Building One’s “Moral Compass” Post-Religion in Egypt: Ordinary Ethics and Changed Views on Sexuality, the Body, and Lgtbq+ Rights

Morality and ethics are hotly debated topics between religious and nonreligious people in Egypt. Since religion is perceived as a primary source of morality, atheists are often accused of immorality. In these debates, morality and ethics are often narrowed down to sexual behavior. Therefore questions such as “Do you now sleep with your mother or sister” are often hurled at nonreligious men. The link between atheism and immorality also negatively affects nonreligious women since they are perceived as morally loose. For that reason, it is interesting to consider nonreligious interlocutors’ changed views of morality in general and of sexuality, the body, and LGTBQ+ rights in particular.

This presentation draws upon interviews conducted with 40 young male and female nonreligious Egyptians from both Muslim and Coptic backgrounds. It also involves the analysis of various atheist channels as well as Egyptian state TV and religious media coverage surrounding atheism. This presentation will examine nonreligious interlocutors’ narratives on how leaving religion changed their ethical outlook on life. If the source of morality and ethics is no longer religion how do nonreligious people ground ethics? How does their changed view on morality and ethics play out in the field of sexuality, the body, and LGTBQ+ rights?