The Secret Atheists of the Arab World

In the Middle East and North Africa, many nonbelievers, or "nones"—ranging from agnostics to atheists—navigate their existence in a region deeply intertwined with religious beliefs. The societal fabric of these regions is permeated by religious practices, from the omnipresent call to prayer to references in everyday greetings. Nonbelievers often hide their views to avoid potential repercussions, including ostracism, threats, or even retaliation from authorities. A 27-year-old Tunisian woman encapsulated the sentiment, stating, “I have a double life all the time. It’s better than having conflict every day.” Many find solace and community in online spaces, albeit fraught with their own risks. Mustapha Kamel al-Sayyid, a Cairo University professor, highlighted the region's historical ties to religion, stating, "The Middle East is the birthplace of the three heavenly religions," and noted the negative perception many have of those without religious affiliation. Despite atheism not being directly criminalized in countries like Egypt, other laws, like those against blasphemy, can be used to target nonbelievers. For instance, Iran recently executed two men on blasphemy charges, and Saudi Arabia sentenced another to 10 years and 2,000 lashes for expressing atheism on Twitter. In this delicate landscape, some nonbelievers aim for a harmonious existence. Ahmad, a Lebanese now living in Qatar, shared, “We have an unspoken agreement: I don’t criticize religion and you don’t criticize my lack of religion.” However, societal challenges remain a daily struggle for many.

🎨 Get our FREE Blasphemous Art http://bit.ly/BlasphemousArtBook
✊ Volunteer for in our team https://forms.gle/FPGMJTHrVnpVe8pN8
💕 Support Atheist Republic on PayPal: https://bit.ly/PayPal-AR
🎤 Leave us a voicemail here: http://bit.ly/AR-Podcasts
💕 Support Atheist Republic on PayPal: https://bit.ly/PayPal-AR
🤩 Join our team: https://forms.gle/FPGMJTHrVnpVe8pN8
🎨 Get our FREE Blasphemous Art http://bit.ly/BlasphemousArtBook
📗 Get my best selling book "Why There Is No God" for FREE: http://bit.ly/AR-Mail
👉 Be an Atheist Republic patron on Patreon: http://bit.ly/SupportAR
⚔️ HELP Us Defend Against Hindutva: https://gofund.me/f081c6ea
👨‍🏫 Get thousands of educational videos on Wondrium (20% off + 14-Day Free): https://bit.ly/WondriumFreeTrial
🔓 Get NordVPN at a huge discount: https://nordvpn.sjv.io/AR
📧 Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://bit.ly/AR-Mail
👕 Buy Atheist Republic merch: http://bit.ly/ARShirts
📮 To donate by check, please make your check payable to ‘Atheist Republic’ and send it to: Atheist Republic, PO Box #69, Daly City, CA 94016
🤫 We also have crypto wallets for people who want to donate anonymously: http://bit.ly/AR-Donate
📅 Schedule a call with Armin here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/schedul...
🛒 When you shop on Amazon using this link, Amazon will make a donation to Atheist Republic: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/84-2133342
🔔 Don’t forget to Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribeToAR

👕 We now have a discount code for Atheist Republic T-shirts: http://bit.ly/ARShirts
20% off exclusively for

our patrons: http://bit.ly/PatronCode
and our YouTube members (only works if you're a member): http://bit.ly/YouTubeCode
🎧 Listen to our news podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcast app: http://www.atheistrepublic.com/podcas...

Follow Atheist Republic
⭐ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AtheistRepublic
⭐ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AtheistRepublic
⭐ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atheistrepu...
⭐ Website: http://www.atheistrepublic.com
⭐ Discord: https://discord.com/invite/VpFtERX
⭐ Twitch: https://www./theatheistrepublic

Follow Susanna (Atheist Republic CEO, Ex-Christian, Ex-Catholic, Ex-Antifa)
⭐ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tripledimpled

Find Secular Rarity here:
⭐ https://linktr.ee/secularrarity

Follow Armin Navabi (Atheist Republic Founder, Ex-Muslim, Ex-Shia)
⭐ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thearminnavabi
⭐ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArminNavabi
⭐ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/armin.navabi
⭐ YouTube: / arminnavabi
⭐ Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/@arminnavabi

#Atheism #Secularism #Religion

The views and opinions expressed here are the commentators' own and do not reflect the official position of Atheist Republic.