This is the final outcome of initiatives in the West spearheaded by groups such as the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations, which moves quickly to demonize anyone who dares raise his or her voice against Islamic jihad terror, and Reza Aslan’s Aslan Media, which has waged a campaign of defamation against atheist writers such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. Their efforts are essentially and inherently fascist: they seek to extinguish the free conscience and freedom of thought, and force conformity to Islamic laws forbidding all criticism of Islam or any aspect of Islam.
“Saudi Arabia declares atheists terrorists under new laws targeting citizens who ‘call for secular thought in any form,'” by Simon Tomlinson for the Daily Mail, April 1 (thanks to Kenneth):
Saudi Arabia has officially identified atheists as terrorists in sweeping new laws that threaten up to 20 years in prison for almost any criticism of the government or Islam.
The regulations place secular citizens who commit thought crimes in the same category as violent terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda’s Yemen branch and Saudi Hezbollah.
Under the new decree by King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia will jail for up to 20 years anyone who fights in conflicts abroad – an apparent move to deter Saudis from joining rebels in Syria.
But the law also applies to any Saudi citizen or a foreigner residing in the kingdom that ‘calls for atheist thought in any form or calls into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based.’
The laws have been denounced by human rights groups for making no distinction between religious expression and violent extremism.
‘Saudi authorities have never tolerated criticism of their policies, but these recent laws and regulations turn almost any critical expression or independent association into crimes of terrorism,’ said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
The counter-terrorism measure have also been mocked by Al Qaeda’s Yemen branch which said they would not deter the Islamist group’s fighters and that they proved the kingdom was in the pay of the United States.
In an online statement, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) also said Riyadh’s designation of the Muslim Brotherhood – a group whose political wings have contested elections in several countries – as a terrorist organisation proved that secular authorities would never tolerate Islamist groups.
AQAP, seen as one of the most dangerous Al Qaeda branches after it plotted attacks on international airliners, is thought to have several hundred Saudi militants fighting alongside Yemeni counterparts against the government in Sanaa.
On Feb 3, Saudi Arabia announced tougher punishments for Saudis seeking to join Islamist militant groups abroad and on March 7 the interior ministry designated a number of groups, including the Brotherhood, as terrorist organisations.
In the group’s first public response to the measures, senior AQAP official Ibrahim al-Rubaysh said of the Saudi authorities in an audio tape posted online: ‘Their employers are the White House.’ He added that Riyadh appeared to consider the U.S. authorities as ‘gods.’
Addressing pro-government Muslim preachers in Saudi Arabia, Rubaysh said: ‘You are more American than the Americans themselves.’
Under the new measures, Saudi Arabia will jail for up to 20 years any citizen who fights in conflicts abroad – an apparent move to deter Saudis from joining rebels in Syria and then posing a security risk once they return home.
Saudi Arabia’s Islamic religious authorities have spoken out against Saudi fighters going to Syria, but the Interior Ministry estimates that around 1,200 Saudis have gone nonetheless.
Riyadh fears returning fighters will target the ruling Al Saud royal family – as happened after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
An appeal contained in the counter-terrorism measures for fighters to turn themselves in had not been answered, Rubaysh said, adding that this showed ‘there is no weight on the hearts of the mujahideen (holy warriors)’.
Saudi authorities also fear the Muslim Brotherhood, whose Sunni Islamist doctrines challenge the Saudi principle of dynastic rule, has tried to build support inside the kingdom since the Arab Spring revolutions.
In Egypt, the Brotherhood, which won every election after the toppling of veteran leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011, has been driven underground since the army deposed President Mohamed Mursi, a member of the group which also suffered repression in the Mubarak era.
Rubaysh said the listing of the Brotherhood as a terrorist group sent ‘a message for all groups who are softening their processes and abandoning some of their principles’ that they would never be accepted by the ‘heads of disbelief’.
‘Heads of disbelief’ is a phrase used by al Qaeda to indicate secular or pro-Western authorities.
‘It is required to stand firm unto death if we desire the satisfaction of Allah,’ Rubaysh said.
duh_swami says
CAIR and comp, are now demonizing a movie about women’s treatment in Islam. FOX and Megyn Kelly are also under attack for talking about it. Kelly had two women on who had the right drift, but avoided talking about any religious causes. No mention of Quran verses like 4:34/24:2. or any others.
Why should the Saudi’s or other Mahoundians censor us, when we do such a fine job of self censorship? I’m using ‘we’ very loosely.
v says
The so-called “peaceful religion” of Islam, as described by some, has never lived up to its description. The fact is that it is the most violent and criminal religion on earth. No other religion perpetrates more criminal acivities or violent actions than Islam. It is a horrible religion, particularly for those who live or ever lived in the countries in which that god-forsaken religion is practiced.
RodSerling says
Death penalty for atheists in Saudi Arabia and at least 12 other Muslim countries:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/10/us-religion-atheists-idUSBRE9B900G20131210
http://iheu.org/you-can-be-put-death-atheism-13-countries-around-world/
———————————
“Rubaysh said the listing of the Brotherhood as a terrorist group sent ‘a message for all groups who are softening their processes and abandoning some of their principles’ that they would never be accepted by the ‘heads of disbelief’.
‘Heads of disbelief’ is a phrase used by al Qaeda to indicate secular or pro-Western authorities.” -article.
“The heads (i.e., leaders, literally “imams”) of disbelief” (kufr) is a phrase used in Qur’an 9:12, urging Muslims to kill (q-t-l) those leaders or prominent people in society who have violated their oaths (by not adhering sufficiently to Islam, or by breaking agreements with Muslims) and who “defame” the deen (Islam). It is standard for Islamist and jihadist groups to use Qur’anic language in their rhetoric. Usually media sources are oblivious to this, or at least don’t inform the readers.
Rubaysh is basically casting the Saudi leadership as apostates, violators-of-Islamic oaths, unbelievers, idolators, and blasphemers, and therefore deserving of death. Ironically, the Saudi authorities also invoke 9:12 as justification for the death penalty for apostasy and blasphemy.
Bluntly, 9:12 is a precedent-setting order for “believers” to kill those leaders and prominent people who violate Islamically-defined oaths and agreements or who merely criticize (“defame,” “slander,” “revile” with words) Islam or Muhammad.
http://corpus.quran.com/wordbyword.jsp?chapter=9&verse=12
Tafsirs
http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2577&Itemid=64
http://main.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=1&tTafsirNo=74&tSoraNo=9&tAyahNo=12&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2
http://main.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=2&tTafsirNo=73&tSoraNo=9&tAyahNo=12&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2
Defcon 4 says
@RodSerling
Thank you again for yet another ugly expose on the savage nature of islamic
dogma.
Adam says
Well, I guess I am banned from Saudi Arabia. Not that I ever had any intention of going, but I will now refuse any business trips on the grounds of potential wrongful imprisonment. The hell with islam and the hell with religion.
ibn Muslim says
Why wouldn’t you even consider to revert to Islam?
David says
Because we don’t like mass murdering pedophiles, Muslim dog. Your fake prophet Muhammad was a crazy desert bandit who liked to kill captives, being the coward that he was. A 54 year man that married a 9 year old girl is a pedophile in any ones language. Now go bow & smell the behind of the Muslim terrorist in front of you at the mosque, as you pray to your non existant ancient moon god called Allah, who has no more power than Kermit the frog.
Champ ✿ says
“ibn muslim” …like a drug pusher he’s pushing evil islam. Wow what a lost cause stoned on islam.
kikorikid says
“Revert to Islam”?
That is Convert, to you.
You only offer: Submission
Conversion
Dhimmitude
or Death
and if you don’t get off my front porch I’ll
let my friends Smith & Wesson talk to you.
Mo says
@ ibn Muslim
“Why wouldn’t you even consider to revert to Islam?”
How unspeakably arrogant Muslims are, claiming everyone is born Muslim/believing in this false god called Allah, and so they have to “revert”.
Aside from that, why would I want to follow a religion begun by a warlord and a child rapist?
Why do YOU continue to follow it?
gravenimage says
ibn Muslim wrote:
Why wouldn’t you even consider to revert to Islam?
…………………………
Perhaps because he is a civilized person who is not attracted by ignorance, pedophilia, rape, slave-trading, oppression, and mass-murder?
Salah says
“Saudi Arabia has officially identified atheists as terrorists”
Why? because Muslims are leaving Islam for atheism and other religions. And THAT is the beginning of the fall of Islam.
We are witnessing the final agony of a 14 century old cult.
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/05/dying-islam-lislam-mourant.html
Jerry says
God must have a far more favourable view of atheists if you go by the history of the “Palestinians”.
In 1948 he must have intervened to assist about 155 ethnic Jewish farmers, who had only 73 weapons an little ammunition. They were defending a little settlement within light arms range from the Gaza are who were attacked by by the combined forces of the then Egyptian Military, augments by Saudi, Iraqi and Syrian element, with mechanised infantry in APC’s, Tanks, Artillery and Aerial bombing support from newish British made Aircraft provided to Egypt (with sh… seconded RAF pilots!) and those few Jews managed to stop that Army from proceeding on the road to Tel-Aviv for six days and nights until they had no ammunition left. The Jews suffered about 36 dead and some wounded. The Egyptians admitted to having lost about 400 dead, but speculation is that the true figure was closer to ten times that.
The unique facts were that those Jews actually culivated pigs and ate pork (though they had no clue about how to properly cook pork or make it smell good. And they settled on that land as early as 1943, without any violence or force or “occupation”. They originally even offered free agricultural and medical assistance to neighouring Arab villages.
The amazing thing was that apparently God chose to deliver a miracle in order to rescue the Jews of Israel, through the hands of a bunch of Pork eating atheist Jews.
This tends to support the view that God must be far more reasonable and tolerant than what the Muslims want us to believe (and even some Orthodox Jews), and is prepared to assist good people even if all of them are Jews and some of them are Pork eating Atheists.
Also it appears that God was still true to his promises to Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
Go figure!
It is clear that the Allah invented by Mohammed is not more powerfull than the original Idols of the Kaaba!
Defcon 4 says
The Israeli military victories in ’48’ and ’73’ do have something of the miraculous about them, considering they were outnumbered thousands to one in terms of boots on the ground as well as tanks and APC’s.
Guy Macher says
I’m no atheist but I know Islam is the doctrine of Satan. And no Saudi Muslim can stop me from saying that.
ralph3796 says
Once upon a time there was this child raping, murderous, thieving, POS who went into a cave for 45 days. There he met a Jewish Angel named Gabriel who passed on to the child rapist the unholy Qur’an written in Arabic which the child rapist could not read because he was an illiterate child rapist. He went forth and murdered many people, stealing their stuff, and raping and enslaving their women and children. He made a deal with the Meccan polytheists, promising not to do to them which he hath done to everyone else that he had come upon. Well, He lied. He attacked them, killed them, stole their stuff, raped and enslaved their women and children, and claimed their temple which contained their kabba and 365 idols, one for each day of the year, as his own. Of the polytheists’ idols was one named Allah, the moon god. The child rapist chose Allah as his god and removed all the other gods. Wonder why all Islamic States’ flags have a crescent moon on them? Today, muslims claim that their holiest of holy places, which was built over 2000 years before the child rapist’s birth, was build by two Jewish brothers in expectation of the coming of the child rapist and his religion of Satan, known today as Islam. The child rapist’s name was Muhammad. The angel he met in the cave who he thought was the Jewish Angel, Gabriel, was, in fact, a Jinn, which is sort of an Angel of Satan. Islam: serving over 1.4 billion idiots and counting.
That is what I think about your Cult and the Moon god with his three daughters(stars); sorry bunch of idiots with no father or mother…
fair_dinkum says
i’m an atheist and im horrified. no free speech or free thought. archaic and medieval.
citycat says
They can’t use religious arguments with atheists.
So they have no argument, except death of those whose mind they cannot control.
Just the same as all cowardly bullies.
They have no mind control of their own as is obvious by their propensity to acts like dogs in the presence of a female.
fair_dinkum says
i agree.. mid control and are very threatened by non religious people as its outside their realm of reality.
ApolloSpeaks says
WHY DID THE SAUDIS DESIGNATE ATHEISM TERRORISM?
The logical answer is that their terrified of atheism. Why? Because their faith in God and Islam is weak. For the Saudis atheists are the spiritual analogue of al Qaida terrorists. For whereas al Qaida terrorists kill the flesh of men atheists kill their souls and spirits. In short, atheists are spiritual murderers and must be severely punished for their crimes.
Branding atheism as a form of terrorism is an understandable consequence of Islam’s collapse as a world power 90 years ago, and Israel’s return to history and invincible survival power. Given Islam’s decline to its present deplorable state it’s not easy to point to signs that God is with Islam today. This makes believers more vulnerable than ever to skepticism and doubt about Islam’s central message: that it’s the ultimate truth and final answer to humanity’s manifold ills; and the end of history.
Because Islam is in crisis being further from its prophetic goal of universal domination than ever before in its long history the atheist is a terrorist more potentially deadly and destructive to faith than ever. That’s why, in my opinion, atheism = terrorism for the Saudis.
fair_dinkum says
i just started to write “Atheism is a threat” and saw your post, Atlas Speaks.
Atheists must be real enigmas, and the unknown threatens ignorant people. especially when you add the sub par IQs / and the shackles of islam as endemic.
i’m not surprised that a supposedly moderate (ha) islamic state would cope in just this way. they are incredibly superstitious, and i feel a personal envy from them in this. they have to be miserable and serious and are entangled in their horrific theology. every mans an expert. caught up in this misery, and dealing with the antitheses, they cop the full brunt. Christians and others may be tolerated but Atheists are terrorists? science scares them. logic scares them. confidence scares them. and they are perpetually jealous.
ApolloSpeaks says
They live in fear of the truth that their religious and political supremacism is a fiction sprung from the mind of a madman whose God and triumphalist revelations were a projection of his satanic will to power.
voegelinian says
Ibn Muslim and Mr. Dude — Click and Clack, Itchy and Scratchy, Bad Cop/Good Cop, Dumb and Dumberer.
gravenimage says
Saudi Arabia declares atheists terrorists, sets 20 years prison for criticism of Islam
……………………………
This shows that Islam presents just the same threat to atheists that it does to Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and other people of faith.
Moreover, it shows how ludicrous the Muslim use of the word “terrorism” is.
When Muslims tell Infidels that they “oppose terrorism”, *this* might be the kind of thing they are talking about.
Mo says
(So sorry, my last response was to the insufferable Mr. Dude, not you! He makes me so sick that I can’t even type correctly!)
gravenimage says
No problem, Mo. Hope you are well.
Champ ✿ says
Dear Mo,
I completely understand your frustration …
And some here don’t seem to mind that “Mr. Dude” shares an opinion which stems from a heart filled with hatred towards Christianity; which is not the least bit beneficial to anyone. Whereas Robert Spencer presents information in his book: Religion of Peace? Why Christianity Is And Islam Isn’t, based upon stable facts and truth. Robert doesn’t have an ax to grind, but “Mr. Dude” does.
Some here are giving this quack “Mr. Dude” a pass, which is just so backwards and disappointing.
dumbledoresarmy says
You observed – ” it shows how ludicrous the Muslim use of the word “terrorism” is.
When Muslims tell Infidels that they “oppose terrorism”, *this* might be the kind of thing they are talking about.”
Exactly.
Which is why I have made a copy of this article and placed it in my e-clippings file that is entitled “Islamic Dictionary for Infidels”.
It contains not only an excellent essay on that subject that was featured here at jihadwatch years ago, but also other tidbits that illustrate the peculiar character of “Islamspeak”.
I can now add to that collection the definition of “terrorism”.
Namely – “atheism; not believing in allah/ not regarding mohammed as ‘prophet’/ etc etc etc”, or “calling into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion”.
By this definition Mr Spencer – because of his books “The Truth About Muhammad” and especially “Did Muhammad Exist?” – qualifies as a terrorist.
Champ ✿ says
The one who’s lying here is “Mr. Dude” …
And several times I have suggested that he read one of Robert Spencer’s books:
“Religion of Peace? Why Christianity Is And Islam Isn’t” …
But clearly “Mr. Dude” can’t be bothered by reading the truth on this very important subject. Instead, he prefers spreads his filthy lies and this creep seems to enjoy it.
About the book …
“Christianity or Islam: which is the real “religion of peace”?
Almost any liberal pundit will tell you that there’s a religion bent on destroying our Constitution, stripping us of our liberties, and imposing religious rule on the U.S. And that religion is . . .Christianity! About Islam, however, the Left is silent–except to claim a moral equivalence between the two: if Islam has terrorists today, that’s nothing compared to the Crusades, inquisitions, and religious wars in Christianity’s past.
But is this true? Are conservative Christians really more of a threat to free societies than Islamic jihadists? Is the Bible really “just as violent” as the Qur’an? Is Christianity’s history really as bloodstained as Islam’s? In Religion of Peace? Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn’t, New York Times bestselling author Robert Spencer not only refutes such charges, but also explains why Americans and Europeans must regain an appreciation of our Christian heritage if we ever hope to defeat Islamic supremacism. In this eye opening work, Spencer reveals:
* The fundamental differences between Islamic and Christian teachings about warfare against other religions: “Love your enemies” vs. “Be ruthless to the unbelievers”
* The myth of Western immorality and Islamic puritanism and why the Islamic world is less moral than the West
* Why the Islamic world has never developed the distinction between religious and secular law that is inherent in Christianity
* Why Christianity has always embraced reason–and Islam has always rejected it
* Why the most determined enemies of Western civilization may not be the jihadists at all, but the leftists who fear their churchgoing neighbors more than Islamic terrorists
* Why Jews, Christians, and peoples of other faiths (or no faith) are equally at risk from militant Islam
Spencer writes not to proselytize, but to state a fact: Christianity is a true “religion of peace,” and on it Western civilization stands. If we are not to perish under Islam’s religion of the sword–with its more than 100 million active jihadists seeking to impose sharia law–we had better defend our own civilization.”
Order it here:
http://www.amazon.com/Religion-Peace-Christianity-Islam-Isnt/dp/1596985151
Champ ✿ says
Correction: Instead, he prefers *spreading* his filthy lies and this creep seems to enjoy it.
eib says
The Muslim creed begins: there is no god . . .
And sure enough, that’s closer to their faith than any theistic statement they could make.
This is the pot calling the kettle black.
Muslims are more atheistic than most atheists.