Psycho-social factors affecting refugees to be atheist

The purpose of this research is to examine the reasons why refugees become atheists. The study was carried out using semi-structured interview technique and phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods. Participants were determined by purposive sampling. Residing in 7 different countries, including America, Canada, France, England, Netherlands, Germany and Turkey; It consists of 23 refugees and atheists, 19 men and 4 women. Turkmenistani, Somali, Libyan, Bulgarian, Iranian, Syrian and Turkish participants were included in the study. In-depth interviews were conducted with "refugee atheist" participants who left Islam and converted to atheism. The interviews were conducted online. The reasons and processes of the refugees who preferred atheism to leave their religion were examined. Refugee participants' childhood experiences, family relationships, social relationships, traumas, religious education, the level of religiosity of their families, and the religiosity levels of their previous religious identities were focused on and the reasons for being atheists were tried to be understood. In addition, the changes they experienced after becoming an atheist were examined. The research was analyzed by content analysis technique. According to the findings obtained as a result of the research, drug use, guilt, adoption, DAESH, social media, readings, traffic accident, morality, miracle, social pressure, reading the holy book, gender inequality, modernity, the perception of jihad, polygamy, the problem of evil and scientific doubt. In addition, negative childhood experiences, negative relationships with parents and traumatic experiences were found to be effective in leaving religion. According to the results, it was evaluated that cognitive and emotional processes are effective together in becoming an atheist. It was understood that the participants were mainly exposed to psychological difficulties after becoming an atheist. In addition, while all of the participants are currently refugees, 56% of them stated that they were exposed to social exclusion and political pressure in their countries because they were atheists, and therefore they left their country. Finally, it has been concluded that refugee atheists frequently emphasize reason and science in all areas of life.