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Britain
'A priceless heritage destroyed by Islamic barbarians'
2013-02-01
Atheist Richard Dawkins has outraged Muslims after describing looters who destroyed manuscripts in Mali as ‘Islamic barbarians’.

The 71-year-old author of The God Delusion was referring to the severe damage caused by Islamist extremists to a sacred library in Timbuktu but his remarks were seen as insulting to all Muslims.

Oxford University academic Professor Dawkins told his 600,000 Twitter followers on Tuesday: ‘Like Alexandria, like Bamiyan, Timbuktu's priceless manuscript heritage destroyed by Islamic barbarians.’

But his comments were criticised, with some followers claiming he was unjustly attacking Islam and others saying he should be considering vandalism committed by Christians, reported the Daily Telegraph.

Muslim Twitter user ‘Shawa5i Al Nasseri’ from the United Arab Emirates said: 'You call us barbarians, truly no respect', before later adding: 'How do you explain this "destroyed by Islamic barbarians?”’

Professor Dawkins responded to the comments by saying: ‘You mean you were one of those who burned the books in Timbuktu? No? I thought not. So I wasn't calling you a barbarian was I.’

He also said to all of his followers: ‘I was calling Islamic BARBARIANS barbarians’, adding: ‘By “Islamic barbarians” I mean those Muslims who are also barbarians. I do not of course mean all Muslims.’

Posted by:tipper

#11  with Kosher salt and lemon balm
Posted by: Frank G   2013-02-01 21:46  

#10  I'd like to see a coarser grade of sandpaper applied to them, gorb.
Posted by: Barbara   2013-02-01 21:38  

#9  Skinless barbarians in a sandpaper world, anyone?
Posted by: gorb   2013-02-01 19:54  

#8  The Terrorist Life Insurance Policy is still in play though.
Posted by: Charles   2013-02-01 19:39  

#7  Apparently the locals had taken the manuscripts and hidden them a year ago, so the destruction wasn't snything like what was originally claimed

Darn, there goes the insurance claim...
Posted by: Pappy   2013-02-01 16:44  

#6  I'm so non-diety but condemned mad, I'm gonna tell the truth!
Posted by: swksvolFF   2013-02-01 11:55  

#5  Gee, this is fun.

Making fun of a self identified "serious person" like dawkins is harder on him than a steel toed kick in the nuts.

Do they still call themselves "brights?"
Posted by: M. Murcek   2013-02-01 11:36  

#4  Apparently the locals had taken the manuscripts and hidden them a year ago, so the destruction wasn't snything like what was originally claimed.

It doesn't make the attempt any less barbarous, though.
Posted by: trailing wife   2013-02-01 11:31  

#3  Â‘I was calling Islamic BARBARIANS barbariansÂ’, adding: ‘By “Islamic barbarians” I mean those Muslims who are also barbarians. I do not of course mean all Muslims.Â’

What about Muslims who are barbarians, say, only on Fridays? Are old folk, who are burning books in London to keep warm, barbarians? Are people who destroy particular pages of a religious manuscript for socio-political reasons (like Ian McKellan) barbarians? Can the good Oxford Professor explain that in a tweet?

Gee, this is fun.

Posted by: Pappy   2013-02-01 10:58  

#2  An example of consistency failing to confer credibility. Stopped clock and all that...
Posted by: M. Murcek   2013-02-01 07:35  

#1  Behold the.... Richard Dawkins Delusion.
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-02-01 07:20  

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