Challenges and Objectives of Atheist Refugee Relief

“I felt as though I had never left Saudi Arabia...“ CHALLENGES AND OBJECTIVES OF ATHEIST REFUGEE RELIEF Atheist Refugee Relief In Saudi Arabia, Rana was not allowed to leave the house without a veil Rana‘s Escape Rana did not believe in Allah. And she was no one could be convicted here for a convinced that women too are entitled ”thought crime” – in the eyes of the to a life of freedom and equality. She Islamists, her fall from faith was nothing knew that it was only a matter of time else. before she was going to be threatened, But when Rana found herself in a refugee persecuted or murdered in her homeland, shelter in Cologne, she realized that her possibly even by her own family, because dream had not come true. The danger of her unorthodox views about religion, from which she had fled had travelled people, and the universe. Life in Saudi with her: in the form of other refugees. Arabia became more and more a torture They too had good reasons for leaving for her, so she felt increasingly faced with their countries, but apostasy, falling the choice: suicide or escape? from faith, was not one of them. Many of Rana decided to flee. She thought that the refugees Rana met in Cologne were she would only have to survive the long religious Muslims. And some of them and, for her as a single woman, extremely thought that apostasy was a terrible dangerous Balkan route in order to live crime, punishable even by death. in peace, to be safe and free. After all, Germany, which she reached with much luck, was a peaceful and safe country with a liberal constitution: 2 Rana in Cologne 2017 Rana was in a state of shock: she was Therefore Rana gathered all her courage threatened in Germany – just like she had and, with the help of the Central Council been in Saudi Arabia. She had to fear for of Ex-Muslims and the gbs regional group her life – just like in Saudi Arabia. “I felt in Cologne, she brought her story to the as if I never left Saudi Arabia”, she later public. In June 2016, a first major article summed up her experience. For a long appeared in the Frankfurter Allgemeine time she didn‘t know what to do. Then she Zeitung, and, in September, she was a learned by chance that the chairwoman guest on two occasions in the popular of the German Central Council of Ex- German program sternTV. Muslims (ZdE), Mina Ahadi, also lived Rana’s commitment attracted the in Cologne. Rana contacted Mina and attention of large sections of the German through her got to know some members population to the precarious situation of the Giordano Bruno Foundation of non-religious refugees in Germany. In (gbs). A little later they were able to find addition, her case was the final impetus her an apartment in Cologne, which she to launch a project that had long been gratefully moved into. discussed among ex-Muslims and Only now was she free. She could have the Giordano Bruno Foundation, the settled into her new life and enjoyed her founding of an Atheist Refugee Relief. new freedom, but she was painfully aware that her own fate was not an exceptional or isolated case. 3 Campaign “Asylum for Ex-Muslims” with Siamak Zare (2009) Secular refugees in Germany When non-religious people flee from Under such circumstances, secular- countries where political Islam thinking people are willing to give up dominates, they are not looking for everything they have: Wealth, friends, economic improvements, since many of family, their home – everything for the them come from wealthy families. Nor are chance of a free and self-determined life! they concerned about fleeing war, since These special motives of secular refugees many of them come from countries where were long misunderstood by the German there is nominally “peace”. People who state. The responsible authorities even are not religious flee because they cannot made the erroneous assumption that accept the fundamentalist norms of their those who do not belong to any religion home countries and therefore have to could not be religiously persecuted, fear for their lives. which is why – as a matter of principle In their homeland, non-religious people – they were not granted the status of are often threatened even by their own “religiously persecuted refugees”. This family members, who see their “honour” only began to change with the campaign at stake and will resort to any means to “Asylum for Ex-Muslims”, which was silence their rebellious relative. They are launched in 2009 by the Giordano Bruno threatened by states in which apostasy Foundation and the Central Council of is punished with imprisonment, torture, Ex-Muslims. or even death, and by zealous Islamists who feel called upon by “Allah” to ensure that “unbelievers” receive their “just punishment”. 4 Campaign “Asylum for Ex-Muslims” Demonstration by the Central Council of Ex-Muslims in front of Cologne Central Station The campaign made clear that in Islamic They are often traumatized anew in the theocracies, it is particularly atheists, shelters, as they have to live together in agnostics, secularists, and those without a confined space with strictly religious religion who suffer religious persecution Muslims from whose dogmas they have (i.e. persecution by religious fanatics). In just fled. 2010, the campaign was able to achieve The authorities show little sensitivity its first legal success when the Iranian to this problem. Furthermore, almost apostate Siamak Zare was recognized as all refugee aid in Germany is provided a refugee because of his involvement in by religious organizations (although the Central Council of Ex-Muslims, and the largely financed by public funds!), and is threat of deportation issued against him thus greeted with little trust by atheists in was lifted. need of help. Moreover, many employees Since then, similar decisions have been of confessional institutions lack the made in several asylum cases. But this necessary awareness of the problem, can only be a first step. Legal recognition as they cannot understand that it was alone is not enough to enable ex-Muslims not faith, but rather absence of faith, to live in freedom and safety. Even in that exposed these people to religious refugee hostels, secular refugees are not persecution and drove them to flee. safe, as they are inevitably conspicuous due to their clothing, their food, or their non-participation in religious festivals and rituals. 5 Event with atheist refugees in Cologne (2016) Atheist Refugee Relief Through Rana‘s activities in the German The association’s self-conception is media as well as in Arabic-speaking atheist based on secular-humanist, rational and forums, more and more refugees from naturalistic guiding principles (“evo- all over Germany contacted gbs Cologne lutionary humanism”). It fights for the and the Central Council of Ex-Muslims. enforcement of human rights and for Fortunately, the nationwide network humanist ethics. The association’s work of gbs regional groups was available to focuses on the principles of the Open provide practical help outside Cologne Society, namely liberalism (orientation to as well. However, it became increasingly the ideal of freedom), equality (orientation difficult to meet the growing demand. to the ideal of equality), individuality Thus the idea was born of founding a (orientation to the individual rather non-profit association to tackle these than to the collective) and secularism challenges. (orientation to secular forms of the foundation of standards). The “Säkulare Flüchtlingshilfe – Atheisten helfen” (SF-AH), English name: “Atheist Refugee Relief” (ARR), is now a registered and non-profit association. Its aim is to provide practical assistance to non-religious refugees and to improve their situation through political work. 6 Event with Rana Ahmad in Düsseldorf (2016) Event with atheist refugees In its practical work, the association aims The freedom to cycle around the city. to assist the secular refugees in finding To experience the feeling of diving into suitable housing, to accompany them the water at a public swimming pool, to offices, doctors, lawyers, and to help or just going to a big cinema. This is an them to access suitable language and overwhelming experience, especially for integration courses, physiological, and women. psychological therapy. Many of those concerned are also We also see it as an elementary part of politically active. They are fighting for our work to enable those concerned to their rights and want to draw attention to experience their long-awaited freedom the situation of their societies of origin. in real life. This freedom is often We consider this work to be essential and expressed in seemingly trivial matters, therefore support them in their travels to yet ones that are by no means a matter of conferences and networking meetings as course for those affected: the possibility well as in their appearances in the press, of freely choosing one’s own clothing and radio and television. being able to wear it in public. If you want to support our work, please transfer your donation to the account of the association “Säkulare Flüchtlingshilfe“ e.V. (Sparkasse KölnBonn, BIC: COLSDE33XXX, IBAN: DE70 3705 0198 1933 9865 13). All money received is used for the support of secular refugees. Donations to the association are tax deductible in Germany. 7 Mina Ahadi gives interviews after an asylum court case in Münster (2017) Political demands The “Atheist Refugee Relief” was founded 2. Recognition of apostasy as a because there are serious deficiencies ground for asylum – not only in in the handling of non-religious refugees cases of persecution by the state, but that need to be corrected.

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