A group of freethinkers is ramping up their efforts to counter attempts by certain ‘neo-atheists’ to promote Islamophobia under the guise of religious criticism.
Neo-atheists gained prominence in the early 2000s for vocally critiquing religions. Activists from the Yukthivadi Sangham, the freethinkers’ group, argue that the actions of neo-atheists only serve to validate those who sow mistrust and fear about Muslims in society.
At Fanos 2023, an event organized by the Sangham in Kozhikode, Dr. C. Viswanathan, a professional orthopedic surgeon, delivered a lecture on the theme of ‘Anti-Muslim feelings and freethinkers.’ He drew parallels between the tactics of neo-atheists and Adolf Hitler’s post-World War I fearmongering about Jews in Germany.
Dr. Viswanathan contended that the neo-atheists were employing tactics such as spreading fake tweets and unauthorized texts on the internet to stoke fear about Muslims in India. He emphasized that even unverified comments were being promoted as authentic information to tarnish the image of Muslims.
The Sangham representatives claimed that this propaganda coincides with a period when the Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling party in India, lacks elected members in Parliament or State Assemblies from the Muslim community, which constitutes about 20% of the country’s population.
They alleged that the neo-atheists often presented dry facts devoid of context or social commitment.
Other topics discussed at the meeting included ‘The origin of the Quran,’ ‘Science and the influence of caste and religion,’ ‘Psychology behind superstitions,’ and ‘Unexplored aspects of identity politics.’ The event was attended by people from districts in north Kerala.
