Can I safely travel to the Middle East? What will the Muslims do to me if they find this out?
2006-09-18 03:07:15 · 31 answers · asked by SPOOKY 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Hypothetical question. I'd never travel there.
2006-09-18 03:10:35 · update #1
Great answers, folks. Thank you. You all deserve a thumbs up, but I'm only a level one. Sorry.
2006-09-18 03:16:07 · update #2
Every single one of you gave wonderful answers, and I thank you for taking the time to do so. There's a funny answer that I am just dying to choose, but I'm awarding the points to Salient2 instead. Salient2 gave actual advice that someone may find beneficial to their survival someday. Thanks, Salient2 for a great answer.
2006-09-18 10:54:47 · update #3
I am an athiest and I lived in the Most Religious Country in the Middle East ( Saudi Arabia ) for three years and I was fine. Just:
Don't Drink or Eat in public during the day during the month of Ramadan.
Don't Associate with Women except your wife
Don't Be critical of Mohammad
Be careful Driving
Avoid Alcohol or Drugs
Don't disobey any laws
Carry enough cash to bribe police.
As an atheist you are actually better off than being a Christian since you don't need to worry about getting caught practicing christian cult practices. And Muslims will understand your rejection of Christianity since they reject much of it as well.
2006-09-18 03:17:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whether Atheist or Christian or anything else besides Muslim you are defined as an infidel in Muslim culture. Regardless, your atheism is not likely to be the defining trait you bring to the region. You are far more likely to encounter issues as an American/non-arab.
To ask if you can travel to the "Middle East" is pretty broad. There are a lot of different spots you could travel to, some extremely dangerous, some relatively safe. The fact of your atheism really will not come into play unless you make a habit of shouting your non-faith from the rooftops and/or getting into religeous themed arguments in bars.
2006-09-18 10:13:24 · answer #2 · answered by Isaac H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atheists aren't in the habit of proselytizing, unlike christians, and many muslims know it. It shouldn't be a problem as long as you're not telling people what to think. Many christians, on the other hand, can't grasp that concept:
- The Korean who got his head cut off in Iraq? He was caught trying to stink up the place with his religion.
- Some christians have been run out of Indonesia for proselytizing to students they were supposed to be teaching English to.
- The Yanks who were arrested in Afghanistan a few years ago and were facing execution after being accused of proselytizing? They denied it and got help from the US government to leave Afghanistan...then admitted, when they were safely back in the US, that they WERE spewing religious crap. They should have been executed by the Taliban.
- When the tsunami hit in December 2004, there were at least a dozen proven instances of christian groups saying to muslims, buddhists, hindus and sikhs, "We'll give you food and water *IF* you convert to christianity". Who knows how many more?
Go ahead and tell them you're an atheist. Just be sure to say that you're not there to change their minds, and you're not interested in joining their religion. A little mutual respect goes a long way.
But be sure to tell them your parents raised you as an atheist, even if you were a christian at one time. They don't like "apostates", not even non-muslims (because christians, muslims and jews worship the same "god").
.
2006-09-18 10:33:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Do you regularly go about telling people about your Atheism? Do you wear a big ATHEIST sign?
If you answered no to all of these questions, then you have nothing to worry about.
... but I wouldn't wear any big "I'M AN AMERICAN!!!" pins if I were you.
And regardless what the people above are saying... there are several countries in the Middle East that are great to visit. The United Arab Emirates are amazing to visit.
2006-09-18 10:10:16 · answer #4 · answered by Village Idiot 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is no safe place for the atheists.
When you had no belief in the eternal existence of the soul, you would have tremendous fear of the physical death, and this is your constant fear everywhere at every moment. Before facing the threat of Muslims in the Middle East, your mind is already full of the fear of microbes, of poisonous water, of polluted air, of contaminated food, of all sorts of natural calamities and social vices...
Yes, you never have any safety on this corrupted, polluted, rebellious world!
2006-09-18 10:22:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure anyone can travel safely to the middle east at this point in time.
2006-09-18 10:10:12 · answer #6 · answered by reverenceofme 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't matter what your beiief system is...READ THE Q'RAN
ANYONE who does not bow to Allah (the false muslim) god is to be slayed, beheaded, etc...according to the Q'ran...
Hang on let me find you some quotes from the Q'ran
The Qur'an tells muslims to kill and go to war to fight for Islam: Quran, chapters (Surahs) 9:5; 2:191; 2:193; 3:118; 4:75,76; 5:33, 8:12; 8:65; 9:73,123; 33:60-62.
"And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers, (Quran 2:191).
"When thy Lord inspired the angels, (saying): I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger. 13That is because they opposed Allah and His messenger. Whoso opposeth Allah and His messenger, (for him) lo! Allah is severe in punishment," (Quran 8:12).
"...the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and the agitators in the city do not desist... 61Cursed: wherever they are found they shall be seized and murdered, a (horrible) murdering. 62(Such has been) the course of Allah with respect to those who have gone before; and you shall not find any change in the course of Allah, (Quran 33:60-62).
There are many more..but I think you get the point
2006-09-18 10:19:18 · answer #7 · answered by heresyhunter@sbcglobal.net 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think you know the answer to that, if it is found out, you most likely will suffer the same fate as Nick Berg (dont lose your head)
Islam States that you will be converted by the sword, so I wouldnt if I were you,,just being an american will get you killed, Islam or not.
2006-09-18 10:12:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No one is safe in the Middle East.
2006-09-18 11:41:01 · answer #9 · answered by Alexander Shannon 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They would probably try to convert you once you proved to them that you were not a Christian or a Jew. You would probably be quite safe if you could convince them that you were some nationality other than American or British. Canadian would probably be a sake English-speaking nationality to claim as Canadians are usually neutral about everything.
2006-09-18 10:15:42 · answer #10 · answered by Preacher 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋