and, i always have to say this, because people get easily confused: it is very important for the secular left to realize (if perhaps not necessary to actually state.) that, as we are shifting our primary opponents from christianity to islam as a result of existing and projected shifts in demographic, that we do not make the mistake of assuming that people from specific backgrounds hold specific beliefs.

not all arabs are sunnis. there are plenty of arab atheists, and they should be embraced as any other atheist would be.

not all persians are shias. there are plenty of godless iranians, and they should be embraced as any other heathen would be.

and, further it's important to be proportionate, too. crescent earrings are not niqabs, and not everybody that you meet that calls themselves a muslim wants to round up the apostates and burn them. you have to be sure to properly interpolate what you see in front of you.

but, as atheists, we need to get used to the fact that we're going to be struggling less and less against christians and more and more against muslims, as the proportion and power of them wanes and shifts - until, in the end, they just merge.