Interview with Armin Navabi Founder of Atheist Republic

Armin Navabi (photo by Sassan Sanei)

May 13, 2017
Scott Jacobsen

Armin Navabi is the Founder of the Atheist Republic. One of the most popular pages on Facebook for atheists that has faced repeated censorship and shutdown from Facebook authorities. He was born in Tehran and raised as a Muslim. Now, he is an ex-Muslim and an atheist living in Vancouver, British Columbia. Here is his story.

*Interview edited for clarity and readability.*

Scott Jacobsen: So, to begin, let’s talk about your background to set the framework. You were a practising Muslim. Now, you’re an ex-Muslim. What is the story there?

Armin Navabi: I was born in Tehran into a very Liberal family that was Muslim by name, but not so much in terms of devout practice. But I took it seriously when I started going to school. What happened is that from a very early age, I was very worried about ending up in hell. Hell is really terrifying. Right? Most people didn’t take it seriously. I took it very seriously.

Most people around me also didn’t really practice it. But I really, really wanted to make sure that I never ended up in hell. It was eternal torture. Most people were worried about their careers, their grades, their next party, and so on. Nobody seemed to worry about the real possibility of burning forever. Even though, they all thought this was a real thing. So it seemed to me like it should be the highest priority to avoid. Right?

https://conatusnews.com/interview-armin-navabi-atheist-republic/