Digital Infrastructure of Atheist Activism in Pakistan:
Scholars of Islamic Studies have highlighted the role of the internet as a key factor in the growth of atheism across the Islamic world as information technologies and online platforms have created new means for social organization among atheists, offering a “safe space” for interaction and a platform for expressing views in a new, virtual public space. The possibilities these technologies and platforms offer—such as widespread social communication, information gathering, global exchange of ideas and dialogue, and, not least, anonymity—have proven to be significant.
In the context of Pakistan, atheism is predominantly practiced and propagated as an ideology within the digital realm due to the country’s unique Islamic identity and strict blasphemy laws. While studies have examined this phenomenon in other Islamic countries such as Indonesia, Turkey, and Egypt, scholarly exploration in the context of Pakistan, the second-largest Islamic country, remains scarce.
This paper aims to fill this scholarly gap by exploring the digital landscape of atheism in Pakistan, elucidating the challenges and opportunities faced by Pakistani atheists within the country’s Islamized socio-political paradigm.