A Group for Atheists in Pakistan

In a country where religious warfare gets all the headlines, it’s rare to see people who are not religious banding together.

But that’s what a group of people are doing in Pakistan:

The Pakistani Atheists & Agnostics have a few key goals for their group:

First of all, we’ll mend the rusted image of faithless people among Pakistanis in general. In the past, Pakistani atheists have criticized Islam more for their hatred than to helping Muslims finding the big holes in their religion. Most Pakistanis think we are immature, biased and rude. It’s time that we show them the beauty of how things work in our faithless world.

Secondly, we’ll aim at countering the unmistakable negative bias about Pakistan in the international media. We’ll tell them of things they never show about Pakistan, but which are an integral part of us. At the same time, we’ll help Pakistani Atheists, who have been caught in this international bias, fight their identity crisis and show them how Pakistan is part of their blood.

Thirdly, we’ll try to interact with the Pakistani society at large and at the same time study their behavior and thinking patterns on scientific lines.

It takes courage to come out in countries like this, but they already have a number of powerful personal stories. Read through some of them if you can.

There are also a number of ways to support them. Let’s help groups like this thrive and spread.

"They’ve very worried about what will happen - to them."

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Skeptical_Inquirer

Richard Wade

Are these people currently in Pakistan, or from Pakistan? Are they in serious danger, or is that one of the misconceptions that we westerners are fed?
Alfredo Flores Zaher

LOL.. Im catholic, but I must say I like the logo. Like the Illuminati… And its good their searching for peace in this country that has suffered a lot from war. Good for you guys. God blesses you too.
Anonymous

I don’t know for sure how it is in Pakistan, but I live in the UAE, and I certainly could belong to an Atheist’s group here. When I applied for a residency visa I had to give my religion (only acceptable answers are Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Buddhist, or Jewish) and it seems that many people here think that being an atheist is something you are in addition to belonging to a religion, not instead of a religion. Attempting to convert a Muslim would be a criminal offense, though. As leaving Islam is a violation of Sharia law, and in the UAE, when there is no law otherwise, Sharia law is the default.
SMackonTrack

I suggest reading a great book called “In The Name of God: the evolutionary origins of religious ethics and violence” by John Teehan.
SA

I’m a Pakistani and I must say that if I lived in Pakistan, I would never have the courage to join such a group. Blasphemy is still a a crime in Pakistan! I’d also be scared of being targeted by crazies who consider it their religious duty to kill you. So this group seriously has my respect.
usclat

Truly commendable! Bravo! How can we help the PAA?
Maik Both

And what ‘good values’ do you suggest would be appropriate to teach?
Hitch

I don’t know. But the blasphemy law in Pakistan is very draconian. But it is about what you say. So if you offend the prophet or Islam you may be in trouble. But I do know there are other secular organizations too. But given that politicians get killed over attempts to change the blaphemy laws it cannot be easy. Not sure if we get an inside voice here, though I would very much welcome it.

I am certainly very supportive of secular groups in Pakistan.
John Morris

I immediately thought “they’re gonna get shot” when I read the title. That sucks.
Summer Seale

Apostasy is a crime in Pakistan, as far as I know. The rejection not only of Allah, but of the entire concept of any God itself, would probably be considered the worst form of Apostasy there is.

I may not entirely be correct but that was based upon a few things I read in the past. Although, it may have referred to Blasphemy instead (as was mentioned above).
Then again, saying that Allah doesn’t exist could probably be interpreted as well as the worst kind of Blasphemy, so I’m not sure it makes that much of a difference.
Hazrat NaKhuda

Hey how are you. I am Hazrat NaKhuda. i head that group. Add me on Facebook and we can chat. http://www.facebook.com/hazraat.nakhuda
Hazrat NaKhuda

According to the law Blasphemy is a crime and apostasy is not. But vigilante Islamists do not look at the law.
Hazrat NaKhuda

Yes spread the word.
Hasan Shahid

Yes, most of us live in Pakistan. I’m a pretty loud atheist and still haven’t gotten anything more than mere dislike (something which is pretty common with Atheists all over I guess). I guess we’re safe for now.
Hazrat NaKhuda

There are people both inside and outside Pakistan I head the group and i am inside Pakistan. We keep our identities secret. The picture you see of Pakistan is true but not entirely. We are not in any imminent danger right now but the situation can get real bad in Pakistan real quick.
Hazrat NaKhuda

Secular groups are very small have very little voice.

If you were in Pakistan i could go to the authorities and and say Hitch committed blasphemy, he said bad things about the prophet but i can’t repeat what he said because that would be blasphemy too. and that is enough to get you to jail and wait for your day in court which could be like in 2-3 years, if you survive that long and someone doesn’t kill you while you are in the slammer. I do not have to give any other evidence because any evidence for blasphemy will be blasphemy itself.
Anonymous

Kudos to these brave people, you are an inspiration. i’m happy to spread the word about your group; i have had the good fortune to meet many Pakistanis and i agree that the image of that nation in the western press is warped and often false. american skeptics should remember how good we have it here.
Richard Wade

Your courage is astonishing. I wish you all the best. I’ll spread the word. Whether you are open or discreet about your atheism, your very existence is an impressive response to the lie that “there are no atheists in foxholes.”
Brian Macker

I understand 78% of Pakistanis support making apostasy a capital crime. So it’s not just the “Islamists”.     I also understand the in 2006 an attempt was made to pass an Apostasy law. So it’s not for a lack of trying to “look to the law”.

Besides it’s blasphemy laws that apply in this case and it carries the death penalty also.    Saying Allah doesn’t exist is quite the insult.

Actually, blasphemy laws seem worse because it only requires someone else to rat you out, true or not.    Half the people charged are Muslim anyway.   At least with apostasy it only applies to Muslims and only if they make a point of converting, and even then they get to recant.   Once you are accused of blasphemy there is no recanting option.
Brian Macker

They’re in very serious trouble if they are in Pakistan. I asked a Pakistani coworker if I would be killed in Pakistan and he said, “Yes”. I asked if that would be right for them to do and he said, “Yes”. He’s a very nice polite guy too. Amazing what religion does. He doesn’t see the double standard of his immigration to the US. He expects to be have freedom of religion here.
Brian Macker

“Pakistani atheists have criticized Islam more for their hatred than to helping Muslims finding the big holes in their religion.”

Big holes in Islam? BLASPHEME!!! Stone them now!
Aaron Scoggin

This group deserves respect. After all, look at where they are. Make no mistake : They ARE risking their lives.
Hazrat NaKhuda

In 06 there was an attempt to make an Apostasy Law, yes correct 78% Pakistanis beleive that an Apostate should be put to death. Do you know what was my reaction when i heard that stat for the very first time. I was like wow 22% don’t. because I imagined it to be above 90%.

I didn’t say the an overwhelming majority in Pakistan would not want to see me dead. I said Islamists because they are the ones who are actually going to do it. They won’t consider the law because they are willing to take action no matter what. They would prefer that there is a law and the state does it for them but they would definitely be ok doing it on their own.
Rasmin

I respect your courage in risking your life to express your opinions. Even the educated idiots curse atheists in a country like India. It must be a heroic act to be an atheist in Pakistan.
PakistaniAtheistDude

Hello, I am also a Pakistani. I am also Atheist. I’m so pissed I can’t show my true belief in my own country, without getting threatened. I have nothing against Muslims or any one else. They are my brothers and sisters, too bad they don’t consider me the same. I will always have love for my home country no matter what happens. Pakistan is very corrupt nation due to some of it’s people and government. I wish this will be eradicated in the near future. Pakistan Zindabad!
PakistaniAtheistDude

There are Atheists like me in Pakistan. They are in very serious danger, as being an atheist, or the matter of fact from any belief outside of Islam is very hated and almost everyday non Muslims are killed for this. A while back a Christian family was beaten with a bat to death for being Christian. I hate my country for this! I wish I could just beat the stupid politicians to death for supporting such actions, especally the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan!
Hazrat NaKhuda

Hey how are you. I am Hazrat NaKhuda. i head that group. Add me on Facebook and we can chat. http://www.facebook.com/hazraa…
Hazrat NaKhuda

Hey how are you. I am Hazrat NaKhuda. i head that group. Add me on Facebook and we can chat. http://www.facebook.com/hazraa…
Sanatahiro5

what are the views for being an atheist?
Kahn Arshad

Atheists everywhere, esp in Muslim countries are not safe and a danger to their kins who might be or unlike them. But one thing I can say is that, they are courageous.
Sszaidi36

I am a Pakistani & I am very much worried about you people as to why you have choosed to say good bye to your religious believes. I have debated with several Atheists about the existance of God, Atheists have no scientific or historical evidance that there is no creator. All they do is to just revolve around spontaneous generation theory or abiogenesis, Theory of evolution & big bang theory.

Atheists accepts the fact that they dont have any evidance that God does not exist & debate that If believers have any scientific proof of the existance of God, show to them. Believers do have scientific prooves that God exist, I am a shia muslim and I am open to debate with any atheist on the existance of God.

Since Atheism have no scientific or historical evidance that God doesn’t exist, therefore you should stop propogating your claims that there is no God and dont involve in misguiding the il-literate people of Pakistan.

Most literate Atheist, who have complete command on his ideology can contact me for detailed debate either by email or in personal meeting @sszaidi36@gmail.com
mila_casillas

“Atheists have no scientific or historical evidance that there is no creator.”

You pretend to be interested in scientific discussion but aren’t. Not really. No scientist would ask about lack of proof of non-existance and pretend it denotes proof of existance. The philosophical burden of proof falls upon you making the scientificaly unfalsifiable claim, not us. I ask you today to prove to me the Flying Spaghetti Monster does not exist, or that Russell’s teapot is not orbiting the Sun between Earth and Mars.