Atheism: the latest whipping boy for Malaysia’s pre-election politics?
Non-believers should be ‘hunted down vehemently’ according to one government minister; others say officials are seeking a distraction from their own scandals
But as a “closeted” atheist, Arrwadah faces family conflict on a regular basis – when his parents ask why he does not attend Friday prayers, when he hides his alcohol consumption from his siblings, and when he eats in secret during the holy month of Ramadan.
But recently, he and a group of atheist friends from various religious backgrounds were “outed” by a photo going viral on social media, and have since become the target of hate from fundamentalist quarters as well as the subject of a government crackdown.
Outrage at Najib plan to give Indian Muslims the same status as Malays
The non-profit group Atheist Republic’s Malaysian chapter, or “Consulate”, met in early August for dinner and drinks, and posted a photo with the caption: “Atheists from all walks of life came to meet one another, some for the very first time… each sharing their stories and forming new friendships that hopefully last a lifetime! We rock!”
The photo, which depicted a group of young, casually dressed Malaysians from different ethnic backgrounds, quickly made the rounds online. Shortly thereafter, the government announced a crackdown to determine if any Muslims were involved in the gathering.
In multiracial and largely Muslim Malaysia, apostasy from Islam is a criminal offence in several states – and under a proposal to introduce the strict Islamic penal code known as hudud, the penalty would be death.
