File:Celebrating Dissent - No Longer Without You by Nazmiye Oral.webm

English: How can I walk away when my legs are not my own?

And how do I pave my path back? Because my place within the family is my right. Walking out of your religion often has negative consequences for your family and friends. The performance No Longer Without You is a public conversation between a mother, Havva Oral and her daughter, Nazmiye Oral, about the things that were never said inside the family. After performing this conversation multiple times in the Netherlands and abroad, Nazmiye and her mother also had this conversation in their family home, with all members of the family. In this programme we watch the film made of this family meeting. Afterwards several guests talk about their own experiences.

About the Film

The movie No Longer Without You (2018) by Mijke de Jong is based on the eponymous play that premiered in 2015 at Holland Festival in the direction of Adelheid Roosen, in which a free-spirited daughter engages in a confrontational conversation with her traditional mother. Actress Nazmiye Oral and her mother Havva have performed the play around the world, but never in front of the family. Havva did not want her family to know what she was doing. When her son Mehmet gives his permission, the play is performed at Havva’s home – with the immediate family. And even though it is a painful conversation, it brings everyone closer together.

With:

Cemal Knudsen Yucel was active in the youth branch of an Islamist movement. He is now an ex-Muslim atheist activist and founder and chair of Ex-Muslims of Norway. He writes articles, participates in debates related to apostasy, blasphemy, women’s status in Islam, Islamic reform, and political and social issues.

Fauzia Ilyas is a human rights activist and ex-Muslim. After an arranged and unhealthy marriage she started to doubt the existence of God an eventually founded the Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan. She has been a subject of several death threats and sought asylum in the Netherlands in 2015.

Mimzy Vidz is an ex-Muslim Youtuber who discusses issues that Muslims and non-Muslims face, in an attempt to normalise ex-Muslims. Marwa went to a Muslim school most of her life in London and was involved in various Muslim organisations and communities before becoming an atheist two years ago.

Nazmiye Oral Award winning Actress and writer of movie Niet Meer Zonder Jou/No longer without you. Nazmiye Oral (1969) was born in Hengelo, the Netherlands. She studied screenwriting and worked as a presenter and interviewer for the former Dutch Muslim Broadcasting Communication. While working here, she made a name for herself interviewing such notables as the combative Pim Fortuyn and Theo van Gogh.In 2016 Nazmiye Oral won the highest film award in the Netherlands (Golden Calf) for best actress in the television drama In Freedom

Omar Makram has fled Egypt because of his atheism. He burned a Quran, to prove to the Swedish immigration services that he could not return to Egypt, for fear of his life. Omar has now gotten his permanent residency and works for GAPF – Never Forget Pela and Fadime – two young girls killed in the name of “honour”.

Zehra Pala is an activist of the Atheism Association of Turkey, the first legally recognised Atheist Organisation of the Balkans, Middle East and Muslim-majority countries. The founders are striving for the day when atheists no longer face any discrimination or prejudice in the workplace, at home or on the street.

Sohail Ahmad is an ex-Muslim, ex-Ahmadi writer who is more commonly known by his social media alias, Reason on Faith. Sohail began his activism in 2016. In 2019, after years of activism and organizing behind the scenes, Sohail released his first video entitled ‘Why I am Leaving Islam and Ahmadiyyat’. Sohail’s journey of questioning had begun at the age of 19. Currently, Sohail is co-organizer of the Toronto Chapter of EXMNA (The Ex-Muslims of North America) as well as the organizer for the Toronto Chapter of Muslimish.

Rishvin Ismath is a Sri Lankan and was an Islamist actively involved with Jama’athe Islami at the beginning and then worked with Thawheed and Salafi movements in Sri Lanka before becoming an ex-Muslim in 2013. 2014 onwards he writes constructive criticism about Islam and questions the faith. He is the only ex-Muslim activist to present criticism in Tamil language with real identity. He is active in his facebook and in his blog allahvin.com. He also participates in activities for the rights of children, women, labors and war victims (disappearances). He fought justice for Darun Nusra Childern’s Home sexual abuse case together with his Muslim friend Fayaz A. Razack. He has faced a near death experience when ISIS attempted to kill him months before the Easter Sunday suicide attacks. He is a Rugby Union referee in Sri Lanka.