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“Fighting reality”: Life as an atheist in Saudi Arabia

“I usually get a few copies of English language books that no one can understand, but I had to cover “God is not Great” with a bag as I went through customs, that was too obvious…”

“Facebook and Twitter made it easy to find people who debate and are interested in secular values. We ‘non-believers’ have meetings and groups in a lot of Saudi cities. Although it’s really hard to notice them, if you go into them, then you will be shocked by the numbers and elements of society represented,” Jabir notes.

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We ‘non-believers’ have meetings and groups in a lot of Saudi cities. Although it’s really hard to notice them, if you go into them, then you will be shocked by the numbers and elements of society represented,” Jabir notes.

Yeah, I’m sure in your mind a single-digit percentage of the population is just shocking.

MelonCollie on November 21, 2012 at 7:12 PM

Yeah, I’m sure in your mind a single-digit percentage of the population is just shocking.

MelonCollie on November 21, 2012 at 7:12 PM

It is, in a place where theocrats will chop off your head for not believing in there favorite fairy tales.

Ars Moriendi on November 21, 2012 at 7:28 PM

It is, in a place where theocrats will chop off your head for not believing in there favorite fairy tales.
Ars Moriendi on November 21, 2012 at 7:28 PM

Sort of like what a Christian experiences on any college campus at the hands of academics for not believing in “their” fairy tales.

tommyboy on November 21, 2012 at 8:17 PM

we will convert everybody to the dark side, muahahahahha!
lol!

nathor on November 21, 2012 at 8:28 PM

from the interview

“If someone declared that he was a non-believer, regardless of whether the government took action or not, he would be cut off by his family, he would be fired from his own job, people everywhere would talk about him and warn others about him. It would be highly likely that people would hurt him physically, perhaps murder him.”

yep, its hard to be an atheist in saudi arabia, I knew this before from ex-muslim stories in ex muslim forums. truth be told, any apostate risks death… crazy religion…

nathor on November 21, 2012 at 8:33 PM

Being an atheist at Dartmouth: http://www.campusreform.org/blog/?ID=4503

davidk on November 21, 2012 at 9:31 PM

“If someone declared that he was a non-believer Christian, regardless of whether the government took action or not, he would be cut off by his family, he would be fired from his own job, people everywhere would talk about him and warn others about him. It would be highly likely that people would hurt him physically, perhaps murder him.”

They don’t brook any competition.

ROP.

davidk on November 21, 2012 at 9:32 PM