“I see God in the flowers, but they see Him in the grave.” These are the words of Omar Batawil, a 17-year-old Yemeni who was murdered in April 2016 over Facebook posts that earned him charges of atheism. Omar criticized those whom he called “the merchants of religion” and he paid a high price for this opinion – his life. Omar is not the only one to have been killed for his criticism of the religious class or for his opinion on confessional issues, and is among several young people, mostly under the age of 20, liquidated for freely expressing their opinion on belief in God.
Religion is a hotly debated topic in many youth groups in Yemen, but very little in the public sphere. Faith and the ubiquity of religious texts have become topics many people discuss on social media. Some even reveal their opinions publicly, despite the danger this presents in a country plagued by war, generalized crisis and armed religious parties. I contacted several of these young people leading groups of “atheists” on social networks, in order to understand why they had renounced religion.
“I am torn between what I read and what I see in the world, and what is happening in my city, explains Mohsen, 19.
I am no longer convinced by what I hear at the mosque, whether it is the prayers about our misfortune or the forgiveness that must be addressed to people who do not think or pray like us. Why not call for reconciliation?”
“Today I live in Yemen, but I have friends in many countries via the Internet, with whom I share opinions. […] Destruction is what surrounds me in Yemen. I can’t be myself. I’m afraid of being killed. Did you know that changing your haircut is enough to risk prison? I hope to emigrate to forget everything I learned here
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Source of the article
Daraj (Beyrouth)Daraj, “Escalier”, is an alternative information site born in 2017 in Beirut. Its editorial team is made up of professional journalists from Lebanon and other Arab countries. Through its headings, the site contrasts with the traditional Arab media, giving a real place to reporting and investigation. Several of his subjects are also rare, even non-existent, in the other media of the region: civil rights, genderlibido, homosexuality, fake news…
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