Teh One Who Knocks
07-24-2017, 12:22 PM
By the Heat Street Staff
http://i.imgur.com/rPT9V5eh.jpg
Evolutionary biologist and outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins has been removed from a California radio station’s event because of his critical view of Islam.
Dawkins was set to discuss his new book Science in the Soul: Selected Writings of a Passionate Rationalist at a benefit in August organized by KPFA, a radio station in Berkeley, California.
Despite interest from members of the public, who quickly started buying tickets to hear Dawkins speak, station chiefs decided that his views on Islam “hurt” other people and rescinded their invitation.
“We had booked this event based entirely on his excellent new book on science when we didn’t know he had offended and hurt – in his tweets and other comments on Islam – so many people,” said KPFA to ticket buyers in an email explaining the cancellation.
The station stressed that the decision to disinvite Dawkins doesn’t mean they don’t support free speech. However, they claimed that Dawkins’ views amount to “abusive speech” in their opinion.
A spokesman said: “While KPFA emphatically supports serious free speech, we do not support abusive speech. We apologise for not having had broader knowledge of Dawkins’s views much earlier.”
Following the cancellation, Dawkins published an open letter directed at the radio station, calling its accusations of him engaging in “abusive speech” against Islam “preposterous”.
He wrote: “The idea that I have engaged in abusive speech against Islam is preposterous, which even the most rudimentary fact-checking by KPFA would have made clear.
“I have indeed strongly condemned the misogyny, homophobia, and violence of Islamism, of which Muslims — particularly Muslim women — are the prime victims. I make no apologies for denouncing those oppressive cruelties, and I will continue to do so.”
http://i.imgur.com/rPT9V5eh.jpg
Evolutionary biologist and outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins has been removed from a California radio station’s event because of his critical view of Islam.
Dawkins was set to discuss his new book Science in the Soul: Selected Writings of a Passionate Rationalist at a benefit in August organized by KPFA, a radio station in Berkeley, California.
Despite interest from members of the public, who quickly started buying tickets to hear Dawkins speak, station chiefs decided that his views on Islam “hurt” other people and rescinded their invitation.
“We had booked this event based entirely on his excellent new book on science when we didn’t know he had offended and hurt – in his tweets and other comments on Islam – so many people,” said KPFA to ticket buyers in an email explaining the cancellation.
The station stressed that the decision to disinvite Dawkins doesn’t mean they don’t support free speech. However, they claimed that Dawkins’ views amount to “abusive speech” in their opinion.
A spokesman said: “While KPFA emphatically supports serious free speech, we do not support abusive speech. We apologise for not having had broader knowledge of Dawkins’s views much earlier.”
Following the cancellation, Dawkins published an open letter directed at the radio station, calling its accusations of him engaging in “abusive speech” against Islam “preposterous”.
He wrote: “The idea that I have engaged in abusive speech against Islam is preposterous, which even the most rudimentary fact-checking by KPFA would have made clear.
“I have indeed strongly condemned the misogyny, homophobia, and violence of Islamism, of which Muslims — particularly Muslim women — are the prime victims. I make no apologies for denouncing those oppressive cruelties, and I will continue to do so.”