Atheism in Iraq: Can Atheism & Secularism Grow in the Middle East?

Middle Eastern nations are, with great justification, associated very closely with Islam and Islamic nationalism. The Middle East is not a region where one would expect secularism and atheism to gain much of a foothold -- and to be fair, they still haven't. It's a sign of just how unlikely atheism in Muslims nations is that even a few hundred atheists in Iraq is real news.

What's also news is that the driving force appears to be all the violence suffered by Iraqis in the wake of the U.S. invasion. How ironic, given the fact that some Christians -- civilian as well as military -- have tried to use the invasion to convert Iraqi Muslims to Christianity. In retrospect, maybe a violent military invasion isn't the best way to spread the gospel? I'm just sayin'...

Most of them have had personal incidents involving either themselves or close relatives. "Iraq is a land without God or any other kind of major protective superior form," claims one atheist who declined to be named fearing reprisal. "We have been forgotten and it is better to think only rationally than emotionally. I left behind my old beliefs because it is the only way to protect my children from any harm that God isn't being able to do."

Yasser (not his real name) is grouping up with others who have also renounced their faiths. "When we first decided to organise ourselves, we were only eight people," he told IOL. "And after seven months, our number has reached to 34 but many other groups are being formed countrywide according to my contacts in northern and southern Iraq.

"We believe that today in Iraq, there are at least 220 atheists linked to the groups nationwide."

Caro (not his real name), 41, also claims their numbers are on the rise. "Each day we are having more followers and maybe one day we will be able to have our own centre where we will be able to discuss our ideas and nature creation."

Source: Islam Online

It's a shame that Iraqi atheists have to hide their atheism, but as hard as this experience is it's the sort of thing which emerging atheist movements have gone through in every religious society. The days when atheists have had fear lynch mobs in Europe or America are long past, but even today many atheists are afraid enough to remain in the closet. It may sound bizarre, but hopefully the day will come when Iraqi atheists only have to fear about losing their jobs and being disowned by their families if their atheism is revealed.

Doesn't it say something about how religious theists treat atheists that this might be considered a "step up," an improvement to work towards?

"Violence, religious differences, deaths, hunger, displacement and many other issues made me ask myself where God is," [Yasser] said.

Iraq fell into a bloody cycle of violence following the 2003 US invasion, leaving hundreds of thousands killed and maimed. "I tried to find God during the last years," says Yasser.

"I realised that he isn't looking after us and instead we are moving ourselves according to the human nature and not an abstract force."

I think that a very important step in any social, cultural, or political progress is to first recognize that we humans are responsible for what happens to us. There are no gods to tell us what we should do. There are no gods to clean up after us when we do things wrong. There are no gods to make everything OK in the end. Whatever happens, good or bad, is dependent upon the choices we make or don't make. We are fully responsible and must either move ourselves towards a society based on peace and justice or one based on violence and injustice.