The accidental exclusion of non-white atheists

| Alom Shaha | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, PZ Myers, James Randi … if you're a regular Cif belief reader, you'll already have spotted the pattern – these are the names of arguably the most prominent, outspoken atheists and "sceptics" in the world. There's something else you should notice – they are all white men. The atheist and sceptic movements are dominated by white men and I think this is a problem.

In a recent piece for the Guardian science blog, I highlighted the lack of high-profile women scientists on TV and why I thought it was important that this should be addressed. I was commended for this piece by many women, who felt that what I had written was important and that it was particularly powerful for having come from a man. I really don't want to come across as an Asian with a chip on my shoulder, so if you'd prefer to hear an argument from a white person about the need for the atheist movement to engage with minority groups, please stop reading now and watch this brilliant lecture by Greta Christina.

There are issues that black and Asian atheists face that white atheists do not, for example, greater pressure to adhere to the religion of the communities in which they live. Since first writing about my atheism in public, I have been contacted by a number of Asian people who don't believe in God but feel they have to carry on the pretence of being a Muslim because they genuinely fear that the consequences of "coming out" would be unbearable. They fear being ostracised from their family and friends, and "not being able to get married". Sure, there are some white people who might face these same issues, but I would suggest the problem is more widespread in, for example, some Muslim communities than in the typical readership of the Guardian.

These are issues that the white "leadership" of the atheist and sceptic movements have largely ignored because they are not issues that concern them. But these issues should concern all atheists – because if we are to be a "community", if, as so many of us want, we are to be given the same standing in society as people who identify with a religious group, then we must ensure that black and Asian people are not just made to feel welcome but actively encouraged to join atheist and sceptic movements.

I have been disappointed by the refusal of many atheists and sceptics I know to acknowledge that there is even a problem. Saying "there isn't a big conspiracy to keep black and Asian people out", is tragically missing the point.

Simply arguing that black or Asian people are free to go along to gatherings of atheists or sceptics is to ignore an uncomfortable truth: people tend to be more comfortable with people who are like them. Some of my Bangladeshi friends still find it awkward to socialise with my white friends, despite the fact they get on perfectly well with their white colleagues at work. This doesn't make them racist and it isn't necessarily because they feel white people are racist, it's just a consequence of the same thing that makes goth kids gravitate towards other goth kids and Asian kids gravitate towards other Asian kids on the first day of college.

While black and Asian people may not be actively excluded from atheist and sceptic gatherings, the lack of black and Asian people as speakers or audience members might be one reason why many black or Asian people feel such events are not "for them". So, even if there's no deliberate exclusion, there is accidental exclusion. Perhaps some people are genuinely unaware of this, but perhaps others are just hoping the problem does not really exist.

I have not written this to accuse anyone of being racist, but rather to plead with those who are in a position to do something to stop turning a blind eye to this important issue. I know from personal experience that there are many black and Asian atheists out there who feel very alone – please reach out to them specifically, not generally.

If, like me, you believe the atheist and sceptic movements can be huge forces for good, please do more to reach out to your "brothers" and "sisters" in all communities because, to paraphrase Greta Christina, "religion hurts black people just as much as it hurts white people, in many ways more so".

via ScribeFire