Hey guys,
Today, I’m taking the biggest gamble I’ve ever taken in my life thus far.
I’m doing so by sharing something with you that I’ve been laboring at for the past few months.
I am responsible for all the writing, the voices, the editing and even the artwork. That is to say, everything you see and hear is essentially a one-man show. Which, more than anything, speaks to my embarrassing lack of resources.
Quick FAQ:
What is this story about?
Set in the year 2105, The Last Muslim is the story of Salem Al-Sharif, a nano-photonics engineer who finds himself hiking in the middle of the Arabian desert, trying to find out why most of the world’s Muslims have been wiped out in less than 48 hours. In order to find his answers, he limps towards Zaronür, a multi-trillion dollar Israeli corporation that also happens to be the most technologically advanced city in the world, and Salem’s former employer. Salem’s primary goal, however, is to save someone that is very dear to him. Unfortunately, Salem’s body is breaking down so fast that not only did he forget whom it is he is trying to save, but he also finds that he only has 28 days to live. This frustrates Salem to a great degree, and as the trailer suggests, makes him rather angry.
In a race against time and his deteriorating state of mind, Salem tests the limits of his will to survive, religious faith, and his mind, as he desperately tries to find the answers he is looking for.
Why an audiobook?
Put simply, it’s more fun, engaging and challenging to make. Plus, clocking in at nearly 40 minutes per part, it won't be as taxing to your precious attention-span.
Will there be more parts?
8 more. The ending is already written, and I’m working my way backwards to the beginning of the story.
Won’t this get you in trouble?
For now, I’m doing everything under the pseudonym “Ibn Lahab”. It pains me to tell you this in the year 2015, but the reason for keeping my real name under wraps is that my country of origin carries a death sentence for apostates of Islam such as myself. Without being too fancy about it: if my identity goes out, I’ll get way too much grief over it.
Why are you doing this, exactly?
Everybody has their own feelings about Islam. Some feel it should be abolished, along with every other religion, while others could not care less and are rather ambivalent about it. The former would call it a religion of violence, while the latter are confused about why Muslims call it a religion of peace when every action and policy they take towards themselves suggests otherwise.
Here’s what Islam definitely is:
It is a flawed ideology. And in this day and age, you cannot ever hope to oppose a flawed ideology with violence, bigotry and intolerance, because Islam is so diabolically and brilliantly designed that it actually legitimizes those things the second it is faced with them.
The only way to win a war against a flawed ideology is a war that is fought intellectually, through reason, critical thinking, and the free exchange of ideas, such as the ones explored in The Last Muslim. This is why there are Muslim countries that would rather kill apostates than to have a discussion, because they know, without question, that everything that Islam stands for will simply not hold against a logical argument. And that is the greatest fear that Muslim countries have: that their people would finally see through the façade of religious rule, and start developing a ravenous appetite for reason, civility, and The Ramones. Because when they do, Muslims will leave their outdated beliefs in droves, and discover that thinking for themselves sure beats the hell out of having a God doing it for you. This is what the dictators and the despots will not have, and they will pull out everything out of their U.S.-sanctioned arsenals to ensure that it never happens.
The Last Muslim is my contribution towards putting an end to the systemic repression of free speech, especially if that speech come from the invaluable voices of those who left a religion that is the embodiment of the unholy union of irrationality and moral-absolutism.
Even though it’s not my intention, I’ve found that offending Islam is not only a good idea, but a necessary one.
Unfortunately, even if this work is not a direct attack on Islam in any way, it will still be considered as all sorts of blasphemy, and I know that someone somewhere will even use that dreaded word I hate so much: Islamophobia.
Here’s the thing: You can’t just play the Islamophobia card and shut down the exchange of ideas, no matter how offensive they are. Because if they’re offensive, it probably means that progress is being made. And if we’re too afraid to be offensive, then we will never see any progression in how Islam treats those who decide to leave it.
The point is that while we should be respectful and understanding towards one another, it should not be to the point where we become so politically correct that we become constantly afraid of coming across as harsh, especially when being harsh is the only way to get somebody to grow up and finally see that their belief system is keeping them from recognizing that they have far more in common with people who disagree with them then they think.
Will my money go towards anything?
Absolutely:
Writing and recording more parts, of which there are 8 more, with better production value and (resource permitting) more man-power. Salem's voice alone takes quite a toll on my vocal chords, and there are female characters in the story that I will most likely not be able to pull off. Literally everything you hear has been recorded with a broken iPhone 4.
A graphic novel, of which I will draw myself. There are plenty of elements in this story that are better expressed through a visual medium, and I would love for you to see a more fleshed-out version of Salem’s world.
A plane ticket for my mom to get out of a country that’s about to get dragged into a civil war that will render the entire Middle East in a state of irrevocable chaos.
You can pre-order here:
And tell all your friends about this idiot on the internet who is going to get himself by going to the Facebook page. Just add "/thelastmuslimaudiobook" to Facebook's URL.
It’s much more important to me that you share this like crazy than for you to part ways of your hard-earned $2, because it’s spreading the idea that counts.
While I’ll do my absolute best to reply to any and all inquiries here, please excuse any delays in doing so, as I’m posting this from the hospital.
As always, thank you for your time and attention.
Stay strong.