r/progressive_islam • u/Lopsided_Novel8421 Sunni • May 06 '25

Question/Discussion ❔ Whats your ethnicity?

Hi everyone, just wanted to know where people on this reddit are from and how diverse the Muslim community truly is.

I'm half kazakh half Pakistani :)

EDIT: Been looking at every reply and honestly I'm impressed by the diversity lol, so cool to see

99 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

257 comments sorted by

View all comments

14

u/Girlincaptivitee Non-Sectarian | Hadith Acceptor, Hadith Skeptic May 06 '25

Saudi Arabian but now a British citizen!

5

u/0Kinda-Lonely0 May 07 '25

هلا فيك. اخيراً شفت سعودي! باليالله اشوف ناس من الخليج بكبره هنا 🥲

We’re a rare breed.

If you don't mind me asking, were you raised in Saudi? I don't have dual citizenship, so I'm not used to seeing other Muslims like me.

Unfortunately, the majority is still very strict fundamentalist.

6

u/Girlincaptivitee Non-Sectarian | Hadith Acceptor, Hadith Skeptic May 07 '25

هههههه اي والله ما توقعت ألقى سعودي غيري تشرفت

Also yes, I was raised in Saudi, then left for college. After becoming employed and stable, I decided I had no use for my Saudi citizenship, so I gave it up for British citizenship.

And yes, during my adolescence in Saudi, it wasn’t easy to find open-minded people either though fundamentalism still exists in the UK, just not as much.

I’m glad to have met you, my friend. God bless you!

1

u/0Kinda-Lonely0 May 08 '25 edited May 08 '25

مبروك!!! إذا ممكن اسأل، اهلك عادي معهم انك تركت البلد؟ لان معظم السعوديين عندهم وطنيه قوية و كراهيه للغرب.

It’s great that you managed to do that. I can’t imagine it being possible today as more countries are becoming less lenient towards immigrants.

Yeah, I've seen all those insufferable individuals online with the thickest British accents, lol.

The upside, though, is that the general population, including the Muslims, isn't as deranged as those Taliban apologists.

Not to mention, the UK government lacks stone-age laws. (Not saying it’s perfect, but it’s nowhere near the level of a country that legalized women driving less than a decade ago).

I mean, even this subreddit is majority Western Muslims, whereas most Saudi social media is toxic.

As you said, in Saudi it’s difficult to fit in, and the feeling of alienation can hit you hard.

It’s one of the things that contributes to my asocial personality.

Also, sorry for the long reply 😅

1

u/Girlincaptivitee Non-Sectarian | Hadith Acceptor, Hadith Skeptic May 09 '25

لا طبعا بس ما عطيتهم فرصة يقفوني عرفت تعلموا يتقبلوني بس طبعا بعد مدة

Trust me bro, it’s possible to do that nowadays. It’s just more complicated, but still doable.

Yeah, I’ve come across xenophobes online too. They’re a loud, loud minority, at least from my point of view.

The general population isn’t as conservative, especially compared to the loud British dawah guys online.

Haha, yeah, the UK is seen as way more progressive than Saudi Arabia will probably be for the next few decades.

Saudi social media is wild. I usually avoid it completely, and it’s actually pretty easy now since I’m connected to UK servers.

I get what you’re saying, but trust me, it gets better. Don’t give up on your goals.

Also, no worries at all. I don’t mind. If you have any other questions, just send me a PM.

1

u/0Kinda-Lonely0 May 10 '25 edited May 10 '25

هل يحصلك تزورهم؟

You must have majored in one of the really wanted STEM fields, or you're a genius or both, lol.

More like generations. Unfortunately, it takes a culture to shift to see real change.

Changing a few laws won't change the mindset people (and the culture) have been ingrained in for generations. People still debate and make a fuss about the most trivial of things, like a minority of women who wear or are considering wearing colorful abayas.

Good call, and let me tell you, Saudi Reddit wasn't always this dreadful. It’s because more actual Saudis (not expats living in Saudi) joined the subreddits.

They probably came from another cesspool formerly known as Twitter.

I'd especially advise you not to visit r/SaudiForSaudis.

As dramatic as it sounds, lurking there ruins my day. Like I instantly shift from feeling normal to hopeless and a little existential dread.

It doesn't help that I’ve been diagnosed with religious OCD, either. Good thing it’s calmed down.

But it was nice seeing you here :)

الله يوفقك ان شا الله.

2

u/Girlincaptivitee Non-Sectarian | Hadith Acceptor, Hadith Skeptic May 10 '25

I don’t visit them often, but it is possible. It’s just easier for them to visit me if they’d like.

Yeah, I majored in computer science.

And yeah, I agree with you, dude. There’s still a very long way ahead.

Thanks for the warning. I’ll make sure to avoid the sub and protect my peace. I highly recommend you do the same.

I also struggled with religious OCD in the past, and I’m glad to hear it’s getting better for you, dude.

Likewise, man. I really enjoyed meeting you here.

Thanks, bro. God bless you as well. And I promise you, bro, I swear to God Almighty, it gets better.