The great moral courage of Richard Dawkins
2 comments
The Jewish Chronicle reference is an editorial at http://www.thejc.com/node/102653 . (Editorials, so we have the same understanding, are essays designed to sway opinion. They are not the same as journalism.)
The Al-Jazeerah source appears to be from recent a debate with Mehdi Hasan, available online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0Xn60Zw03A at 3m50s or so.
For general context,
Dawkins has said "I regard Islam as one of the great evils in the world, and I fear that we have a very difficult struggle there." http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=L... .
Dawkins has said that Islam is "one of the great evils of the world." http://www.scotsman.com/news/arts/there-s-no-god-and-islam-i...
To use the single quote "Well, um, the God of the Koran I don't know so much about" as an indictment against his view of Islam is illogical. To use that to argue that he does not have 'strident opinions' on the Muslim faith is deliberate and even malicious obfuscation.
That you repeat this claim here means that you're trolling.
In any case, the quote seems pulled out of context and made in passing. Dawkins was asked to compare the God of the Old Testament to the New Testament, to the Koran, and to the Hindu scripture. It comes out that Dawkins has studied the Old Testament more than the New Testament, and much more than the Koran. He didn't even respond to the Hindu question.
Using the same logic, did he ignore the Hindu question because he's worried about attacks by defenders of the Hindu faith?
The Al-Jazeerah source appears to be from recent a debate with Mehdi Hasan, available online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0Xn60Zw03A at 3m50s or so.
For general context,
Dawkins has said "I regard Islam as one of the great evils in the world, and I fear that we have a very difficult struggle there." http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=L... .
Dawkins has said that Islam is "one of the great evils of the world." http://www.scotsman.com/news/arts/there-s-no-god-and-islam-i...
To use the single quote "Well, um, the God of the Koran I don't know so much about" as an indictment against his view of Islam is illogical. To use that to argue that he does not have 'strident opinions' on the Muslim faith is deliberate and even malicious obfuscation.
That you repeat this claim here means that you're trolling.
In any case, the quote seems pulled out of context and made in passing. Dawkins was asked to compare the God of the Old Testament to the New Testament, to the Koran, and to the Hindu scripture. It comes out that Dawkins has studied the Old Testament more than the New Testament, and much more than the Koran. He didn't even respond to the Hindu question.
Using the same logic, did he ignore the Hindu question because he's worried about attacks by defenders of the Hindu faith?
"celebrated for his strident opinions on the Christian and Jewish Gods" I think you nailed it on the head there. Dawkins doesn't delve into Islam much.
And you're right it's probably a survival instinct. Christianity and Judaism are fully established in the western world, they are open to debate. Islam on the other hand is much more difficult to openly debate because internationally it is a religion embroiled in very delicate politics and the cause of many an aggressive reaction. Those reactions aren't unique to Islam, Christianity and Judaism have had their fair share of such things in the past, and still have the odd one today.
I'm sure Dawkins does know a lot about the Quran though, and I'm sure he'd like to pipe up, but not enough of Islam is mature enough yet to handle a constructive debate. Not that Dawkins is constructive 100% of the time himself.
And you're right it's probably a survival instinct. Christianity and Judaism are fully established in the western world, they are open to debate. Islam on the other hand is much more difficult to openly debate because internationally it is a religion embroiled in very delicate politics and the cause of many an aggressive reaction. Those reactions aren't unique to Islam, Christianity and Judaism have had their fair share of such things in the past, and still have the odd one today.
I'm sure Dawkins does know a lot about the Quran though, and I'm sure he'd like to pipe up, but not enough of Islam is mature enough yet to handle a constructive debate. Not that Dawkins is constructive 100% of the time himself.
In a recent Al-Jazeerah interview, Richard Dawkins was asked his views on God. He argued that the god of "the Old Testament" is "hideous" and "a monster," and reiterated his claim from The God Delusion that the God of the Torah is the most unpleasant character "in fiction." Asked if he thought the same of the God of the Koran, Dawkins ducked the question, saying: "Well, um, the God of the Koran I don't know so much about."
How can it be that the world's most fearless atheist, celebrated for his strident opinions on the Christian and Jewish Gods, could profess to know so little about the God of the Koran? Has he not had the time? Or is Professor Dawkins simply demonstrating that most crucial trait of his species: survival instinct.