Matthew Cravatta
The Center for Inquiry (CFI) was one of the first secular organizations to come to the aid of vulnerable Afghans, both ex-Muslims and progressive Muslims, on humanitarian grounds. On September 10, 2021, CFI announced its intention to save as many lives as possible by establishing the Afghan Rescue Fund.
Since then, most nations have quietly backed away from earlier commitments. A phenomenon I have previously labeled “empathy fatigue” has set in; borders started to close to Afghan refugees, and the political will began to evaporate as other international crises took center stage. However, Secular Rescue never stopped working to save endangered Afghans, even when the Afghan Rescue Fund officially ceased operations on December 31, 2022.
Even now, threatened Afghans constitute most of all Secular Rescue cases. Legal immigration processes are enormously time-consuming and rife with bureaucratic sloth. While they wait for slow-to-process visas to safer nations—mostly in cramped safehouses in Pakistan or moving from house to house in Afghanistan—nearly all our cases need some financial assistance. The cost to sustain families (predominantly extended families) with food, shelter, proper documents and “border fees,” and urgent medical care is quite high and continues to rise with inflation. That’s true of our cases in Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as for others who’ve evacuated to Brazil, Cyprus, France, Turkey, Canada, Australia, the United States, and elsewhere. In many instances, money not only saves lives but buys time—time we use to find and implement hoped-for solutions.
Although Secular Rescue works exclusively with endangered ex-Muslim and secular rights activists and advocates, our caseworkers broadened that focus in Afghanistan in accordance with the CFI Board of Director’s response to the humanitarian crisis “regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof.” In our collective view, as Richard Dawkins stated, “An entire nation collapsing under the weight of theocratic oppression is a moral emergency, and all of us—atheist and religious alike—are called to action.”
That has been, and continues to be, our mandate in Afghanistan. We have focused most of our energy and resources on civil society leaders, pro-democracy groups, pro-freedom organizations, and groups that support gender equality, women’s rights, freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and freedom of conscience—regardless of their religious beliefs. It’s taken us time to understand this ever-changing landscape, including its pitfalls and loopholes, to find what works and what doesn’t. The good news is we have saved many innocent lives from prison, torture, and execution—and we know we can still save many more.
We did move dozens of Afghans safely to Pakistan thanks to the Afghan Rescue Fund, which allowed us to pay for new passports or renewals (which are very expensive) and then pay for high-cost visas and crossing fees. Some cases, predominantly pro-democracy activists, ex-Muslims and freethinkers, and civil society leaders, were too frightened to cross, knowing the borders were manned by Taliban fighters and their allies, many on the lookout for “collaborators” and “traitors.” Many decided to wait and hope for more lax conditions at the border. In those cases, we did our best to find long-term solutions for them and their families while they were inside Afghanistan.
Many of our former Afghan Rescue Fund cases, those we were able to get to a certain point in the rescue process, have remained on our docket, so we haven’t been bringing in as many new cases. Although new Secular Rescue cases have been added to our lists, we continue to advocate for a select number of former Afghan Rescue Fund cases who might otherwise have become victims of circumstance.
And though we are transitioning the Secular Rescue program to process far fewer out-of-country rescues—cross-border relocations and resettlements are undoubtedly the most time-consuming and expensive to produce—we continue to pursue those that are attainable. These resolutions have the greatest chance for lifelong success, not just temporary fixes; these are what we see as the best ultimate outcomes.
No one should be forced to feign religiosity to protect themselves from prison terms, vigilante violence, or full-fledged persecution. During our investigative processes, we get to know the claimants as best we can; they’re just regular people, like you and me, seeking a good education, gainful employment, love, and friendship. They are motivated by a universal human desire to carve out a decent life in peace, dignity, and safety with optimism. They have chosen their own paths, separate from the supernatural beliefs that were instilled during childhood religious indoctrination even though it’s a path they know could cost them their lives. It can mean torture and isolation or years in prison, not to mention the familial or public shame that is heaped upon so many of them for the simple reason they have chosen to abandon their indoctrinated faith. And it is their right: no one can demand religious convictions; no one can demand belief in a supreme being or gods. After all, the notion of blasphemy is a farce, unquestionably wrong on so many levels because individuals are endowed with the right to believe or not believe. We cannot be forced into faith; faith cannot be legislated into law. And therefore, no one should be punished or persecuted because they are atheists.
And yet, that is what happens in many parts of the world; it is the reason for Secular Rescue. Until those in power stop using power to control populations and thwart dissent and freedom, we must continue to advocate for the safety and protection of these atheist activists who risk their lives for the sake of freedom of expression and conscience. We must do all we can for those whose dire situations fall under our scope. Secular Rescue will be there to protect blasphemers and mitigate tremendous hardships, to assist freethinkers with aid and other forms of assistance that will help keep them out of prison; we will stand by them through incredibly difficult transitions to hopefully positive outcomes. That’s a tall order, but that is our collective mission. With your generous support, we will continue doing all that we can to save innocent lives.