❖ Religious Freedom in the West: Reality or Deception? ❖
📌 The Myth of Unparalleled Religious Freedom in the West
Many people believe that religious freedom in the West surpasses even that of so-called religious countries. It is widely assumed that:
◉ There is no discrimination against minorities,
◉ There is no coercion in changing one’s religion,
◉ And there is no risk of dwindling minority populations — unlike what is alleged about Pakistan.
These ideas have been disseminated by secular thinkers, and both common and educated individuals have fallen prey to this carefully crafted propaganda.
❓ Religion’s Role in Collective Affairs
In Western societies, no follower of any religion is permitted to justify a public policy on the basis of their religious beliefs. This essentially legally compels religious individuals to detach their faith from public life, regardless of what their religion demands.
If this is not coercion, then what is?
📉 The Rise of Atheism in the West
At the dawn of the 20th century, atheism in the West was nearly non-existent. In 1900, only 0.01% of the global population identified as atheists. However, in recent decades, atheism has risen dramatically in the Western world.
- Today, in several European countries, around 50% of the population profess no religion.
- If Pakistan is questioned for a declining minority ratio, why does no one ask why Christianity — once the dominant religion in Europe — is now on the verge of becoming a minority faith?
The root cause is the secular state system, which has expelled religion from collective life.
🏫 Expulsion of Religion Through Educational Systems
The secular state has established an educational and social framework devoid of religion, such that:
❶ Teaching religion in schools is banned.
❷ Governments dictate curricula, embedding anti-religious ideologies under the guise of “objectivity” and “neutrality.”
❸ State-funded institutions — schools, colleges, universities — are placed in direct competition with under-resourced mosques and churches.
❹ Religion is muted in public life, leading to its gradual erosion in private life as well.
🚶♂️ Muslim Migration Away from the West
Many Muslims, after their children reach adulthood, choose to leave Western countries and return to their native lands. The reason?
They feel their children’s faith and the safety of their afterlife is no longer secure in the West.
If this forced compromise isn’t a form of coercion, then what is, when the state declares:
“This is our system — if you can live according to it, fine; if not, you may leave!”
⚠ Summary
A system that has:
◉ Expelled religion from public life,
◉ Reduced faith to a private matter,
◉ And imposed intellectual and cultural constraints on religious communities,
…should not be unnecessarily glorified.
Such a system, under the guise of “freedom,” subtly but systematically suppresses religion, leaving its adherents with little more than the illusion of choice.
