Reverted in secret, living with Islamophobic parents – should I come clean?
Assalamu alaikum, sisters and brothers. I’m a Muslimah of Turkish background, living in the UK, and I need some advice. I reverted a while ago, but I’ve been practicing in secret because I still live with my parents (I’m an adult but not financially independent yet). When I tried to test the waters before telling them, their reaction was really harsh. For context, my parents grew up Catholic but are now atheists. They’ve bought into this idea that Islam is all about violence and terror. I once heard them say things like, “People online brainwash others into Islam just so they’ll do suicide missions in some holy war.” It’s so frustrating because they reduce the whole faith to stereotypes. And honestly, if someone wanted to recruit for that, why would they come to a secular European country when Islam is already huge worldwide? Makes no sense. What messes with my head is, when I was little, they always said, “We didn’t baptise you because religion should be your own choice when you’re older.” But now that I made that choice, they’re aggressive about it. I’m scared that if I tell them, they’ll get even more controlling, anxious, or maybe worse – I worry about my safety. I feel like a hypocrite hiding my deen, but I’m torn. Should I be honest with them, or keep it secret until I’m independent? Jazakallah khair for any advice.