(November 7, 2014 at 5:53 am)simplemoss Wrote: Isn't communistic atheism pretty popular over there? I know Ethiopia Somalia Libya and Afghanistan have had Communist movements and the Kurdish pkk are Communists (yes the same Kurds were supporting in Syria and Iraq) but I've never really seen alot of atheist persecution in the middle east. Maybe where Shari'a law is upheld but Christians live in the middle east by millions and there not killed everyday (regardless of what fox news would have think)
Many people -if not a majority- of whom I know, don't actually practice islam, they don't read the Quran or pray.
In college, praying was a big burden in outings with Muslims -since non of them prayed-. Alcohol, sex, drugs all these things a pretty common in Muslims countries.
Egypt is well known for its fine weed & strip clubs ; even gay bars. But, keep it to yourself.
Technically, as the guy in al-jazeera article described it : keep it to yourself & nobody would harm you.
Communism & atheism here is mixed with Islam ; Saddam Hussain was irreligious, yet he prayed in public and even had "Allahu Akbar" on the Iraqi flag.
The PKK also has many who pray, fast and practice Islam. It's different than the "soviet communism".
Mostly, Islam is viewed as a heritage -not only a religion-, even to many atheists & irreligious people -like Saddam Hussain & Bashar Al Assad in Syria-.
