Are Muslims in Muslim ruled countries de-converting covertly?
Going secular and rejecting support for Islamism?
The recent opinion data supports “yes” to the second question — which leaves the first one on much too soft ground to conclude a real “yes”. Let’s see fundamental policy changes in Islamic nations first, I say. But the shifts described are very fast and very recent. So, we have to wait it out.
Yesterday, I suggested that Al Qaida (“The Base”) leader Bin Laden, who never went further West than Beruit before their civil war, embraced the threat to Islam identified by an Egyptian Sayyid Qutb, who went to study in the US in Greeley, Colorado in the 1950s. And I ask, are we seeing Bin Laden’s fears today come true?
Here’s an AI SUMMARY about the Grandfather of Al Qaida: “Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian scholar who spent time in Greeley, Colorado, is often referred to as the intellectual father of al-Qaeda due to his influential writings that inspired [the recent resurgent] militant Islam. His experiences in America shaped his views and fueled his contempt for Western society, which later contributed to the ideology of al-Qaeda.” Specifically, he was appalled at the open flirting by women at conservative weekend dances in the early 1950s.
In short, he believed Western urbanizing norms liberating the female would destroy Islamic civilization by overturning patriarchal hierarchy, thereby completely corrupting it.
The Based Camp channel with young host parents Malcolm and Simone Collins title this last Tuesday’s video “Islam vs Cell Phones: [the latter zooming up, and] Islam [self-identification falling] Down 25%”.
The primary source of data spoken about is from Arab Barometer, which has conducted at least some 70,000 in person interviews in 15 Arab countries (similar to Pew Research 20 years ago). They lay these findings out in the opening many minutes — THIS is fascinating!
FROM THE EPISODE DESCRIPTION
“In this episode of Based Camp, Malcolm and Simone Collins examine the rapid secularization underway in many Muslim-majority countries—often at a faster proportional rate than Christianity’s decline in the West. They walk through Arab Barometer and related data showing sharp rises in secular identification from 2012–2019 in Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt, followed by a partial rebound in the early 2020s.
“The conversation covers declining trust in Islamist parties (Muslim Brotherhood, Ennahda, Justice and Development Party), sub-replacement fertility across much of the region, and existential water scarcity in Egypt and Iran.
“They then dig into the drivers of deconversion: smartphone access to historical sources, the Islamic slave trade’s scale and character, Muhammad’s documented ownership of slaves (including Black slaves), Aisha’s age in the Hadith literature, key Quranic verses on women, violence, sexual slavery, apostasy, and internal inconsistencies.
“Malcolm ranks the most common reasons people report leaving Islam, notes the heavy influence of modern egalitarian (“urban monoculture”) values, and offers a Techno-Puritan perspective on whether the tradition can be reconciled with reality-affirming religion.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IxhBHF5LfE&t=2405s
HERE IS THE KEY QUESTION posed by this data’s findings: Is Islamic belief declining in their homelands faster than Christianity is drying up in the West? Or is change this illusory?
TJ, I knew many secularized Muslims during my two years in Cairo. I also know that there are quite a few “quiet” Christian conversions. These have to be undercover because radical Muslims are dangerous, and because Egyptian law can strip converts of their property and marriages. The numbers would have to become very large for those laws to change.
Christian sources also talk about massive conversion numbers inside Iran, and large numbers of non-religious nominal Muslims.
Random thoughts on a random topic on a random open thread. There is a post over on Instapundit titled Why are online motorcycle forums drying up and dying? and it touched a nerve and created a moment of realization. I have no idea if they’re right, but I can testify that it is happening and more so.
I have a lot of hobbies, and when the internet exploded in the 90’s all hobbies went on-line, and actually it was one of the greatest things in the entire world. The wealth of information, GREAT information, that was getting exchanged was amazing. Motorcycle’s are just one example, Parts, accessories, someone on the forum had your make and model and you could learn from their mistakes. Other threads on the forum had great info on cool routes in your area, or some place you were going.
Hiking forums quite literally changed my life. I met people with highly localized knowledge of remote locations. I trusted them so much I found myself in the middle of the kinds of places you don’t see other people for days.
Astronomy forums too. But all of these forums, across the board, not just motorcycles, were once vibrant and are now on life support. Some have even ceased to be. I went to pull up a hiking forum from back in the day to get some archival info I wanted and couldn’t find any evidence it ever existed.
Speaking of motorcycles, I had my first encounter with an electric motorcycle recently. I was out and about on mine and saw a motorcycle that looked a bit different, and I thought it might be electric. I spent a good mile or two trying to catch up to it, and eventually did when he hit a red light. He had his right turn signal on and I was going that way too and I pulled up beside him, just long enough to ask if it was electric (it was) and how he liked it. He said it was great and you couldn’t believe the acceleration. It was just then the light was about to turn so I said, “OK, show me.” When we both straightened up after the right turn I was giving it everything my bike had and it was comical how fast he accelerated away. It looked like a cartoon, I felt silly even trying to keep up. Anyway, now I’m obsessed with test riding one.
@Mike Plaiss: When we both straightened up after the right turn I was giving it everything my bike had and it was comical how fast he accelerated away.
Electric motors have very high torque at 0 rpm. (I think steam engines can as well.) Had you both already been at speed it’s possible it could have come out differently.
Yes, my understanding of electric is that it’s all about the instant response. Plus it had a motor powering each wheel.
Good video! I was left wondering how it happens that the bees seem to make one uniform size of the honeycomb’s tubes?
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Speaking of bees, the Babylon Bee:
https://babylonbee.com/news/thousands-of-accountants-board-higgins-boats-in-preparation-for-economic-d-day-against-iran
What about orb weaving spiders in space on LSD? That was a NASA science experiment.
“thousands-of-accountants-board-higgins-boats-in-preparation-for-economic-d-day-against-iran”
😀
Are Muslims in Muslim ruled countries de-converting covertly?
Going secular and rejecting support for Islamism?
The recent opinion data supports “yes” to the second question — which leaves the first one on much too soft ground to conclude a real “yes”. Let’s see fundamental policy changes in Islamic nations first, I say. But the shifts described are very fast and very recent. So, we have to wait it out.
Yesterday, I suggested that Al Qaida (“The Base”) leader Bin Laden, who never went further West than Beruit before their civil war, embraced the threat to Islam identified by an Egyptian Sayyid Qutb, who went to study in the US in Greeley, Colorado in the 1950s. And I ask, are we seeing Bin Laden’s fears today come true?
Here’s an AI SUMMARY about the Grandfather of Al Qaida: “Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian scholar who spent time in Greeley, Colorado, is often referred to as the intellectual father of al-Qaeda due to his influential writings that inspired [the recent resurgent] militant Islam. His experiences in America shaped his views and fueled his contempt for Western society, which later contributed to the ideology of al-Qaeda.” Specifically, he was appalled at the open flirting by women at conservative weekend dances in the early 1950s.
In short, he believed Western urbanizing norms liberating the female would destroy Islamic civilization by overturning patriarchal hierarchy, thereby completely corrupting it.
The Based Camp channel with young host parents Malcolm and Simone Collins title this last Tuesday’s video “Islam vs Cell Phones: [the latter zooming up, and] Islam [self-identification falling] Down 25%”.
The primary source of data spoken about is from Arab Barometer, which has conducted at least some 70,000 in person interviews in 15 Arab countries (similar to Pew Research 20 years ago). They lay these findings out in the opening many minutes — THIS is fascinating!
FROM THE EPISODE DESCRIPTION
“In this episode of Based Camp, Malcolm and Simone Collins examine the rapid secularization underway in many Muslim-majority countries—often at a faster proportional rate than Christianity’s decline in the West. They walk through Arab Barometer and related data showing sharp rises in secular identification from 2012–2019 in Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt, followed by a partial rebound in the early 2020s.
“The conversation covers declining trust in Islamist parties (Muslim Brotherhood, Ennahda, Justice and Development Party), sub-replacement fertility across much of the region, and existential water scarcity in Egypt and Iran.
“They then dig into the drivers of deconversion: smartphone access to historical sources, the Islamic slave trade’s scale and character, Muhammad’s documented ownership of slaves (including Black slaves), Aisha’s age in the Hadith literature, key Quranic verses on women, violence, sexual slavery, apostasy, and internal inconsistencies.
“Malcolm ranks the most common reasons people report leaving Islam, notes the heavy influence of modern egalitarian (“urban monoculture”) values, and offers a Techno-Puritan perspective on whether the tradition can be reconciled with reality-affirming religion.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IxhBHF5LfE&t=2405s
HERE IS THE KEY QUESTION posed by this data’s findings: Is Islamic belief declining in their homelands faster than Christianity is drying up in the West? Or is change this illusory?
“The Hollies disbanding after 6 decades”
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/22/rock-band-hollies-stop-touring-60-years/
TJ, I knew many secularized Muslims during my two years in Cairo. I also know that there are quite a few “quiet” Christian conversions. These have to be undercover because radical Muslims are dangerous, and because Egyptian law can strip converts of their property and marriages. The numbers would have to become very large for those laws to change.
Christian sources also talk about massive conversion numbers inside Iran, and large numbers of non-religious nominal Muslims.
Watched the video, quite amazing.
Amnesty International, more effective than Ipecac.
==
https://www.frontpagemag.com/amnesty-international-calls-for-state-censorship-of-media-reporting-on-black-people/
Random thoughts on a random topic on a random open thread. There is a post over on Instapundit titled Why are online motorcycle forums drying up and dying? and it touched a nerve and created a moment of realization. I have no idea if they’re right, but I can testify that it is happening and more so.
I have a lot of hobbies, and when the internet exploded in the 90’s all hobbies went on-line, and actually it was one of the greatest things in the entire world. The wealth of information, GREAT information, that was getting exchanged was amazing. Motorcycle’s are just one example, Parts, accessories, someone on the forum had your make and model and you could learn from their mistakes. Other threads on the forum had great info on cool routes in your area, or some place you were going.
Hiking forums quite literally changed my life. I met people with highly localized knowledge of remote locations. I trusted them so much I found myself in the middle of the kinds of places you don’t see other people for days.
Astronomy forums too. But all of these forums, across the board, not just motorcycles, were once vibrant and are now on life support. Some have even ceased to be. I went to pull up a hiking forum from back in the day to get some archival info I wanted and couldn’t find any evidence it ever existed.
Here’s the link if you to read their explanation.
https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/why-are-online-motorcycle-forums-drying-up-and-dying
Speaking of motorcycles, I had my first encounter with an electric motorcycle recently. I was out and about on mine and saw a motorcycle that looked a bit different, and I thought it might be electric. I spent a good mile or two trying to catch up to it, and eventually did when he hit a red light. He had his right turn signal on and I was going that way too and I pulled up beside him, just long enough to ask if it was electric (it was) and how he liked it. He said it was great and you couldn’t believe the acceleration. It was just then the light was about to turn so I said, “OK, show me.” When we both straightened up after the right turn I was giving it everything my bike had and it was comical how fast he accelerated away. It looked like a cartoon, I felt silly even trying to keep up. Anyway, now I’m obsessed with test riding one.
@Mike Plaiss: When we both straightened up after the right turn I was giving it everything my bike had and it was comical how fast he accelerated away.
Electric motors have very high torque at 0 rpm. (I think steam engines can as well.) Had you both already been at speed it’s possible it could have come out differently.
Yes, my understanding of electric is that it’s all about the instant response. Plus it had a motor powering each wheel.
Good video! I was left wondering how it happens that the bees seem to make one uniform size of the honeycomb’s tubes?