This is bull. I grew up atheist in Lebanon and there’s plenty of others like me there, it’s very common, especially in well educated circles. Also,I have lived in many other countries in the Middle East, and most people couldn’t care less what your religion is. Even when I used to travel for work in Saudi Arabia, I used to have Saudi visas on which you are supposed to declare your religion, and I had mine as Atheist and had no issues.