The book The Mirage of God, by Richard Dawkins, considered the bible of atheism, has been downloaded three million times in Saudi Arabia, as revealed in the latest edition of Free Inquiry, the bimonthly magazine of the Center for Inquiry free-thinking organization. Three million digital copies is a respectable number for any product. It is even more surprising that a book that denies the existence of God is so successful in the country known as the cradle of Islam, where this is the official religion and the Koran is its Constitution. However, the Desert Kingdom does not escape the advance of secularism among the populations of the Middle East, fed up with the political use of religion and the limits it imposes on their lives.
The IFC launched its Translations Project ("translation project") in February 2019, which allowed the free download of Dawkins texts in Arabic, Urdu, Farsi and Indonesian Bahasa. It was a joint project of the IFC and the Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. When announcing the project, the entities recalled that Dawkins' books have been distributed in these languages for years in electronic editions translated by "amateurs and enthusiasts." The project includes other titles of the British biologist such as The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker, both on atheism and scientific dissemination.
A more visible skepticism
Arabs are losing faith in Islamist parties, religious leaders and even their own faith, according to the latest survey by the Arab Barometer, an academic network that investigates public opinion in the Middle East and North Africa. The percentage of Arabs described as "non-religious" has risen to 13% since 8% in 2013, although those studies did not include Saudi Arabia. In this country, a WIN-Gallup International survey revealed that 19% of respondents considered themselves "non-religious" and 5% "convinced atheists" (compared to an international average of 38% and 13%, respectively).
There is circumstantial evidence that puts statistics face. When the young Saudi Rahaf Mohammed fled her family in January last year, she argued that "she no longer wanted to cover herself with the hijab, or pray, or be Muslim, but she had no choice." Although he was already 18 years of age, neither his family nor the laws of his country allowed him to abandon Islam, which is the obligatory religion of all Saudis. It is a justification given by other escapes from Saudi rigor, especially women and homosexuals.
“The voice of the Saudi victims of Sharia (Islamic law) is getting louder. (…) Not only is the number of Saudi women leaving Islam growing, but the debate is changing dramatically. The ex-Muslims feel safer to defend the truth and justice, ”says Verne Taleb Al Abdulmohsen, a Saudi psychiatrist refugee in Germany to escape the death penalty after having renounced Islam.
It is not clear to what extent religious skepticism has increased or is simply more visible because of the window that social networks allow. In private conversations, some interlocutors admit their departure from Islam, some for mere personal evolution and others for their use as an instrument of control by the authorities. But it is still dangerous to declare yourself an atheist in public.
As Brian Whitaker noted in his book Arabs without God: Atheism and freedom of creed in the Middle East (not yet translated into Spanish), “Arab non-believers face two separate but related struggles. One is their dispute with religion itself; the other with societies and governments that refuse to accept their lack of faith. ” Despite the social reforms introduced by the crown prince, Mohamed Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia remains one of the twelve Muslim-majority countries where apostasy is punishable by the death penalty.
Even so, Al Abdulmohsen has noticed changes in the last four years. “In 2016, my announcement that I was leaving Islam was an earthquake in my environment. Today, many people I know tell me that it is normal to detect atheists around them in Saudi Arabia, ”he explains in a message exchange. In his opinion, the country has made a leap from "oppressing the so-called 'reform of Islam' to forms of 'reform of Islam' that border atheism." In this regard, he mentions the proliferation of Saudi Twitter users who mention "humanism" as their religion.
So far, the provisions of the anti-terrorism law of 2014 that equate atheism and terrorism have not been abolished. Among the decrees that developed it include the prohibition of "making an apology for atheist thought in any form, or doubting the foundations of the Islamic religion that is the basis of this country."
“Saudi Arabia is not a country of law. It is a country of customs. That decree has no affection unless the Government wants to use it. In practice, the Government has stopped taking an active role in the persecution of atheists. (…) The risk still exists, but now it comes from the Islamists and the judicial [power] that resist the change, until the Government explicitly recognizes the freedom of creed, ”interprets Al Abdulmohsen.
That more tolerant attitude has not resulted in the release of Raef Badawi, sentenced to ten years in jail and a thousand lashes after being accused of an atheist for asking that other versions of Islam could be discussed in addition to official Wahhabism.
Richard Dawkins and the new atheism
JRH
The mirage of God, published by the British biologist Richard Dawkins in 2006, is one of the most representative texts of the so-called "new atheism", which includes names such as the neuroscientist Sam Harris, the journalist Christopher Hitchens (who died in 2011 ) and the philosopher Daniel Dennett. His starting point is that the existence of God is such a discredited concept that the only rational position is atheism. They have not only defended this position in books and articles, but also in numerous public debates held in universities and television sets.
As Dawkins writes in his book, there is not enough reason to justify the belief in a supreme being. The existence of the universe and of being human can be explained according to natural laws, even taking into account that we still do not have a scientific explanation for everything that surrounds us. Also ethics and empathy, which are also actually the result of natural selection. Their biases and limitations, which exist, can be moderated with the help of reason and public debate.
The author is also critical of the influence of religious morals (not only Christian) in political and social matters, both throughout history and today. For example, he talks about the treatment of gay people and the limits to freedom of expression that are sometimes imposed with the excuse of respect for religious beliefs.
* You can also follow us on Instagram and Flipboard. Don't miss the best of Verne!