Atheism

A fatwa in English in which Sh. Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjed (may Allah preserve him) answers the following question, "I am 12 years old and I live with an atheist father and a Christian mother. I embraced Islam recently, but my parents did not welcome my embracing Islam. Even worse than that: they stopped me from reading Quran, going to Islamic websites, telling people that I am Muslim and meeting Muslims, whether on the Internet or in real life. They also prevent me from wearing modest clothing, and many other things. The reason for that is stupid and irrational Islamophobia. I have tried to show them what Islam really is, but nothing I say or do can change their minds. In fact, they are now trying to show me how they despise Islam in all their words and deeds, such as making stupid jokes about terrorism and even reviling Allah and His Messenger in the most offensive words. The problem is getting worse, because as I am still young, I cannot do anything without my father's help. For example, there is no Islamic clothing available for sale here, because there are so few Muslims. Hence I have no choice but to buy hijab through the Internet, and I need to use their credit cards in order to make the purchase. I am also studying in a Christian school and I need their help to change schools, as I cannot do that myself. They do not let me leave the house on my own, hence I need them to take me to the mosque… and so on. Because they do not agree, this means that I am not able to follow the religion completely. They also force me to do things that are contrary to Islam, such as going to the church, dancing, and wearing clothes that leave my arms, legs and head partially or completely naked. I am worried about this situation, because the Quran enjoins us to obey and to respect our parents and treat them kindly, but it does not show any compromise when it has to do with those who hate Islam. I do not know what to do. If I obey my parents, I will be doing a lot of things that are contrary to Islam. If I respect them, I will be respecting people who do not respect me as a Muslim, and I will be leaving them to say those terrible things about Islam. But if I do not obey them and respect them, then I will be doing something terrible from an Islamic point of view. I believe that both actions are wrong. What should I do?"