For the last 6 months, I’ve been under intense atheist influence and this is due to my interest in the fact of evolution. Richard Dawkins and his boys Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett are probably the most outspoken critics of religion and this is evident in their books, talks, speeches, and lectures. But are they really opposed to religion or are they religious (maybe religioulus) themselves? To me, a somewhat practicing Muslim, these fellows are religious people in every sense of the word. Let me demonstrate that by comparing it with my religion Islam.

Islam: there’s no God but Allah, Muhammad is His Messenger, and the Qur’an is the book

THE SYMBOL OF ISLAM

Atheism: there’s no God but natural selection, Darwin is its messenger, and the Origin of Species is the book

THE SYMBOL OF ATHEISM

Islam: slogan: peace. It’s all about inner peace and liberation through obedience to God

THE ISLAMIC SLOGAN

Atheism: slogan: reason. It’s all about being intelligent and liberating one’s self from the constraints of religion.

THE ATHEIST SLOGAN OF SAM HARRIS

Islam: the Qur’an is the book always referenced in any Islamic work throughout the ages

Atheism: the Origin of Species is the book always referenced by atheists and Dawkins himself admitted that. Just read any book on evolution and The Origin is always referenced.

Islam: the city of Mekka is the place of pilgrimage and the Muslim world’s centre of the universe. This is where the prophet Muhammad received his final revelation

MUSLIMS MAKE PILGRIMAGE TO MAKKAH

Atheism: the Galapagos Islands are the atheists’ centre of gravity. These are where Darwin got his inspiration

DAWKINS MAKING PILGRIMAGE TO THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

Islam: Muslims always refer to their own scholars, intellectuals, etc… and feel it unnecessary to refer to others when it comes to how one should run her/his affairs

Atheism: just like us, atheists have their own scholars and intellectuals who tell them how to run their lives without the need to refer to “infidels” outside the fold

Islam: some Muslim are very passionate about defending their way and they harshly criticize others. Salafees  are a good example (of course not all of them)

PASSIONATE (MUSLIM) FANATIC

Atheism: some atheists are very passionate about their way too! Consider Dawkins as an example

PASSIONATE (ATHEIST) FANATIC

For all the abovementioned reasons, I bare witness that atheism is just a religion like any other religion. The only difference is that they went one God further!