Why do nonmuslims treat atheist muslims so badly?

This is a continuation of a series:

Please see from 1 hour, 3 minutes in. Nonmuslims treat atheist muslims horrendously; calling them Islamaphobes, racist, sectarian, bigoted, xenophobic, angry, intolerant, emotional. Atheist muslims are also accused by nonmuslims of generalizing their anecdotal experience and not knowing Islam–even if they have heavily studied the Koran, six Hadiths, Sura, Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic theology. Almost always the nonmuslims attacking atheist muslims know almost nothing about Islam.

Stephanie Tessier–a muslim who started becoming atheist circa 2009–was treated worse by nonmuslims in Canada than by liberal Canadian muslims. This appears to be a common experience. Obviously atheist muslims are attacked as apostates by Islamists and conservative orthodox muslims. Apostates are often given capital punishment under most interpretations of Sharia; and are killed around the world on a daily basis. Reform, liberal Sunnis, twelvers, sixers, fivers, Sufi Sunnis, Ahmedis are similarly often killed as apostates. Perhaps for this reason while liberal Sunnis and minority muslims might not agree with atheism; they understand the suffering and death threats that atheist muslims live under and are more empathetic to atheist muslims than nonmuslims.

Stephanie Tessier now calls herself an ex-muslim. She extensively studied the Koran, Hadiths, Sura and muslim theologians to the point that she was regarded as a subject matter expert by her extended family, friends and mosque congregation. She had a crisis of faith as she tried and failed to explain away Koranic verses allowing muslim men to buy and use female sexual slaves against the will of their female slaves. She also tried and failed to explain away Koranic verses on homosexuality. When she was beginning her crisis of faith and began flirting with some atheist ideas in 2009; she was tricked by her husband to travel to Libya and her two daughters were taken away from her. Her loving good husband wanted to make sure the two daughters didn’t go to hell because they were raised by an atheist. He said it was far better that the two daughters were raped and murdered in Libya versus fall into eternal damnation. Under Shariah woman have almost no rights to children over the age of five or six in the event of a disagreement with her husband. Her gradual conversion to being a rationalist muslim with humanist, agnostic or atheistic leanings in 2009 cost Stephanie immensely.

My personal view is that atheism has almost nothing to do with how religious and spiritual someone is. An atheist person can be very religious and spiritual. And virtue signaling “very religious” fake can be very irreligious, nonspiritual, nonvirtuous and have a dry heart. Treating all atheist with the deepest of respect, reverence and love enhances religion and spirituality.

Published by

AnAn

http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/2a60f8ed9535fd0dca77aa3a6fd94018?s=96&d=mm&r=g

0 0 votes
Article Rating
17 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jaggu
Jaggu
5 years ago

Don’t treat them badly. They are just confused by the term. surely u agree “atheist muslim” is a bit of a mindfuck, don’t u?

Razib Khan
Admin
5 years ago

allyship.

Kabir
Kabir
5 years ago

Atheist muslim is a contradiction in terms. An atheist is someone who denies the existence of god while a Muslim is someone who believes in Allah and in the final prophet ( peace be upon him).

It is possible for someone to be an atheist of a Muslim background. But by virtue of his/her lack of belief this person is no longer Muslim. Islam is a religion not a race.

Razib Khan
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  Kabir

i agree with you. but people have called me an ‘atheist muslim.’ two groups come to mind

1) white liberals.

2) people from hindu and jewish backgrounds.

i’ll leave the commentary to you as to why this might be….

Kabir
Kabir
5 years ago
Reply to  Razib Khan

Perhaps they are treating Islam as a race rather than as a religion.

In Judaism, one is Jewish if one’s mother is Jewish. If you look at it from the descent point of view, it is possible to be Jewish without actually believing in god. From the religious point of view, it is not.
Perhaps the people who call you an “atheist Muslim” are just focusing on the fact that you come from (I’m assuming) a family of practicing Muslims. As far as Islamic law is concerned, if you cannot sincerely affirm the kalima, you are not a Muslim. Of course, only Allah knows what is truly in anyone’s heart so best leave such judgements to the all mighty. You can self-identify however you like.

Razib Khan
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  Kabir

Perhaps they are treating Islam as a race rather than as a religion.

i think this is it.

As far as Islamic law is concerned, if you cannot sincerely affirm the kalima, you are not a Muslim.

well, there is also the custom that you are muslim if your father is a muslim. i don’t identify as a muslim and i’m atheist. so i don’t care about this. but multiple muslims have brought this issue up (often they are relatively secular and marginally religious themselves).

also, there are a small class of atheists who are from muslim backgrounds and highly embedded in the muslim community culturally. these people are a different category from me, as i don’t have any contact with the muslim community on a collective level (my parents are muslim and i have some muslim friends).

Kabir
Kabir
5 years ago
Reply to  Razib Khan

Yes, the belief is that any child of a Muslim father is automatically Muslim.

You don’t have to care about this but most Muslims will believe that you have actively renounced the true faith. And then you know what follows from that.

Kabir
Kabir
5 years ago
Reply to  AnAn

Technically no. Those who are born of a Muslim father but choose to leave Islam are declared apostates and are “wajib ul qatal”, liable to be killed. That is the orthodox interpretation.

Obviously, most normal people would not enforce this edict. But there is a reason that ” atheist Muslims” in Muslim countries stay quiet about their (lack of) belief. If you live in a western country with protections of western laws, you can be freer. Though crazy terrorists are everywhere these days.

The current interior minister of Pakistan had an attempt on his life made Sunday night, supposedly because something he said offended someone’s religious views. If this can happen to a government official, what safety is there for the common person?

V.C.Vijayaraghavan
5 years ago

Leave me out of ‘Non Muslims’ who don’t recognize atheist Muslims
From an atheist Hindu

V.C.Vijayaraghavan
5 years ago

Leftist /Liberal treatment of feminist or atheists from Muslim countries is shameful beyond words. The state governments of West Bengal , for long an alleged bastion of Atheism, Feminism, anti-religion and what have you refused to let Taslima Nasreen stay in Kolkatta .

That way even Taliban have principle to which they stick to – Taliban in Afghanistan refused to let go Bin Laden even under direst of threats from the US smarting after 11/9 as Bin Laden was their guest and no force on earth can ask them or force them whom they can or cannot entertain. If only the Afghan Taliban had handed over Bin Laden to the US , the US would not have started Afghan War in 2003 to overthrow taliban, – a war which is still going on.

Even Taliban have some izzat which leftists quietly dump when it is needed most.

V.C.Vijayaraghavan
5 years ago
Reply to  AnAn

“V.C.Vijayaraghavan, I don’t understand why post modernists hate muslim atheists, LBGTQ, femnists so much.”

The reason is simple- short term electoral politics and political opportunism, just like India. Giving space to Atheists or feminists from Muslim societies (sounds better than Muslim atheists) will invite a wrath – covert or even overt – from Muslim voters . In countries which are committed to democracy , human rights with a bit of colonial guilt/white man’s burden , political parties play safe .

While Congress and mainstream parties are accused of “minority appeasement” – somewhat unjustly – the same dynamic applies in all countries where democracy is the rule , US, UK, you name it. Add to that charges of Racism , your hands are tied . Only in recent democracies like Hungary or Czech Republic , pro-Muslim dynamic does not apply. Behind all this is billions of $$$ from KSA which makes sure ethos of KSA is spread among Muslims worldwide. Even BJP after accusing Congress of “minority appeasement” for many years do the same thing at macro level – even though at micro level their cadres go out of control occasionally. Position of orthodox , sharia Islam is safe all over the world from political elites . So much so, that Turkey , which once suppressed Islamic orthodoxy is trying to position itself as the Defender of faith.

V.C.Vijayaraghavan
5 years ago
Reply to  AnAn

” I am not referring to politicians and elections. You are right about them. I am referring to masses of ordinary people. What is their excuse?”

The masses are quite angry at the state of affairs – the political/media elite strongly control law and administration to make sure it does not get out of hand. There are hate speech laws which can be invoked to curb what just a few years back would have been considered exercise of free speech and free thought. There is big split between the masses and the elite in western countries – that is why people like Trump are able to thrive. Even Facebook and Google thoroughly filter their content to make sure orthodox Muslims are not offended and people like Taslima or atheists or apostates don’t get too much publicity. This split between masses and elite is going to boil over in many western countries.

trackback

[…] Why do nonmuslims treat atheist muslims so badly? […]

Brown Pundits