The Atheist Muslim: A Journey from Religion to Reason

The Atheist Muslim: A Journey from Religion to Reason by Ali A. Rizvi “The Atheist Muslim” is an excellent and a refreshing new take on atheism. Author, medical communications professional, and trained physician Dr. Rizvi provides the public with his personal journey to atheism and it’s a real treat. This captivating 256-page book includes the following nine chapters: 1. Smoke Break, 2. Root Causes, 3. Letting Go (Part I): The Born-Again Skeptic, 4. A Tale of Two Identities, 5. Choosing AtheismFive: Choosing Atheism, 6. Islamophobia-Phobia and the “Regressive Left”, 7. The Quran: Misinterpretation, Metaphor, and Misunderstanding, 8. Reformation and Secularism, and 9. Letting Go (Part II): The Silver Lining. Positives: 1. An engaging, well-written book that captivates the reader. 2. The fascinating topic of journey to atheism from an ex-Muslim’s perspective. 3. Great use of logic, reason and facts to persuade the audience at an accessible level. 4. Dr. Rizvi took me to world I know very little about; he excels at painting a clear backdrop while driving his persuasive deconversion story. 5. A fascinating look into his childhood. “They were liberal Muslims who valued pluralism and quality education that went beyond the textbook—and they wanted to instill that in us, their four children. This was a key reason they sent us to this expensive, private school.” 6. Interesting perspectives and not just on the Muslim culture consider his take of the medical field. “For the most part, medicine is more public service than science. In medicine, you have to follow protocols. In science, you help create them. In science, trying out new things and being creative is encouraged. In medicine, getting too creative could get you sued, or worse.” 7. I enjoyed learning of the different Muslim sects and how they came about. “The word Salafi comes from salaf, meaning “ancestor”—and refers specifically to the earliest generations of Muslims, from the time of Muhammad himself. Salafism is a rigid doctrine prescribing the revival of this early Islam, believed by its adherents to be the religion’s purest form.” 8. Provocative. This book touches upon many fascinating topics beyond the deconversion from religion to reason. 9. Provides a basic explanation of the Quran for non-Muslims. In other words, accessible reading. “The Quran is a single book, consisting of 114 chapters, called surahs. Each surah is composed of ayahs, or verses.” He also makes very good use of the Quran to make compelling and sensitive points. “I found endorsement for almost all of the Saudis’ actions in the Quran. The beheading of disbelievers (used interchangeably with “nonbelievers”) was right there in verses 8:12–13; the amputation of hands for theft in verse 5:38; domestic violence in 4:34; the killing of polytheists in 9:5; and so on.” 10. The politics of religion. “Hitchens was right on this. The religion/politics dichotomy is a false one. It isn’t that politics has no role; it’s that politics is simply inseparable from the Abrahamic religions. Religion is politics.” 11. The impact of religion captured beautifully, “Cultures are dynamic by nature, continuously evolving. Religion dogmatizes them. It cements them in their place, freezes them in time, and prevents them from moving forward. By locking culture up into a time warp, religion makes it look like the bad guy, absolving itself of blame. Cultures carry potential for change. Religionizing them effectively kills off that potential.” 12. The topic of violence. “Unlike religious scriptures, there is simply no atheist “doctrine” that prescribes or commands violence.” 13. A fascinating segment of tweets from ex-Muslims. “#ExMuslimBecause Misogyny, homophobia, stoning people to death, and killing apostates don’t suddenly become “respectable” when put in a holy book. —@LibMuslim” 14. This book is a quote fest, Dr. Rizvi provides and shares plenty of noteworthy quotes. This one from the late great George Carlin, “Pride should be reserved for something you achieved or attained on your own, not something that happens by accident of birth,” he said. “Being Irish isn’t a skill. It’s a blanking genetic accident … If you’re happy with it, that’s fine—do that, put that on your car: ‘Happy to be an American.’ Be happy. Don’t be proud.” Here’s a good one from Dr. Rizvi, “To start with, religion doesn’t provide answers; it makes them up.” 15. The problem with faith. “It’s not “radicalization.” It’s increased faith. Faith is not a virtue. Faith means to believe outlandish things without any evidence, simply because someone centuries ago told us to. It fetters the intellect and taints the conscience.” “You know deep down, that your faith is really just an accident of birth.” 16. The power of evolution. “Today, DNA-sequencing has not only revealed to us the evolutionary relationships among living species, but also confirmed beyond a doubt that all living things arose from a single, common ancestor that lived about 4 billion years ago.” 17. A fascinating chapter on the regressive left. “Your right to believe what you want must be respected, yes; but the beliefs themselves need not be.” “This is unsurprisingly effective, but flat-out wrong. The number-one reason that terrorism is linked with Islam is not “Islamophobes” or the media. It is that jihadi terrorists link themselves with Islam.” “This is a difficult problem to solve. But denying any link between the religious doctrine and the violence only makes matters worse.” And my favorite, “Criticizing the monotheisms, including Islam, is an inextricable component of standing up for liberal values. Misogyny, for instance, doesn’t suddenly get a pass the moment it appears in a holy book. If you want to fight patriarchy but won’t fight religion, you’re not fighting patriarchy.” 18. A fascinating chapter on the misinterpretations and misunderstandings of the Quran. “And herein lies the problem: if there were a book that talked about Muslims the way the Quran talks about disbelievers, heads would roll. Literally.” 19. The need for reformation. “The notion that this life on Earth is secondary to the afterlife—a fundamental tenet of many religious faiths—is deadly when it is genuinely and sincerely believed from the heart. I also believe this to be true of many other elements of religious belief.” 20. Excellent notes. Negatives: 1. I wanted more, I know a little self-serving but I just wanted to hear more stories particularly on the Islamic culture he was brought up in. 2. For the benefit of many readers, I would have added supplementary materials such as tables, timelines or diagrams that described the different Muslim sects. 3. No formal bibliography. In summary, some books are just more enjoyable and stimulating than others and this is one of them. This book is worthy of five stars because I didn’t want it to end. Dr. Rizvi takes the reader on a fascinating journey into his world, one in which he struggles to reconcile his scientific background with the religion of Islam. Along the way, he presents provocative topics worthy of discussion. An excellent book, I highly recommend it! Further suggestions: “Heretic” and “Infidel” by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, “Radical” by Maajid Nawaz, “Islam and the Future of Tolerance: A Dialogue” by Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz, “Why I Am Not a Muslim” and “Leaving Islam” by Ibn Warraq, “Faith vs. Fact” and “Why Evolution Is True” by Jerry A. Coyne, “Undeniable” by Bill Nye, “God: The Failed Hypothesis” and “God and the Folly of Faith” by Victor J. Stenger, “Science and Religion” by Daniel C. Dennett, “The Soul Fallacy” by Julien Musolino, “God Is Not Great” by Christopher Hitchens, “Nonbeliever Nation” by David Niose, “Freethinkers” by Susan Jacoby, “Nailed” by David Fitzgerald, and “Think” by Guy P. Harrison.

Are all Muslims terrorists? Or is Islam the Religion of Peace? In the United States we're forced to decide one way or another—instantly polarizing our politics, and deeply impacting our view of the world and ourselves. According to Pew Research, the top 5 concerns influencing how we voted in November were the economy, terrorism, foreign policy, healthcare, and guns—Trump’s electoral upset vividly revealing the endemic dissatisfaction with the status quo, and propelling the GOP back into the White House and control of Congress. With the perceived terror threat looming ever larger and so strikingly influencing public opinion, the key question for Americans now becomes: How can a free society successfully combat the menace of Islamist Terrorism, without also stigmatizing an entire religion and alienating billions of its adherents? Ali Rizvi’s THE ATHEIST MUSLIM provides many meaningful answers, while raising additional questions. Growing up in Libya, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia before emigrating to Canada and the United States, Dr. Rizvi is an amalgamation of East and West, and a free thinker best positioned to understand and help reconcile opposing points of view. His journey from religion to reason highlights the perils and potential of gaining enlightenment, and the vital importance of freeing ourselves from all forms of prejudice. At its core, Ali’s personal odyssey demonstrates how cultural identity can be completely detached from religious belief, paving the way for “Muslim” to be separated from “terrorist,” and “Islam” from being equated with “peace.” Engagingly written for a broad audience, THE ATHEIST MUSLIM does a masterful job of interweaving the personal with the historical with the political. Ali uses vivid and convincing examples to show how the American Right and Left are both Wrong regarding racial profiling on the one extreme, and apologizing for Islamist atrocities on the other. Balance must be found and nurtured through universal humanism, and the rejection of religious superstition used to justify bigotry and abuse on both sides. Ultimately, THE ATHEIST MUSLIM is a timely and essential call-to-arms. Ali wants his readers to know that millions of like-minded Muslims demand exactly the same values we espouse in America: Freedom, equality, and justice for all. But he warns that liberalism isn’t just about tolerance of dissent, but must proactively fight for the rights of all the oppressed. Progressive Muslims need our help—not only in fighting discrimination here in the States, but in calling out religious-sponsored abuse in their own countries. “The most important battle raging within the Muslim world today… is between the past and the future,” declares Ali. “And we must pick a side. In order to be true to our values, we must first be true to ourselves.” Staying true to his Muslim culture, Ali has also wisely chosen the future. In so doing he provides a powerful story to his compatriots at home yearning to do the same, while offering Americans a compassionate roadmap for ensuring both the defense of our country, and the defense of all our personal liberties. THE ATHEIST MUSLIM is therefore the most relevant and important book you'll read this year, so buy a copy, read it, and share your own review! #spreadtherizvi

In this book, Ali Rizvi makes a compelling case for why Islam not only needs to be reformed but also ideally must go through an "enlightenment" in order to catch up to modern values and scientific progress. He differs from fellow reformer Maajid Nawaz in that he does not believe there is a truly viable, intellectually honest, interpretation of the Quran commensurate with modernity. Rather, he wishes to see Islam go through an enlightenment and reach a point where there are "atheist muslims" just as there are "atheist" Jews and Christians--those who consider themselves members of a religion only insofar as they appreciate the cultural aspects of the religion while discarding, or at least de-prioritizing, most or all of the dogma. Rizvi also recounts his journey to atheism. I found his description of the key moments of his de-conversion and the big questions he grappled with that led him to atheism, especially given his particular background, very insightful and interesting. Reading about his thought process and how he transitioned from his traditional religious upbringing to a more moderate version of the same and finally to an "atheist muslim" was fascinating. The only significant weak point of this book is the occasionally disjointed, meandering, tangential structure. There is a decent amount of "fluff" that could have been excised, which would have made the key premises of the book more potent and impactful.

Are you a left-leaning intellectual who supports human rights, such as equal rights for homosexuals and people of color? Are you a feminist who supports equal rights for women? Do you follow the golden rule and treat others the way you want to be treated? Are you tired of right-wing attacks and bigotry against [insert minority] in this country, simply because they are non-white and/or non-Christian? Are you tired to see Fox News as the only media outlet mentioning the connection between terrorism and Islam each time there is a terrorist attack? Are you tired of hearing associations like CAIR say Islam is a religion of peace when we know it's not since it can't be criticized without fear of punishment? Are you tired of regressive leftists like Ben Affleck, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Glenn Greenwald, Reza Aslan who defend Islam after each terrorist attack? Are you happy to see rational thinkers like Bill Maher and Sam Harris who understand we can criticize the stupidity of religion (bad ideas) while respecting people (Muslims)? Do you understand that right-wing parties are being elected in 2016 in Europe and America precisely because of the failure of the left to address rationally the problems of mass immigration without strict integration to avoid ghettos and spread of Sharia? Do you understand that Jihadists blow themselves because they really believe 72 virgins are waiting for them in heaven, not just because of America's foreign policy? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then this book is for you. I knew going in that Ali Rizvi was a solid and honest intellectual who would be able to take on this difficult topic of Islam. I have to admit I had my suspicions going in that I wouldn't learn much given that I read everything from Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I am glad I was wrong. This book has a lot of new material for free thinkers. It must be added to your library like all the other classics on religion. Ali is a rare breed: a free-thinker atheist Muslim who is not afraid to speak up in a calm and rational manner. Please give him your support. Buy the Kindle book like I did and add the professional audio narration while you are at it.

Dr. Rizvi discusses growing up in a community of believers, his struggles with faith, to becoming an atheist. There is plenty of history, analysis of religious text, discussions about morality and/vs piety, psychology/sociology, science/philosophy, and current events. The book answers questions many often think about but dare not ask. I particularly enjoyed his thoughts on the Quran and confronting death as a non-believer. I would recommend this book to everyone; Muslims and non-Muslims, agnostics, and atheist. Many ex-Muslims are cut off from their families and friends; no one wants this, it doesn't have to be so, and Dr. Rizvi offers a way forward. The book deals with the subject respectfully, intellectually, and attempts to be as straight forward as possible, with a bit of humor to keep it interesting. I've read many books in this genre, this is one of best in terms of clarity, readability, and scope. Dr. Rizvi a medical doctor and loves science, his mode of thought share many similarities with R. Dawkins, arguably the world most famous atheist. The book is also unique in the being one of the first on the phenomenon of "atheist Muslims." My highest recommendations.

Read this book on a plane ride from SFO to Mumbai. Being a south Asian I could relate to many of the stories and anecdotes. However, I didn't go through a similar transition as the author. Born into a Hindu family, religion was never a huge part of my childhood other than celebrating festivals and practicing rituals. My family never forced me to follow or practice anything. Festivals were just parties and spending time with cousins and family. My outlook has always been secular (as defined in India) in nature and like most Hindus. Rejecting dogma was never a huge transition for me from where I was. The chapter I really appreciated is the last one on "Letting Go". Accepting there is nothing after you die is the hardest and I personally believe this is the one aspect why people stay religious and continue to subscribe to mumbo jumbo of religious teachings. In fact I felt it was so very insightful that I shared it with my wife who lost her father recently and was having trouble accepting his death. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

What an excellent book! Well-reasoned, crystal clear arguments. The criticism of the “regressive left” is well deserved by those liberals who do not stand for their values when it comes to radical Islam. “Why is it that rejecting illiberal ideas like misogyny and homophobia is a hallmark of liberalism, but when the exact same ideas are part of a religion like Islam, criticizing them becomes bigotry or Islamophobia?”, the author rightfully asks. The way the regressive left treats liberal ex-Muslims like Ayaan Hirsi Ali speaks miles about their intellectual capitulation and strange logics. Shame on them. They chose to be the “useful idiots” of Islamism. The author also discusses the prospects for reforming Islam. You might or might not agree with his arguments, and you might not share his optimism on this subject, but one can easily agree he has quite a few very good insights. Thank you Mr Ali, for writing this very important, enlightening and courageous book, and for your passionate yet quiet, honest and very clear argumentation. José Tomaz Veiga

Read as a memoir of the author's journey from growing up as a believer in Islam to rejecting the religion this is a good book. It clearly states what he finds wrong with Islam and by extension the other Abrahamic religions, namely Judaism and Christianity. Among other problems with Islam he explains why it is not a "religion of peace". But he never makes a positive argument for atheism. This isn't surprising it's common in books by "new atheists" to concentrate on what is wrong with various religions. But a positive case can be made and I think it should always be in a book purporting to be about atheism. There is one slight nod in that direction. He writes "But once we are on our own ... We have to learn to value truth over comfort -- and and comfort is what religion is so good at giving us, at least temporarily, until we can learn to derive comfort from truth." You can, and should come to value truth and that will inevitably lead to atheism. I recommend Sean Carroll's "The Big Picture" for how that works.

What a fascinating book. I could not put it down. It is filled with information and wisdom. It is a MUST book for anyone trying to understand Islam. Ali A. Rizvi's writing is always clear and cogent - such mastery of written language.

This book means a lot to me! Every word he wrote made a lot of sense to me and could relate to everything! How he separates the culture and religion aspect is beautiful! Kudos to you Ali for a well written and thoughtful book!

I make very few book recommendations but I feel morally obligated to make this one. Ali A Rizvi describes himself as an 'Atheist Muslim', and the best way to understand how on earth that phrase makes any sense is to read his book. Firstly, what this is not: It's not a manual for turning Muslims (or anyone else) into Atheists, nor is it a book of hatred directed at Muslims. Quite the contrary in fact, and you might be disappointed if you're looking for that. Dawkins and Hitch do make a few appearances though, and Atheists will still find it interesting. Canada-based, Pakistani-origin, Saudi-born Ali describes his own journey from being raised a practising (Shia) Muslim, towards leaving religion behind entirely though not his identity. He points out that the latter is inextricably linked with Islam, as is the identity of most people in Muslim societies such as the ones he grew up in [not unlike how non-believers in England might find their own identity rooted at least partly in the traditions of the CoE]. He explains the difference between 1) Islam - the religion, and the need for reform within it, 2) Islamism - the ideology that seeks to impose Islam on everyone, including through violent jihad, and 3) Muslims, the vast majority of whose main interest is in living a peaceful and moral life but who consider their religion infallible despite glaring causes of concern, and insist that Islamists are the ones getting it wrong while blaming Western imperialism and other such forces for any unpalatable stuff associated with Islam. He also points out that Western liberals have been guilty of shouting 'Islamophobia' and shutting down legitimate criticisms of Islam while having the (likely unintended) consequences of shutting down liberal and reforming Muslim voices, while emboldening bigots. He is insistent that Islam is an idea and must remain open to criticism, while Muslims are people and must not be subject to blanket bigotry. This includes ex-Muslims and other 'Muslimish' people who get it from both sides. The book highlights the need to acknowledge the many problems with a literal interpretation of Islam - something that not just well-intentioned liberals but even 'moderate' Muslims appear unable to do, having been fed a narrative of the infallibility of the Quran and harsh punishments for apostates, which in turn leads to apologism and desperate attempts to rationalise the naughty bits through intellectual dishonesty if not outright denial. Ali isn't asking Muslims to become Atheists at all. Only explaining why people like him end up moving away from religion and faith-based thinking, while making the point that the best way for Muslims of all degrees of faith to exist peacefully in the modern world is in secular societies that ensure freedom of religion while accepting that this also includes freedom *from* religion. In fact, he appears equal parts interested in addressing the incompatibility of literal interpretations of Islam with the modern world and in shielding everyday law-abiding Muslims (a surprising number of whom do not undertake such literal interpretations) from the hatred of those who are concerned by Islam but end up hating Muslims instead. His take is that there is good within Islam and the traditions that come out of it, while there is also a lot of crazy nonsense that can't simply be wished away just because peaceful Muslims get upset at having to reconcile this. Personally he holds on to the culture and heritage and his own identity shaped by the religion of his family while rejecting faith without evidence (and explains why); while making the case that all Muslims and people of Muslim heritage should be able to accept what they want without having to accommodate or explain away any anachronistic, inconsistent or downright immoral teachings. Ultimately the message is of unity and peace and not division; that achieving a sense of community and morality is accessible to all humans and can occur with or without faith in a paternalistic deity or practising a prescriptive religion. The faithful don't need to fear anything from this book - it does not proselytize. If nothing else, do read the letter he writes to someone seeking his help in understanding the death and mortality of a loved one from a non-religious perspective, which is especially touching. It's a scholarly, articulate and nuanced work, but still a breezy read, and I recommend it as essential reading for everyone - of any faith or none - with an interest in a peaceful world.

If you've read most of the popular modern atheist works out there (Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris), some of the material in this book will seem pretty familiar. However, there are sections in the book that were quite fresh to me, and in particular I enjoyed reading about the differences between 'identity' attributes we are assigned at birth versus those we acquire through learning (and how the former can actually impede the latter). Rizvi also includes several of his own stories which help to explain how his views on religion have evolved over time. While his views are mostly consistent with those of Dawkins, the tone is less strident, and he somehow manages to strike a balance between rationality and respect for the many good people who hold religious beliefs close to their hearts. Rizvi will not tell you that you shouldn't believe in God, nor will he ridicule you if you do. What he will tell you is that believing that any book (the Quran) or human (prophet Muhammad) can be 'perfect' or 'inerrant', and that they should set an example for all places and all time, is not only flawed but immensely destructive thinking. As the world becomes smaller and closer due to technology and globalization, we *all* need to open our minds and move forward together in order to get along with each other. If a significant portion of the population is still stuck in the 7th century... we see the results almost daily. This book is very well written, and I hope it reaches as many people as possible, particular the younger generations. While the author will undoubtedly be smeared by Islamists and regressive-leftists who think there should be no criticism of Islam whatsoever, there is nothing hateful or extreme in any of his writing. Rizvi advocates for progress, solidarity, and freedom of expression. Those responsible for the "Islamophobia" smear campaigns seem to be striving for division, tribalism and identity politics. What kind of future do you want for your children?

The Atheist Muslim is an honest personal account of how many individuals, especially our young minds today, think as they get brought up in a society with diverse religious zeitgeists. Ali has written this book from a unique perspective of someone who has been brought up in both the East and West and who struggled with the traditional unreformed religious values that so many of us have had to resolve. His story also considers why questioning or leaving the faith can register as an identity crisis. Ali's base arguments are not very different from that of traditional atheists, however, his account is very personable and weaves in history, scripture, politics, and psychology. I highly recommend this book to both non-believers, and especially, believers, as he rightly argues for not only the freedom from, but more importantly, freedom of religion.