When her well off British family moved to Saudi Arabia near Mecca, Nuriyah Khan ( @HolyHumanist ) lived in two worlds at once— a plush Muslim life inside a compound which protected her from a fundamentalist Islam. Hoping to continue to live a progressive Muslim lifestyle, she married and moved to Dubai. Once her relationship became unsafe, she asked for a separation and was confronted with Sharia law, Islamic religious law that guides the moral and religious lives of Muslims. He relentlessly stalked her along with the Dubai police who were trying to force her to stay with him, confiscating her passport.

Watch this episode on YouTube Find Nuriyah on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HolyHumanist

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Chapter Marks 00:00:00 Intro 00:04:56 Sunni Muslim, explained 00:05:41 Where Nuriyah grew up and her family's views 00:06:47 Moving to Saudi Arabia 00:09:49 TW: m*rder, v*olence, amp*tations 00:10:03 Sharia law 00:15:14 Witnessing and understanding these things as a chiId 00:17:01 Daily life in Saudi Arabia 00:18:40 TW: r*pe 00:21:06 Did Nuriyah feel safe? 00:23:35 Teenage years in Saudi Arabia 00:25:59 S*x education at an international school in Saudi Arabia 00:27:42 Practicing Islam so close to Mecca 00:31:42 Islam in Dubai 00:32:26 Moving to Dubai 00:33:45 Marrying to date 00:36:41 Things start to change in the relationship 00:44:20 Finally leaving the relationship 00:45:53 Sharia law creates obstacles 00:48:41 Islamic couples counseling and a turn for the worse 00:53:00 Stalking and harassment from Nuriyah's ex-husband and Dubai police 00:55:51 Escaping Dubai 01:01:00 The end of a marriage 01:03:47 Deconstructing Islam 01:12:47 Starting to speak out and starting a YouTube channel 01:19:13 Linda, listen 01:20:44 Outro

Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara

**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**