Why am I an atheist ?
Following a religion and belief in a supreme being is a personal choice, but the hatred and punishment for a non-conformist narrates a different story. MRIDUL NEGI takes a look on the rising population of this set of people
Minority rights have always been a hot topic the world over. However, one of the world’s most persecuted minorities – atheists – is still fighting an uphill battle. In 13 countries around the globe – Afghanistan, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen – atheism is punishable by death as per the law. One could only imagine the global outcry if being a Hindu, a Christian or a Muslim was punishable by law in any country. Yet, atheists are fighting a lonely battle. “It’s frightening to think that I can be executed for my lack of belief in a deity in countries like Saudi Arabia,” says Abhishek Sharma, a 22-year-old IT professional from Hyderabad.
Abhishek’s fears aren’t unsubstantiated either as was evident in the unfortunate case of Mashal Khan last year from across the border in Pakistan who was lynched by a mob on accusations of blasphemy. The fear of life itself is a horrible proposition for anyone and it’s a human tendency to look for safety in numbers as can be observed in India too, but unlike other communities, atheists are spread across the world and cannot take refuge in the same tactic. This is where an online community Atheist Republic (AR) comes into the picture.
A virtual reality
Atheist Republic was founded by Armin Navabi, an ex-Muslim and author from Iran in his bid to connect with other atheists in his country. “I went looking for other atheists as I was the only atheist I knew and soon discovered there were actually a lot of us out there. It felt like finding a family I didn’t know I had,” he says.
While the Atheist Republic (AR) had its roots in Iran it soon became a worldwide phenomenon. Armin says that he thought it just couldn’t have been happening in Iran and there must be a lot of atheists out of Iran who could be benefited by finding each other as well, “from then on it just grew and grew,” he added.
It is today one of the largest online communities of atheists in the world, has a huge presence across the globe with more than 17 lakh people on its social media handle and a further almost 80 thousand members in its Facebook group. It also has a large number of consulates in hundreds of cities where members meet and interact at a local level.
AR is a platform where atheists not only socialise but also stand up for each other in troubled times. “We have written to governments and the UNHCR on behalf of atheists needing asylum. We’ve tracked down lawyers willing to help a case probono, and we’ve spoken with lawyers our contacts have hired to help,” says Allie Jackson, the CEO of the Atheist Republic. It also has a one-on-one support group, where people are provided with resources and emotional assistance in times of need.
Coming to rescue
AR regularly features fan signs sent by its members on its social media handles. It was one such fan sign by a member that led to one of the most high profile cases in the organisation’s history. Rana, a member, sent a fan-sign of AR in front of Kaaba which angered the Muslim community. She received many death threats and it became apparent that her life was in danger. “She reached out to the community and Armin knew he needed to help. A GoFundMe campaign was started for Rana, to give her the funds necessary to escape. The escape was dangerous, and she risked her life to get to Germany. She is there now, and has been granted asylum,” says Allie. Such was her ordeal that it was made into a documentary by the Vice.
In another case, last August members of a Malaysian Consulate of the AR became the subject of a government crackdown when they posted a picture of their meeting online which created uproar in the country. A minister of the government said that the atheists should be “hunted down” and an operation was launched to identify the persons in the picture. The Center for Inquiry’s (CFI) CEO and President, Robyn Blummer raised this issue of the clear violation of the Malaysian atheists’ human rights at hands of the Malaysian Government at the UN Human Rights Council. “There is no room for this kind of religious persecution in a world community that honours freedom of conscience,” she said.
Why I’m an atheist
In his essay titled “Why I’m an atheist” Indian Revolutionary Bhagat Singh goes in depth on his disbelief in an almighty power. “I totally reject the existence of an omnipresent, all powerful, all knowing God,” he writes. Bhagat Singh is the symbol of revolution in India and it is no doubt many Indian atheists have taken his words to heart. Puneet Dubey a 22-year-old journalist is also deeply influenced by Bhagat Singh, however, he was an atheist even before reading Bhagat Singh’s essay. “I’ve been an atheist ever since I came of the age of reason, I see religion as nothing more than a belief that is unsubstantiated and unscientific in nature,” says Puneet. “The fact that my childhood hero also came to the same conclusion as me was a happy surprise,” he further adds.
On the other hand, Subrata Panda, a 23-year-old student’s path to atheism had a different trigger. He had seen up close how religion had adversely affected the life of his countrymen and caused strife, “I believe religion creates divide between individuals and communities. India, currently, is facing polarization because of religion,” he says. India’s history is testament to Subrata’s claim; many ills of the society like caste discrimination and terrorismhave roots in some kind of religious ideology.
Reason, not fashion
Many people level allegations on young atheists in India that they are just being rebellious or trying to look cool. There’s a notion that atheism has only come to fore in recent times and it’s a modern trend that will go away, however, it couldn’t be further away from the truth. “People think it’s a modern phenomenon because atheists have only recently started to come out and speak openly,” says Rishabh Gahlot, a post graduate student. Many surveys have indicated that the young tends to be the least religious, perhaps a reason why allegations of trying to look cool and rebellious are thrown around to dismiss their stance. “My disbelief has nothing to do with fashion or trend; I consider the arguments in favour of god as weak and lacking in substance. Atheism is the only logical choice in such a case,” adds Rishabh.
Growing larger
Despite the persecution faced by non-religious in many countries, many surveys and studies have indicated that the world is becoming a less religious year by year. The same trend can be seen in India too. This trend is also supported by the 2011 Census of India where the “religion not stated” category had around 29 lakh people, and over 33000 confirmed atheists. In AR’s Facebook page of 17 lakh people, more than 2 lakh are from India, while Indians also make up more than 20 percent of its Facebook group. AR also has 12 consulates in India.