Since my book, Arabs Without God, was published a couple of months ago, people have been asking about an Arabic edition. There is clearly a demand for it but there are also a few problems too.

The main problem with books in the Arab countries is getting them distributed. There aren't many good bookshops or public libraries, and ordering books through the mail from Amazon is also difficult if you happen to live in the Middle East. Added to that is the continuing threat of government censorship. These difficulties are compounded with a book like Arabs Without God, dealing as it does with a sensitive and somewhat taboo subject.

Fortunately, though, there's a fairly simple solution: by making the whole book available online, where anyone who is interested can download it free of charge, share it with friends and, if they wish, print out their own copy.

Even better would be to provide the text in Arabic rather than English – which would make it accessible to far more people in the region.
  

 
Arabs Without God is the first book to look at atheism in the contemporary Middle East. It examines why a growing number of Arabs are abandoning religion, and the persecution they can face as a result. The book does not directly advocate atheism but supports the right of Arab atheists to disbelieve and not to be compelled to pretend otherwise.

The book also discusses Arab atheism in the broader context of restrictions on religious freedom, such as laws against apostasy and blasphemy, which can result in the punishment of believers and non-believers alike.

The importance of establishing freedom of belief as a basic principle in the Middle East cannot be underestimated, especially in the light of organisations like ISIS and the spread of sectarian politics more generally. In connection with that, Arabs Without God is a useful tool for activists in the region: it contains a lot of ideas and information that campaigners for religious freedom can make use of.

However, producing a good-quality Arabic translation of the book will cost money – which is why I have launched an appeal for funds through Kickstarter. I have estimated the total cost at £4,600 ($6,200). The vast bulk of this will be to pay the translator (the book is 75,000 words including footnotes), plus smaller amounts to cover Kickstarter's administration charges and "rewards" for larger donors (T-shirts and signed copies of the book's English edition). 

The Arabic edition will be published under a Creative Commons licence and I will not be taking any royalties for it (I will make do with royalties from the English edition).

There is a 30-day window for raising the funds. If the £4,600 target is not reached within the time limit donors will keep their money.

If you think this is a worthwhile project please contribute. Tell your friends and urge them to contribute too.

To donate, CLICK HERE