I am thinking of changing my surname because it is a Muslim surname

What an idiot.

I love the fact the OP is being given so much stick, when infact, if you convert to Islam it's the norm to change your name to an 'Islamic' one. Whey should it be any different in the reverse?

Who? And why because he is changing his name?

OP. Not name, surname.

So what? Do you criticise Yusuf Islam because he changed his surname? Do you criticise Hamza Yusuf because he changed his surname? Do you criticise Abdalqadir as-Sufi because he changed his surname? Do you criticise Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf because he changed his surname?

I presume you don't because they embraced a new identity (Islam). Their surname symbolises their 'ignorant' past and their new name symbolises a beginning of something new (a rebirth). I am presuming OP has similar feelings. He wants to dissociate himself from Islam the same way that these people dissociated from their individual religions.

Yusuf Islam, Hamza Yusuf etc. changed their name believing that it will help them strengthen their iman and keep on track with the Islamic faith.

This dude dislikes Islam as it is, so keeping his surname the same probably won't affect his opinion on re-embracing Islam in the future.

Take Salman Rushdie for instance, the guy hates everything associated with Islam yet hasn't changed his name to a 'western', 'un-Islamic' name.

Changing his first name is entirely up to him, but changing the surname a name which merely identifies which family you ascend from is just extreme.

Besides, there's no such thing as a 'Muslim' surname. Islam isn't a language.

Yes there is such thing as a Islamic/Muslim surname. It's a name that was popularised by Islam e.g. Mohamed or Ahmed or Abdullah. In fact, Abdullah is a Muslim/Islamic name because it means 'Allah servant'.

Therefore it's associated to Islam.

Oh, I get it.

Exactly. Also, they didn't change their name exclusively because of that. They change it to dissociate themselves from their 'Christian name'.

It's not about that. He is (presumably) doing it for the same reason that a women who got raped by her father as a young age changes her name. Dissociation.

I could easily pick a Muslim that didn't change their name and just insert it into that sentence. It doesn't matter what Salman Rushdie did. He didn't want to, he felt comfortable enough with it. The OP clearly doesn't. Also, Salman Rushdie isn't really an Islamic name.

No it isn't Again, dissociation. I don't see the point in keeping a tradition that you don't want to be a part of. It's similar to when a person from a mob or historically mob family changes their name to dissociate affiliation to them. He want to dissociate affiliation to Islam.

Yes there is such thing as a Islamic/Muslim surname. It's a name that was popularised by Islam e.g. Mohamed or Ahmed or Abdullah. In fact, Abdullah is a Muslim/Islamic name because it means 'Allah servant'.

I'm not too sure about this as Yusuf Islam still refers to himself as 'Cat Stevens' from time to time.

Kid mentioned he wants to change it because he 'hates Muslims and Islam'. I fail to see the connection between his justification and the example you have just given me.

I fail to see your point here as you just used the same tactic I did.
Salman Rushdie is as much of an 'Islamic' name as Mohammed Qasim. Both names are Arabic and generelly used by Muslims.

Tradition doesn't equal religion. Your surname holds no connection to what religion you practice.

I am from a Muslim country and my family is also Muslim, but they do not practice it. I have a problem because I hate Islam and Muslims, and I do not feel comfortable with my surname as it is a Muslim surname.

But then I am in a dilemma because it is my family surname and has been so for so many generations, so idk. What would you do if you were me?

Should I change my surname or just leave it?