Chris Stedman, author of the forthcoming book Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious, notes that “there are worrying indicators that public figures in the atheist movement are perpetuating and enabling a hostile stance toward Muslims – in many cases, above and beyond the criticisms they direct at other religious communities”.
He also criticises the failure of many of his fellow atheists to speak out when ethno-religious minorities are targeted, adding: “silence about the recent spike in bias and violence directed at Muslims, Sikhs, Arabs, and others isn’t a problem exclusive to the atheist community, but by neglecting to tackle it, the atheist movement is opting out of an important conversation about the mistreatment of certain minority groups in the United States”.
