Richard Dawkins Compared Clock Boy to ISIS

CNNV ^ | 11/25/15 | Tim Hume

[ek_hornbeck]

Eminent British scientist Richard Dawkins has sparked a firestorm of criticism on social media by comparing Ahmed Mohamed, the Texas teenager whose school project was mistaken for a bomb, to a young ISIS killer.

Dawkins, a leading voice in the atheist movement, was reacting to news that the Mohamed family was demanding $15 million in damages and an apology from city and school officials in Irving, Texas, over their treatment of the teen.

[ek_hornbeck]

Dawkins deserves credit for going after Hoax Boy. Normally, atheist crusaders restrict their criticism of religion to Christianity, because A. they know they won't be shot or blown up for attaching Christianity and B. it's not politically correct to attack religious beliefs, however extreme, violent, and bizarre, when they're practiced by non-western, non-white peoples.

The response from many of Dawkins' fans is interesting: these "fearless atheists" suddenly become defenders of Islamic fundamentalism, e.g.

"I used to look up to you. Your books opened my mind (when) I was a kid. Now you're doing sloppy reactionary thinking; saddens me," tweeted Renee Stephen.

Too funny!

[Ann Archy]

FINALLY someone nailed Pre-Jihadist Clock Boy.

[ek_hornbeck]

FINALLY someone nailed Pre-Jihadist Clock Boy.

Even if he doesn't grow up to be a jihadist, he's well on his way to being a first-class con artist.

[I want the USA back]

Dawkins goes after people who use religion as an excuse to do wrong things.

[ek_hornbeck]

Yes, Richard Dawkins quite consistent and usually intellectually honest.

However, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed that atheist activists focus almost exclusively on attacking Christianity (and Christianity as practiced by white Europeans and Americans). They rarely if ever attack Islam or the various superstitions of Third World people, which suggests that their real hatred isn't religious belief or even religious fundamentalism, but western culture. Case in point: American Christians refusing to bake a cake for a homosexual couple is cause for rage and protest. Muslims stoning or beheading homosexuals is just cultural self-expression.

[JEDI4S]

I didn't know that news of Clock-Med had reached Cpl. Newkirk in Stalag 13.

Must be a gap in the time warp continuum.

:-)

[tumblindice]

"Normally, atheist crusaders restrict their criticism of religion to Christianity" Atheist crusader (odd choice of wording) Christopher Hitchens (RIP) condemned Islam with this book responding to the savages' constant cries: `Allahu ackbar' (`God is great') and, as shown by the book cover, Hitchens actually attacked religion generally. He sheltered Salman Rushdie (`The Satanic Verses') in his own home when the savages were carrying out a fatwa, trying to kill, and succeeding with some, anyone close to Rushdie. Newly naturalized American Hitchens was a strong supporter of the war on the savages. In point of fact, the Catholic church criticized Rushdie strongly and supported their muslim counterparts--something like the support the Church gave to the Nazis in WWII, Swede-like, at least until the tide turned--and demonstrated the pusillanimity that you attribute to non-believers like Dawkins and Hitchens.

[Roger Kaputnik]

“...first-class con artist.”

A con artists and Moose Limbs are both liars by nature. So the little douche bag is already a con artist.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“whose school project was mistaken for a bomb”

It was a “school project?” For what class?

[olepap]

And now the reptiles begin to devour each other. Our job is to increase the feeding frenzy.

[aquila48]

For once I agree with Dawkins.

The pre-jihadist must not win that lawsuit. I hope the jury is smart enough.

Question - what would happen if that kid was trying to board a plane with that “clock”?

[PGR88]

As atheists go, I followed Christopher Hitchens, as well as Sam Harris and sometimes Dawkins.

I don’t agree with them, but found them intellectually honest, and not prone to slogans. Sam Harris especially admits that he respects Christians much more than others, because, the simple fact is, they do not condone or promote religious violence as Muslims do.

[rawcatslyentist]

For what class?

Taquiyaa 101

[Patriotic1]

Dawkins is right, and his attacking atheist buddies are so ideological! Kinda' humorous!

As far as agreeing with Dawkins, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[A_perfect_lady]

Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, and Bill Maher are/were the ones most willing to subject Islam to the critique it deserves. Over on reddit’s /r/atheists, they’re having a fit because Sam Harris said Ben Carson understands the Middle East better than Noam Chomsky.

[ek_hornbeck]

Read some of the responses Dawkins is getting from his own would-be/former fans in the article I posted. They’d slap him high-fives if he compared some Christian boy to Torquemada, but as soon as he dared go the politically incorrect route and compare a Muslim kid to ISIS militants, his former fans turned on him. As I said, their real beef isn’t with superstition or religion as such, it’s with those evil white European males.

[X-spurt]

demanding $15 million in damages

Might be good legal advise to read the Texas law regarding the plaintiff pays when their lose.

It will be a very short trial if these camel-jockies are actually stupid enough to sue. Once in court the truth of who “made” the device and who put the dumbass kid up to do it will come out and shazam they will be gone back to sandwormland.

[Mr. K]

If they file that lawsuit the State of Texas should immediately dismiss it and sanction the lawyer who helped bring it