The invented dramas of "leaving" the Muslim faith

When I came to the US I was astonished to discover that there are people who cash in on dramatic tales of how they "left" Islam and how this blasphemy put them in such danger.  Look at this one:  "I had unwittingly blasphemed three times...the worst blasphemy of all—by leaving the Muslim faith."  I have tons of Arab friends who like me discovered Marxism in their teens or twenties and who left religion altogether.  None of us experienced dramas and none of us were accused of blasphemy and none of us were called apostates and none of us encountered social problems at all.  Where do those people get their stories from?  It must be from 19th century yellow press.  I can't believe some of the stuff that people claim about life in the Arab world.