Matthew Cravatta

Many of you may be familiar with the “Tale of the Starfish” by Loren Eisley:

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.” “Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said … “I made a difference for that one.”

I was reminded of this story recently during a meeting with our CFI President and CEO Robyn E. Blumner, and since then I have made its wise words my mantra. I’ve often used shortened versions in my head, something along the lines of “we can’t save them all” or “we do what we can do,” regarding the “miles and miles of beach” filled with endangered atheists and freethinkers who Secular Rescue seeks to help. The atheist-persecution cases stretching off to the horizon—and beyond—are our starfish. I was lamenting to Robyn the obstacles we face at Secular Rescue on a daily basis. Our greatest desire, as always, is to save everyone who needs our program’s vital and unique kind of help, and we never want anyone to slip through the cracks. But, indeed, we cannot save them all, even though we make our way down the beach each day and save as many lives as we’re able. We make a difference for that one, and that one, and that one. 

The world’s attention span for humanitarian crises is limited, and nearly all eyes are now turned to the millions of the displaced in Ukraine. It wasn’t that long ago when the plight of Afghans caught under the boot of the Taliban was the top international concern. 

 The shift of the world’s focus does not change the plight of the Afghans in danger or any other atheist refugees, be they rights activists from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, Egypt, or any other nation with strong blasphemy and apostasy laws. When attentions shift, donations to humanitarian organizations tend to follow. Our job is to keep our eyes on those persecuted atheists we serve, wherever they are located. 

Despite these focal shifts, Secular Rescue and its Afghan Rescue Fund continue to do good works for those in need. The dangerous circumstances of the most threatened (women, girls, atheists, progressives, LGBTQ+ persons, and rights activists) keep us very busy while we seek to protect them from harm. These starfish have washed up on beaches all over the regions where the need is greatest.  

We see how ex-Muslims and the nonreligious become the punching bags and scapegoats for theocratic governments and religious zealots alike. We see the horrors associated with apostasy and blasphemy laws, and we are routinely confronted by legal and culturally embedded discrimination against atheists in the Middle East and North Africa. We cannot save them all, but we try. Following is a list of some of our recent successes—one starfish at a time.

• We were recently alerted to some very happy news from one of our long-time cases, an Iraqi atheist currently living in a large Asian nation, who endured threats and persecution back home. After at least two years of diligent efforts, including filing numerous documents, being interviewed, having his background checked, and enduring the rollercoaster ride associated with UNHCR resettlements, he will finally get his wish and make a new home in the United States. He has since married, and he and his spouse had a baby girl only a couple of months ago. 
• One of our Secular Rescue cases, a Syrian atheist, musician, and entrepreneur—along with his family—has finally been cleared to relocate to Canada after being granted permanent residence status. Although I cannot disclose details yet, I am relieved and happy to report it. Most of the thanks should go to the hard-working lawyers at TalentLift Canada, who made it all happen with some support from us and many other like-minded organizations.
• I am happy to report the evacuation of one ex-Muslim Afghan to a safe haven in South America, after some very difficult times. When I first received this case, who is a journalist, rights activist, and founder of a civil society group in Afghanistan, he was struggling to survive, living on borrowed money and one meal a day, and clinging to the edge of hope. “I’m just waiting for my physical death, and I have no one to help me,” he told us then. “Please, please, please.” Hope arrived via Secular Rescue’s Afghan Rescue Fund, which helped secure a humanitarian visa and then fund relocation.
• Another Afghan atheist, who was active in rights and gender-equality groups until the Taliban rolled into Kabul in late August, recently was able to secure an exit visa into a nearby country. Other than the aid we were able to get to him via secure channels, he was able to obtain a significant grant from a religious freedom protection fund with our support and guidance. 
• Yet another Afghan atheist, a blogger and student whose uncle is a mullah who was threatening to inform the Taliban of our case’s location, was recently able to flee the country and is now safe in an EU nation. Secular Rescue assisted the case with securing a significant aid package from a well-known protection fund along with aid from our own Afghan Rescue Fund. 
• Back in March, we received an urgent plea for help from one of our previous Secular Rescue cases in Nigeria, a nation with such strong anti-blasphemy laws that it sentenced Mubarak Bala, president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, to twenty-four years in prison for the simple act of speaking his mind about religion. Our contact in Nigeria, however, told us about another atheist in danger, whose relatives disowned and threatened his life because his apostasy was exposed. He was referred to an Islamic scholar and advised to openly repent. Instead, he fled while all his possessions were stolen. After vetting, we provided the case with enough funding to get back on his feet. He was able to procure a new home, a new name, and a new job. 

This is just a small sample of the happy outcomes. Their pathways to freedom and fresh starts are arduous, but with the support of our community, we do what we can to help them get there, one case at a time. We strive to be a force for good in a world filled with religious oppression, darkness, and violence. That’s our job. That’s our mandate at Secular Rescue. 

We are saving as many as we can. With your help and generosity, we can help many more starfish return safely to the sea.