Atheist War Hero, serving Soldier

[Hypatia]

It is really nice to know this @OP .. since Even moderately open Atheist or even an unconventional atheist can face a lot of problems In Pakistan from becoming a social pariah, facing discrimination to facing death threats.

After reading your post i feel sad for your decision, r ur parents also atheist.

irreligious yes, they never bothered about religion tbh

 

[Maarkhoor]

It is really nice to know this @OP .. since Even moderately open Atheist or even an unconventional atheist can face a lot of problems In Pakistan from becoming a social pariah, facing discrimination to facing death threats.

irreligious yes, they never bothered about religion tbh

So they never denounce the religion ? but not practicing. You are brought up like that or you later choose to be atheist ?

 

[livingdead]

Tbh, most Muslim's only ever pray Jummah if they are in a Muslim country. In Western countries, nobody prays at all.

many mosques in muslim areas are packed on fridays.. not sure about arab migrants but south asian migrants do go to mosque on fridays.

I dont think one can legally be an atheist in Pakistan, Pakistani Law does not even recognize that.
Most atheists/agnostics including myself are Muslims in Papers

it would be nice if you can write a few words about your daily life.. how it is different from a practicing pakistani muslim.. also whether you need to hide your atheism/agnosticism or people just know and dont bother you.

 

[Maarkhoor]

Come across a serving soldier _ currently recoperating from injuries suffered in theatre, now this guy is highly decorated and adored by both the men serving under him and his superiors.

Now this guy has an interesting back ground, he comes from a prominent Sindhi nationalist family, that have included separatists and even now has some Jeah Sindhi people in it.

Both his parents were full blown atheist communists and he was bought up as a full blown atheist. (His decision to join the Army, shocked and surprised his parents and family).

Apparently the Army is fully aware of his views, and this has not affected his career, his fellow Officers and Soldiers don't seem to care, and his fast rise seem to indicate a change in the Armed Forces regarding religion, much more tolerance.

For obvious reasons will not reveal his identify for his safety.

I totally disagree with you that his seniors and colleagues knows about his cheating while declaring religion and not punished. I personally know about a person who belong to minority sect but cheated on registration form but later in PMA he tell about his sect to other cadets, he was reported and immediately handed over to M.P, kept there for few days and then thrown out.

 

[Hamza913]

many mosques in muslim areas are packed on fridays.. not sure about arab migrants but south asian migrants do go to mosque on fridays.


it would be nice if you can write a few words about your daily life.. how it is different from a practicing pakistani muslim.. also whether you need to hide your atheism/agnosticism or people just know and dont bother you.

The only reason the Mosques are packed is because the building typically isn't big enough. If they are regular size, they would be fairly empty.

 

[Moonlight]

irreligious yes, they never bothered about religion tbh

Have you ever wonder why you chose to be an atheist? I mean you find it hard to fulfill religious obligations and get away with it with being atheist? Some people do this. That's kind of disturbing to read for a Muslim person to be an atheist.

 

[jamahir]

I dont think one can legally be an atheist in Pakistan, Pakistani Law does not even recognize that.

Most atheists/agnostics including myself are Muslims in Papers

"atheism" does not cancel out you being a muslim... islam is not the prayer-bound faith that most modern "practising" desi muslims understand it is.

please read my thread that i linked at the end of this post... it is a long round-the-world briefings on muslim progressive/socialist movements, written by nadeem paracha.

After reading your post i feel sad for your decision, r ur parents also atheist.

but why is that, overload bhai??

i myself don't care two hoots for prayers and yet i am more muslim than all the tableegh jamaatis in history put together... i will leave it at that and also not question the effectiveness of prayer.

Probably for the best unless you want to get killed.

you should actually be celebrating her declaration.

you should read about the early history of the pakistani socialist movement and until the 80's... please read my thread i linked below.

and syria or egypt or algeria would be a more enlightening place for real muslims than the wahabi and usa government puppet state of qatar.

---

the comfortable muslims of yesteryears and the pious muslims of now

 

[Maarkhoor]

Have you ever wonder why you chose to be an atheist? I mean you find it hard to fulfill religious obligations and get away with it with being atheist? Some people do this. That's kind of disturbing to read for a Muslim person to be an atheist.

Not practicing and denouncing two different things. Many of those not practicing Muslims but being from Muslim family register as a Muslim then denouncing is punishable by law.

 

[Spring Onion]

How easy is for an ordinary pakistani(not rich or famous) to be atheist... I mean the type of atheist who go about their life without bothering about religion or being di*k about other's religious belief. As islam is a religion that is community spirited( pray together 5 times in a communal space being important one), is it not hard for somebody to avoid being peer pressured?

frankly speaking there are many ordinary folks who are atheists in a manner that they do not bother about their own religion being born Muslims neither about faith of others. They do not pray they do not follow any religious order.

I came across a person who even had memorized many chapters of Quran while he was a small kid and he still remembers and can recite but he distant himself from religion and said he was in devil's club now and laughed and told me that "hey you would join our devil club one day" I shrugged off and avoided continuing the debate.

actually the problem is that our elite neo-liberals have made atheism some kind of a status symbol which they want to decorate on their chests and make huge noise while the poor ordinary atheists in Pakistan consider it something normal so you wont see them bitching

 

[Maarkhoor]

but why is that, overload bhai??

i myself don't care two hoots for prayers and yet i am more muslim than all the tableegh jamaatis in history put together... i will leave it at that and also not question the effectiveness of prayer.

Even i don't care but not practicing and denouncing two different things... For not praying you will not become non-Muslim.

 

[Donald Trump]

Apparently the Army is fully aware of his views, and this has not affected his career, his fellow Officers and Soldiers don't seem to care, and his fast rise seem to indicate a change in the Armed Forces regarding religion, much more tolerance.

So you do indirectly admit that the PA is deeply affected by religious intolerance. But a good thing if what you say is true.

 

[haviZsultan]

Come across a serving soldier _ currently recoperating from injuries suffered in theatre, now this guy is highly decorated and adored by both the men serving under him and his superiors.

Now this guy has an interesting back ground, he comes from a prominent Sindhi nationalist family, that have included separatists and even now has some Jeah Sindhi people in it.

Both his parents were full blown atheist communists and he was bought up as a full blown atheist. (His decision to join the Army, shocked and surprised his parents and family).

Apparently the Army is fully aware of his views, and this has not affected his career, his fellow Officers and Soldiers don't seem to care, and his fast rise seem to indicate a change in the Armed Forces regarding religion, much more tolerance.

For obvious reasons will not reveal his identify for his safety.

A persons personal views and beliefs should not come in the way of him advancing in his career, or in this case in the army. Unless the person has some terrorist links there is nothing to worry about. Also more minorities should find their way in the forces, like Harcharan Singh and Danesh.

 

[jamahir]

Even i don't care but not practicing and denouncing two different things... For not praying you will not become non-Muslim.

sorry for my words sounding harsh previously.

yes, denouncing is a separate thing... i am a free spirit and i would have spat on islam if i didn't think it was a progressive movement... it is actually a progressive movement, as you have seen me write so often.

though i must say that the word "practising" would be incorrect to denote someone who simply prays but does not actually practice the real ( socialist ) aspects of true islam.

other than this i agree with you.

 

[Moonlight]

Not practicing and denouncing two different things. Many of those not practicing Muslims but being from Muslim family register as a Muslim then denouncing is punishable by law.

I'm pretty surprised to see this happening in Pakistan. All I'm thinking is, where did we as a society and scholars failed that this generation is completely messed up. Not practicing still give so many chances to do Astgfar and come back to Allah. Also, it doesn't make you non Muslim though.

 

[Numerous]

Tbh, most Muslim's only ever pray Jummah if they are in a Muslim country. In Western countries, nobody prays at all.

This isn't true. You clearly don't go to jummah in a western country.