Public Arab Skeptics: The Definitive List
Errrm... What?
Define your terms. What is a "public Arab skeptic", according to you?
public: someone that engages the public, rather than "my drinking buddy Ahmed is a skeptic and arab".
Arab: someone who is of the arabic speaking peoples, generally from the middle east or north africa.
skeptic: someone who identifies as a skeptic, who prefers empiricism and doubt to believing in things on "faith".
IllegalArgument
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Ah, I see. You are looking for...
public (Arab skeptics)
Not...
(public Arab) skeptics.
That is, you are looking for Arabs who are skeptics, and who are well-known as such. And presumably you mean skeptical of various Arab political processes and machinations, and possibly even of Arab religion (or that they may be atheist).
Just clarifying the situation. Thanks.
public (Arab skeptics)
Not...
(public Arab) skeptics.
That is, you are looking for Arabs who are skeptics, and who are well-known as such. And presumably you mean skeptical of various Arab political processes and machinations, and possibly even of Arab religion (or that they may be atheist).
Just clarifying the situation. Thanks.
Can you read Arabic? I'm asking since I think it is going to be rather difficult to collate such a list without being able to read their blogs etc.
I can not. I'm interested in those as well, but of course it will be more helpful to know about those who write and publish in English, too.
IllegalArgument
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Ibn Warraq seems like type of skeptic you are looking for.
Dawkins referred to him a few times in "The God Delusion".
Dawkins referred to him a few times in "The God Delusion".
Yes but it seems "Ibn Warraq" is a psuedonym, so he doesn't quite fit the "public" requirement.
Ali Sina seems to be a great example though. There must be others?
IllegalArgument
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Considering how dangerous it is to be an Arab, who is skeptical of Islam, it's not surprising that most keep their details private.
What are you aiming for?
Oh, yeah GET BACK TO WORK.
I'm sure it's not surprising that most remain anonymous. That's why I'm interested in the few who choose to be public.
I'm not sure if he counts. He certainly is anti-fundamentalist and pro-liberalism in governance, but he also seems to be more of a self-identified magical realist than a skeptic.
Yes. I think it would be difficult if not oxymoronic to be a Muslim skeptic, like a christian skeptic.
But I am interested in folks that come from muslim communities and have muslim parents, but choose to be skeptics. For example Indonesian, Pakistani, & Iranian skeptics.
I'm not sure if Ghada Jamsir has declared herself to be a skeptic, but she sure seems like one.
By the way, people from Iran are not Arabs so you're leaving out a lot of candidates.
By the way, people from Iran are not Arabs so you're leaving out a lot of candidates.
Wafa Sultan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wafa_Sultan
She is a very courageous woman, there is a classic debate she had with a radical muslim some time ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wPglHZQf-0
She is a very courageous woman, there is a classic debate she had with a radical muslim some time ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wPglHZQf-0