Hi Gattaca, welcome to the cave!
I have some knowledge of Islam and the middle east as well. I was married to an Arab for 23 years. Have you by any chance in the past been involved with Faithfreedom.org? It's a site set up by an Iranian, now in Canada, for apostates. It used to be a rollicking good time, arguing witih the Muslims. It was overrun by hard extreme leftists, left of Stalin, and so I faded away over there.