The "Crime" of NOT believing in the Non-Existent

I recently read a fascinating article by Ahmed Benchemsi in New Republic on the phenomenon of atheists in the Muslim world and how there are far more of them than are ever "officially" admitted. The piece is entitled "Invisible Atheists,The spread of disbelief in the Arab world" and is well worth reading.

Which brings us on to the brutal hacking to death of Bangladeshi blogger Ananta Bijoy Das, attacked for the
"crime" of not believing in the local omnibenevolent, all loving faith construct or god.

Das was an activist for the Gonojogoron Moncho (national awakening) movement which is campaigning for a secular Bangladesh. A banker, he wrote blogs for the website Mukto-Mona, mainly on science. He had also been critical of religious fundamentalism and of previous attacks on secular thinkers.

Human Rights Watch's Asia director, Brad Adams said, “This pattern of vicious attacks on secular and atheist writers not only silences the victims but also sends a chilling message to all in Bangladesh who espouse independent views on religious issues.

“When the authorities jail atheist or secular bloggers for nothing more than expressing their opinion about religion, it suggests that the government agrees with radicals who are butchering people on Bangladesh’s streets”.