My Perspective on Atheism versus Theism

Syed Kamran Mirza

New York City, USA

[email protected]

Recently in NFB, Mr. K. Rahman has made several despotic comments that are utterly ridiculous, unfounded, illogical and deserve strong rebuttals.  Avijit, Aparthib Zaman and Shabbir Ahmed did splendid job of rebutting those hilarious logic of Mr. Rahman.  Because of the ridiculous writing style of Mr. Rahman (not putting quotations inside inverted coma), readers had difficulty in understanding, as to, who was talking what in his article.  However, it is a well-known fact that there is an erroneous common perspective in general that religion makes human beings perfect, kind hearted and impeccable person. This is only a century-old hypothesis, which has no practical impact at all.  Sometimes ago, Mr. Aparthib Zaman wrote an excellent article in this forum with strong inconvertible logic and philosophical arguments to prove that religion has no strong basis to make a human being moral.  But, Mr. Rahman is telling us completely a different story.  According to him, all religious persons are good humans and conversely, non-religious persons are bad humans.  In this essay, I shall use some historical facts to prove that Mr. Rahman’s theory has flaws and incongruity.     

As Mr. Rahman says:

“I was not talking about any tom, dick or harry. I was talking about two institutions, i.e., atheism and theism [strictly speaking: ISLAM]. Islam in its institutional form of authority in ISLAMIC EMPIRE simply did not commit any genocide or demonstrate murderous behavior. Atheism appeared in institutional form in COMMUNISM and was a deadly blood thirsty institution”.

Let us examine how Mr. Rahman is right in his assertion.  According to his theory of institution—all communist countries are grouped into one institution-COMMUNISM.  On the other hand, all religious countries are grouped into one institution-THEISM.  Let me take first:

THE INSTITUTION OF COMMUNISM (ATHEISTS):

The following were the communist countries: USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Mongolia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, China, Vietnam, North Korea, Cambodia, Cuba etc. were ruled (some are still ruling) by the constitution/doctrine of the Communism.  As per I know the constitution or doctrines of the Communism is the best possible pro-people constitution in the whole world.  Even the most pro-people constitution of USA is of no comparison with the constitution of Communism.  Truly speaking, in theory, constitutional decrees of Communism are much more pro-peoples than the constitutional decrees of Capitalist America, although practically it has been proven quite opposite.  Nevertheless, the book of the Communist Constitution never ever contains any order to:  kill, hate, oppress, subjugate and punish any believers, non-believers or other race and creeds.

According to Mr. Rahman communism means an institution of atheists and this institution therefore should commit killings and every countries under communism must have killing fields throughout the country, because they are atheists.  Now world knows—only some particular leader (not every leaders) in USSR, China and Cambodia had committed some political killings, again those killings did happen only under certain particular dictators like Stalin, Palpot, Mao Tse-tung, etc.  Even in Russia—other rulers like Nikita Khrushchev, Gorbachev and others did not commit mass killings.  Therefore, we did not see any general trend of killings in every Communist country.  A vast majority of Communist countries (mentioned above) never had any such political mass killings.  Cuban President Fiddle Castro is ruling Cuba for forty some years by strict Communist constitution.  Was there any evidence that Fiddle Castro did mass killings in Cuba?  Certainly not!   So where does stand the very ludicrous theory of Mr. Rahman that, Communism must commit mass killings?  Besides, mass killings in communist countries were never documented like the killing fields of two World Wars; hence most of them were simply propagandas by Capitalist world during the Cold War period.  Now let us draw our attention to the history of those countries ruled by theists.

THE INSTITUTION OF THEISM (BELIEVRS):

Let us take some prominent Strict Islamic Countries:  Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, and Sudan whose constitution is Islamic Shariaat (Quran and Hadiths).  In the constitution (Quran and Hadiths) of these Islamic countries—there are plenty of scriptural (constitutional) orders to: kill , oppress, subjugate, punish all non-believers, other believers. Also there are plenty of orders to  suppress/oppress/subjugate women and minorities (Dhimmis).   So what have we seen in these three countries of strong believers? Let us check one at a time:

In Iran: After the Islamic revolution Ayatollah Ruhulollah Khomeni immediately killed (by execution) tens of thousands so-called anti-revolutionist Iranians.  He brought death upon another million young boys during the eight years of war with Iraq.  After that this Islamic regime of strong believers continued endless killings and tortures to tens of thousands of innocent Iranians in the name of saving Islam and Allah.

In Saudi Arabia: A total despotic tyrannical dictatorship with sporadic killings by beheading, maiming, tortures of its citizen is routine.  Oppression and subjugation of women and minority (of course no minority exists) are rampant.

In Afghanistan:  Needless to mention that this true Islamic country is the reminiscent of modern day Caliphate of 7^th century Arab.  Killings, tortures, subjugating, suppressing people’s rights, suppressing women’s and minority’s rights are routine. In short one can say that—no civilized people can live in Afghanistan today. This country is the most black spot of the Islamic world today!

In Sudan: Since the inception of Islamic Govt. in Sudan, sectarian fights between Muslims and Christians are rampant, which had taken the life of tens of thousands of innocent human beings.

SO WHAT ARE WE OBSERVING IN THESE THEISTS RULED COUNTRIES MR. RAHMAN?

Let us take some prominent countries ruled by the rulers who is a believer or theist:

Germany, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan, Uganda, etc., are some countries ruled by believers (and not by an atheist).

Germany:  In the Second World War, Adolph Hitler killed an estimated 20-30 million peoples.   Hitler was a Christian and strong believer (not an atheist) yet Hitler was a demon diabolic killer.  When he became the glorious leader of Germany, Adolph Hitler thought that God’s invisible hands were behind his success.  He incited his young followers to kill all Jews and Communists to please Christian God. (Personal diary of Adolph Hitler by: Adolph Hitler—Translated by Rukhsini Proshad Battacherji ).

Indonesia: A Muslim Country having rulers who believed in God’s existence unlike an atheist who does not believe in existence of any personal God.  What have we seen there?  Does any body remember Indonesian Military coup in 1965?   In October 1965, more than one million Communist workers and peasants were brutally slaughtered in the name of saving democracy and Islam by a organized army coup led by General Suharto, which swept aside Indonesia and simply wiped out Communist Party (PKI) within a few days of massive killings. In this cruel ordeal—Indonesian Mullahs gave full hand supports to General Suharto.  These were all THEIST PEOPLE INDEED WHO DID THE KILLINGS IN Indonesia.  Where stands the theory of Mr. Rahman?

Pakistan:  In 1971, during the glorious Independence struggle of Bangalees, Pakistani soldiers who were theist/believers killed three million innocent peoples (Adam Santaan), raped 250,000 women and destroyed Billions of dollars worth property.  All most 98% percent of all Mullahs, Maulanas, Madrassah students of Bangladesh helped Pak army in this brutal killing, and raping of Bangalees.  Tikka, Niazi, Yahya they all were Muslims and believers indeed.  So, where lies your theory Mr. Rahman?

Iraq: President Saddam Hussein who is known as a diabolic killer is a true believer.  To many a Muslims, he is a Islamic hero who fought, or fighting infidels for the cause of Islam.  This demon, diabolic Muslim killed tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi peoples.  He used weapons of mass destruction (Chemical weapons) to kill several Kurd villages where he annihilated thousands of human beings.  He even killed his own son-in-laws, nephews and other nearest relatives, and still continued assassinating peoples who opposes him.  Where lies your theory, Mr. Rahman?

Uganda:  Dada Idi Amin of Uganda was a true Muslim/believer who slaughtered tens of thousands of peoples.  It was told that, he was a diabolic terrorizing ruler who was also a cannibal who loved to eat human liver and flesh.  So, where lies your theory, may I ask you Mr. Rahman?

Now let us deal with the Institution of the Prophets:

Prophet Moses: was a blamed for killing human beings who fought wars and killed peoples at war and also killed people who surrendered him.

Jesus: Jesus was an extremely kind-hearted forgiving Prophet.  This prophet asked to forgive all sinners, love all sinners, never kill any body, never take any revenge, and love your archenemy.  Even love and forgive thieves and prostitutes. He used to advise his disciples to conquer enemy’s hearts by love and forgiveness.

Muhammad: This Prophet of Islam, though in his early life was a peaceful, honest guy, begun his venture of establishing his new religion Islam by force. From the very early period he started a collision course with the pagan Arabs and used his sword to overcome all resistances from his rivals. In many wars, and in many secret conspiracies he killed tens of thousands of peoples who opposed Islam. He hired killers to annihilate his rivals by luring peoples with the dazzling heavenly pleasures and happiness. He even killed surrendered unarmed war prisoners in the Khyber and Quraiza war.

Buddha: was a Prophet who never killed any life (Humans, Animals, Insects etc.). He asked his followers to love, forgive and never kill even a Mosquito.  

So what should be our honest and sincere conclusion by the above survey of world’s history? Here in the Prophetic institution also we have seen no consistency at all.  We neither can claim that anybody who is a Prophet should be a killer/demon, nor can we say that anybody who is a Prophet should be a merciful, kind hearted benevolent human being! 

When Aparthib Zaman and others pointed their fingers towards Yahya and Tikka khan’s cruelties then Mr. Rahman said, “Yahya or Tikka khan did not represent any Islamic institution. They represented a traditional power institution”.  Well Mr. Rahman, could you tell us why Stalin, Polpot and Mao Tse-tung could not be considered just as the likes of Tikka khan, Yahya who also represented a traditional power institution?

In his flip-flop sidetracking of real answer to those questions asked by Shabbir Ahmed, Aparthib Zaman and others, Mr. Rahman tried to get excused by saying: “well, Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan is not the real Islam!”  Now the question is what is real Islam?  And where lies the real Islam?  Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia are being ruling by pure Islamic Shariaat (Quran and Sunnah). My fervent request to Mr. Rahman or any other Islamists -- please, could you give us just FIVE good reasons/criteria, as to why, we should not call Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia a true Islamic Country?  Your FIVE reasons must have supports from Quran and hadiths.

Conclusion:

Truth of the matter is — to be a tyrant killer, one does not have to be either an atheist, nor theism is the prerequisite qualification for a killer.  More or less, people of both camps (atheism and theism) could turn into a despotic tyrant killer anywhere and everywhere in this world.  Modern science has proved with well-founded theory that, killer instinct of a human being lies in his genetic make-up.  And this genetic predisposing factor may get even stronger/worst by political strength and dictatorship.   Nevertheless, a careful survey of world history will tell exactly the opposite of what Mr. Rahman asserted in his first essay that atheism insist killing spree in human minds.  To the contrary, the world history will tell us that it was the THEISM incited killing spree among the people for thousands of years.  THEISM vehemently divided the human race for thousands of years causing tremendous harms to humans.  Religions or belief systems of various types are the most prominent cause of blood shed in the mankind’s history.  No other single factor killed so many peoples than the total number of peoples killed by the religion, for the religion and of the religion in the whole mankind’s history.  Even today, religions are the main factor of sectarian killings in Pakistan, Sudan, Philippine, Indonesia and many other countries of the world. Even the social oppressions and economic corruption runs high in those countries ruled by theist person (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, India, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, etc.), but social oppressions/corruption are much less in those countries ruled by atheists rulers (Singapore, Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand etc.).  I have a bitter personal true observation that tells me that the THEIST people are more inclined to commit crime than ATHEIST people, which I will bring in this forum sometimes next.  Let me conclude this essay with a famous quote: