Surviving Sexual Abuse Cloaked in Spiritual Abuse

This chapter is an open account of abuse experienced by Farooq Mulla and as told to Rahmanara Chowdhury. It spans the early years of his development, his first encounters with spiritual contexts and how sexual abuse became intertwined with the spiritual. As a child, discerning abuse from faith, religion and spirituality was impossible. As a young person growing up, the impact and continuation of the abuse created a lasting detriment into adulthood. Significant incidents and subsequent immediate and long term all-engulfing impacts of the abuse are disclosed. The pertinence of religion and spirituality being intertwined within sexual and other forms of abuse, and the severity of this type of abuse is shared. Farooq hopes this may alleviate the isolation experienced by other victims and survivors.