Op Ed – Islam and Atheism: An Alliance for Secularism

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April 26, 2016
By Mandie Czech

The old adage “there’s strength in numbers” might sound cliché, but this old saying proves its continued truth particularly in the face of adversity. We all feel the need to stand up for what we believe in, but the trick is to think of others as well as yourself. Our country is a melting pot for diversity, religions, cultures, races and ethnicities, yet recently our differences are seen less as attributes and more as barriers. This is particularly true with regards to the Republican party. The aptly named “Christian Right” seems in full authority mode asserting that their faith trumps others and that their beliefs alone should govern all. In a country that has no established religion, this is both questionable and disturbing. If minorities don’t stand together to face this adversity, they will continue to be poorly represented and largely ignored. Worse, Christian Republicans might pass laws that undermine our freedom of religion. This would impact everyone. Enter Muslims and Atheists.

At first, an alliance between Muslims and Atheists might sound a little strange, but the concept is real and one that should be encouraged and sought out. Both groups are misunderstood, perceived as enemies, and are often persecuted verbally or politically for their beliefs. Furthermore, they both have the common goal of living in society peacefully and happily. In a land based on religious freedom, we have seen an enormous amount of prejudice directed at those who don’t fall under the category of Judeo-Christian. This prejudice is commonly found in politics but also in general society. Just recently, DNAinfo Chicago released a story about a man in Chicago who asked a cabbie if he was Muslim before beating him. In an airport, the FBI questioned a student of Arab descent for 45 minutes on account of a complaint from another passenger that he was speaking words used by jihadists; he said “inshallah,” or God willing, at the end of a phone call. Atheists are also victims of religious discrimination. In a story published in the DailyKos, five examples of discrimination against Atheists were highlighted and further depict how if you aren’t in the Christian majority, your civil rights are at risk for being violated.

Atheism is the disbelief in the existence of a God or gods, and Islam is the belief in one God, Allah. While these look like an odd pairing, digging deeper, it’s easy to see why they need to stand with each other for the common good and benefit to all. Muslims are stereotyped and constantly victimized by prejudice. Atheists are seen as lawless beings that lack a moral compass and basic compassion. They are often stereotyped as willing to commit wrongs and atrocities because they don’t believe in God or God’s judgment. A 2014 Pew research survey found that favor-ability for Atheists clocked in at 41% and favor-ability for Muslims clocked around 40%. Both of the aforementioned stereotypes are ridiculous bastardizations and are baseless at best. Regardless of how you feel about religion and whether it plays a role in your life or not, it is impossible to deny the necessity of Atheists and Muslims forming an alliance for the better good of all. Two minority groups that are stereotyped and often vilified in the media and in conservative society need to stand up for one another.

Presidential candidate Ted Cruz publicly stated that he is a Christian first and an American second. When politicians introduce their faith into their job, it sets a frightening precedent. A person of faith should be able to govern without introducing that faith into politics. For Muslims, the Qur’an is very specific that “there is no compulsion in religion.” But it is interesting that many conservative Republicans feel the need to bring Christianity into their work and into laws they support or enact. A dramatic example includes both Governor Phil Bryant of Mississippi and Governor Pat McCrory who signed anti-LGBT bills into law to protect the religious freedom of Christians in their states. Why do the religious beliefs of Christians come first? In a country with no official religion, why are we pandering to one faith and allowing it (and the politicians who are cherry-picking it) to speak on behalf of the people?

http://chicagomonitor.com/2016/04/op-ed-islam-and-atheism-an-alliance-for-secularism/