Egypt's embattled atheists

[rug]

Facing online threats and personal isolation, non-believers band together for communal support.

Patrick Keddie Last updated: 18 Nov 2013 13:16

Cairo, Egypt - As Gabr sat in a seafront cafe in his hometown of Alexandria, he spoke about his past opinion of atheists. "I used to think that they should be killed," he said matter-of-factly.

Gabr - not his real name - was brought up in a moderate Muslim family before becoming a Salafi, a follower of a literalist and puritanical form of Islam. He eventually underwent a radical shift in belief to become one of those people he used to despise: an atheist, an apostate, a kafir - a group of people who feel under threat in Egypt because of their lack of belief in God.

Atheists are uncommon in Egypt, and reliable statistics on their numbers are unavailable because of the lack of research and an unwillingness to admit one's atheism. However, both atheists and religious people in Egypt agree that atheism has recently become a more prominent issue in the country.

"I never knew there were any atheists in Alexandria until 2011, after the revolution. Before the revolution, all this time, I was thinking that I am the only one here," recalled 30-year-old Gabr.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/11/egypt-embattled-atheists-20131114184645790660.html

[dimbear]

1. I don't suppose I need to remind anyone here that the crime here is apostasy. Islam doesn't

permit killing folk for being atheists, but it does technically permit killing those who leave Islam (apostates.) Observers may wish to note that organizations which you cannot leave share some common traits, and IMHO should be avoided.

It is historical fact that Muslims sometimes inflict death on atheists regardless. That is not Islamic according to the letter of the law.