Richard Dawkins Kicked Out of Skeptics Conference for Retweeting Islamist-Feminist Video
Richard Dawkins has been removed from a conference on science and skepticism after he shared online a controversial animated video that compares feminists to Islamists.
The Northeast Conference on Science & Skepticism explained in a statement earlier this week that it has withdrawn its invitation to the atheist professor to participate at NECSS 2016, because of Dawkins' choice to re-tweet what it called a "highly offensive video."
"We believe strongly in freedom of speech and freedom to express unpopular, and even offensive, views. However, unnecessarily divisive, counterproductive, and even hateful speech runs contrary to our mission and the environment we wish to foster at NECSS. The sentiments expressed in the video do not represent the values of NECSS or its sponsoring organizations," the organization said in a statement.
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NECSS hosts annual conferences in New York City, inviting leading scientists, educators, and activists to speak on topics "celebrating science and critical thinking."
The controversial YouTube video in question depicts caricatures of a person who identifies as an Islamist, and another as a feminist, singing a song together about the supposed parallels between the two ideologies.
As Hemant Mehta from the Friendly Atheist blog pointed out, Dawkins re-tweeted the video on Tuesday, with the message "Obviously doesn't apply to vast majority of feminists, among whom I count myself. But the minority are pernicious."
Dawkins was apparently told that the woman depicted in the video is a real person who has been threatened with violence, however, which prompted him to delete the tweet.
Following the NECSS announcement, Dawkins told Mehta that he wishes the organizers had spoken with him first, stating that he could have allayed their concerns.
"I might mention that, before receiving any word from NECSS, I had already deleted the tweet to which they objected. I did it purely because I was told that the video referenced a real woman, who had been threatened on earlier occasions because of YouTube videos in which she appeared to her disadvantage," the evolutionary biologist explained.
"I have no knowledge of the authenticity of the alleged death and rape threats. But to delete my tweet seemed the safest and most humane course of action. I have always condemned violence and threats of violence," he added.
Dawkins also made other posts on Twitter this week referencing the controversy, but affirmed in a message on Thursday that he is a "feminist humanist who advocates equality of the sexes."
Back in December, Dawkins strongly spoke out against those in the political left who ignore what he called Islam's "misogyny and homophobia."
Dawkins, who often posts about deep issues he sees with Islam, argued that there are many people on the left who refuse to recognize the problems with the faith.
"Regressive left turns treacherous blind eye on misogyny & homophobia because they absurdly think Islam must be 'respected' as a 'race,'" The God Delusion author wrote at the time.
