On the Nature of Things | Forum

We constantly hear of the advance of fundamentalist Islam, fastest growing religion, a threat to the West etc.etc. Here's another story from the Wahabist heartland:

https://newrepublic.com/article/1215...-arab-atheists

Of course, there is a lot of conjecture here. I am surprised that anybody in the Arab world is willing to declare open atheism, decidedly injurious to your health. However it makes sense to me, give people access to money, education and the internet, and many will realise what a f**ked up evil cult Islam is. Having lived in a theocracy for 37 years, the proportion of hidden atheists is probably even higher in Iran.

Extraordinarily, an Arabic translation of Richard Dawkin's God Delusion has reportedly been downloaded 10 million times, 30% from Saudi Arabia:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/kacem-el-g ... 67606.html

It is entirely possible that fundamentalist Islam may at some stage suddenly collapse, as did Communism (after all, no one saw that coming). Sadly there will almost certainly be a lot of blood shed before that happens.

this is a variation on the spengler theme of how the modern atheist secular thing triggered an existential crisis in the conservative arab world and the bluff and bluster of the fundies is actually a desperation to remain relevant.

hopefully true however

Sadly there will almost certainly be a lot of blood shed before that happens.

is the bit of concern for our lifetimes.