NEW YORK (RNS) There was a time in his life when Ibrahim Abdallah thought he was the only Muslim-turned-atheist in the world. Then, at a party, he met a fellow Egyptian and former Muslim, and while the other guests danced, they sat and talked.
And talked and talked.
“I was so happy, and so shocked,” Abdallah, 33, said. “We both felt, ‘I am not the only one.’ It was huge.”
Now, several years later, Abdallah is on a mission to create the kind of safe space for questioning Islam and all matters of faith that he wishes he could have had.
Last May, he founded “Muslim-ish,” a support group for questioning and former Muslims that meets under the auspices of Manhattan’s Center For Inquiry, a humanist organization. The group has about 50 members, both cradle Muslims and converts, and meets twice a month in a secret location.
“Most of these people never saw another ex-Muslim before,” Abdallah said near his Midtown office; bringing a reporter to a meeting was considered too dangerous for some members. “These are people who don’t believe anymore and who have no support.”
It’s support they very much need, Abdallah said, because Muslims who abandon their faith face challenges not faced by those who leave other religions. Divorce and disowning are common, as is the threat of physical violence. Some more conservative Muslims believe Islam sanctions the killing of apostates (those who abandon the faith) and blasphemers (those who belittle Islam, the Prophet Muhammad or other Muslims).
The argument for the death penalty is usually based on a section of the hadith, the collected sayings of Muhammad. One hadith states, “The Prophet said: whoever discards his religion, kill him.” But some Islamic scholars vehemently disagree, and point to the Quran itself, which says, “For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”
There are currently eight countries that punish apostasy with the death penalty, including Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Iran. And while the U.S. protects freedom of conscience and religion, some Muslims who emigrate from countries with no similar guarantees discriminate against, or seek to punish, the atheists in their communities.
There have been several high-profile incidents targeting atheists in the Islamic world. In 2010, Walid Husayin was arrested by Palestinian police after posting anti-Islamic statements on his “Proud Atheist” blog. He spent 10 months in jail after his family turned him in. Indonesian atheist Alexander Aan remains in jail after he was attacked by a mob for writing “God does not exist” on his Facebook page.
Still, Muslims who have become atheists are beginning to speak out. In 2007, the Council of Ex-Muslims was established in England to support those leaving Islam. It encourages ex-Muslims to go public to lessen the stigma of unbelief, and works to educate local police and social welfare workers about the threats they face. There are similar groups in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
Muslim-ish is growing beyond its New York birthplace. A new group was recently established in Dearborn, Mich. — home to the largest population of Muslims in the U.S. — and other groups are forming in Chicago and Washington, D.C. An online version now meets via Google+ and is drawing people from Alabama, Florida and overseas.
“They are having the kinds of conversations that I would have liked to have had,” Abdallah said.
KRE/YS END WINSTON
10 Comments
Nodhimmi
WHEN will writers stop the obfuscation? ‘moderate’ Islam exists only when Islamists feel weak but now when emboldened, the truth emerges. It is common knowledge that 1. ALL the ‘kinder’ verses in the Koran are abrogated by later Medinan verses of violence and 2. At that time when the thug Muhammad was all powerful he morphed into the violent psychopath whose methods we see emulated in the M.E. & N. Africa right now.
KC Skeptic
Not much of an improvement.
Atheists who have gained political control of countries have killed Millions.
The Muslims won’t have to change mucn.
Red Mann
Ah, the old atheists as mass murderers lie. You are of course refering to the Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot type dictators. None of the deaths they were responsible for had anything to do with atheism, which is simply not believing in any god or gods. They killed for political reasons. Hitler was an avowed, commited, Catholic who claimed to be doing God’s work and praised Jesus. Stalin, who had studyed at a seminary, later reinstated the church. Mao’s religion was Communism and he saw religious belief as an impediment to his power. Pol Pot was just a ruthless killer who also worshiped Communism. Communism itself had all the trappings of a religion; dogma, saints and blind faith. None of what they did had anything to do with atheism ,which is non-political. How many throughout history have been slaughtered in the name of some god?
DVD Bach
Compared with whom, the religious? Do you really want to count bodies?
JohnnieCanuck
What about the atheists who have gained political control of countries in Northern Europe? What’s holding them back from killing millions? Surely not morals. After all, only believers have morals. Morals which are instilled by their fear of eternal torture and the reward of eternal bliss. Without the carrot and the stick, what’s to keep them from committing travesties?
rick harms
Religion does not create morals. I became an atheist because I was disgusted with the lack of morals and integrity of religious people, the people in the church in which I spent my chilhood. Where did I learn my morals? My parents. Have you actually read the bible, or any other religious document? They advocate murder and mayhem. Think.
Martin Ellacott
The people that you speak of killed not for their Atheism, but rather, in spite of it. They were homicidal maniacs and history has recorded them well.
SIDEBAR: Muslims embracing atheism often face a lonely journey | Directory Net
[...] It encourages ex-Muslims to go public to lessen the stigma of unbelief, and works to educate local police and social welfare workers about the threats they face. There are similar groups in Belgium, the Netherlands and … home to the largest … Read more on Religion News Service [...]
portgas d deist
Im apostates of islam…but in my country? Well, like others, we’re only announce it to ourselves..although we have no death penalty for apostasy in islam at our country, but still, the death threat even from our own family, kinda hard for us..but im really dissapointed for the threat is coming from those who is muslim only from their name, fmly and id ccards only. ..i really hope someday, people like us, the apostates , can live in harmony n peace n same as before we’re an apostate..but who am i wants to fight with our government? I live in malaysia..n i choose to believe in god, but not any from religion that exist in this world…
SIDEBAR: Muslims embracing atheism often face a lonely journey – Religion News Service | kb1
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