15th) - Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco (CEMM) - Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco Facebook page
Stories of Moroccans who left the religion and disbelieved in Islam - Hespress [in Arabic]
Morocco explicitly criminalizes blasphemy against Islam and punishes it with imprisonment and/or fines. While freedom of expression, conscience, and worship are granted by the constitution, and there is technically no law against apostasy, publicly rejecting Islam may make one liable to prosecution for “shaking the faith” of Muslims—also punishable with imprisonment and fines. Morocco also claims political control over large swaths of the disputed Western Sahara territory, which is otherwise a secular state.