Former Loose Women panellist Saira Khan has revealed that she is no longer a practising Muslim in an admission she described as a “huge relief”.
The 50-year-old TV personality in her interview with the Mirror stated that she felt that acknowledging this fact was “the last taboo to overcome before I could live my best, most happy and fulfilled life”.
Born in Derbyshire to Pakistani immigrant parents who were Muslims, she said that the “spiritual aspects” of her parents’ faith shaped her beliefs. She said she hoped she would no longer cause hurt to those who do follow Islam, by her admission that she does not live by its rules.
She said, “My family mean the world to me, so I’ve pretended to be someone I’m not to make them happy. But the trouble is, when you live a lie you only hurt yourself.
“Saying I’m Muslim and then having a boyfriend behind closed doors, wearing clothes that go against the Muslim dress code, having a cheeky drink and living a non-Muslim life only brings guilt, self-loathing, loneliness and a feeling of being caged. I know that one of the reasons I have been so angry and unhappy in my life is because of the many contradictions I’ve had to live with.”
Khan said she felt that milestones, including marrying her husband Steve in 2005 and adopting a child, had “always been tinged with shame and guilt” due to the rules of the Islamic faith. She also confessed to fearing the death threats that have greeted women making similar admissions, but felt she had to reveal her truth.
