Dear Ali: I'm an atheist, and I'm not sure if I'll be OK visiting your part of the world. I've heard many things, but I really want to know from you whether or not I will be welcomed, and also how your people view this belief? Some people have told me that many in the UAE will force me into joining their religion. FG, Melbourne
Dear FG: I thank you for your question, which I consider a very important one, because many people continue to receive a lot of wrong information about our part of the world, for example that Arabs don't welcome believers of other religions or those who don't believe in any religion at all.
It’s important to address this issue, and I will start by highlighting a fact that tends to surprise a lot of people: Arabs represent only 15 per cent of the entire Muslim population. This should make it clear to people that not all of those who live in or visit the Arab world are Muslims.
Not all places in the GCC – the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council countries – have Muslim-only populations; Jews, too, are a fundamental part of society, and in the Levant region, in countries such as Lebanon, Syria, and also in Iraq, there’s a significant population of Christians and Jews. In Egypt, as in all the North African Arab countries, there are Christians and Jews as well.
With that in mind, I think it’s obvious that most Arabs understand and appreciate living with people of other faiths and religions. Islamic teachings do not dictate that we should be judgemental or cause harm to those who don’t believe, because people know that forcing others into believing won’t work.
Muslims, or the people in this part of the world, believe that the best way to communicate with non-believers or atheists is to set a great example of why believing in God, the one and only creator of everything, is a great thing. And the reason they exhibit this kind behaviour and positive attitude is because they are believers.
All believers hope those who don’t believe in the existence of God will be interested to explore and learn more about the faith, after which they might become more curious and, eventually, interested in it.
Believe me, those who unfortunately go out there and torture others and force them to join any religion are held in disgrace by all true believers – no one approves of such an act.
Many people would know that even the Prophet Mohammed’s uncle didn’t believe in him. We also know that the prophet Noah’s wife was not a believer, nor did she believe in Allah.
All believers are aware that there are people out there who don’t believe and we have to live with them in harmony. Yes, some may approach non-believers in a bid to engage them into believing in God, only because they want the best for them. But again, this is not by force and you can always say: “Sorry, I’m not interested.”
I believe all of the Arab world will welcome you despite your religious or non-religious background, but not all countries have the same laws or guidelines, so there may be one or two exceptions. However, in general, I’m sure you won’t face any trouble here.
By the way, some of my best friends are atheists and guess where they live? Just opposite my house. Right here in the Arab world. So get your lovely Aussie accent to the Empty Quarter and feel welcome.
Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow @AskAli on Twitter, and visit www.ask-ali.com to ask him a question.
