Berkeley Radio Station Cancels Dawkins’ Events Because ‘He Offended Islam’ 

KPFA , a listener-funded progressive talk radio and music radio station based out of Berkeley, has canceled a speaking engagement featuring acclaimed atheist author Richard Dawkins for his criticism of Islam as oppressive to women and generally violent. The celebrated evolutionary biologist has been a vociferous critic of the violent theological underpinnings of Islam and has been forthright in expressing his views on it. Dawkins had described world’s second largest religion as the “greatest force for evil today”.

Dawkins was invited by KPFA to speak about his new book, Science in the Soul: Selected Writings of a Passionate Atheist.

In an email to those who had purchased tickets for the event, KPFA said that it is cancelling the event because of Dawkins's views on Islam. The email from the event organisers in KPFA stated that "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. KPFA does not endorse hurtful speech,"

"While KPFA emphatically supports serious free speech, we do not support abusive speech. We apologize for not having had broader knowledge of Dawkins views much earlier. We also apologize to all those inconvenienced by this cancellation."

Dawkins remained unapologetic and hit back at the KPFA. “I used to love your station when I lived in Berkeley for two years, shortly after that beloved place had become the iconic home of free speech,” Dawkins wrote in his stinging response

In an open letter to KPFA he said “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.”

Dawkins also added that his opinions about Koran and “ridiculous pseudoscientific claims made by Islamic apologists” are not driven by bigotry towards Muslim people. He stated that “Far from attacking Muslims, I understand – as perhaps you do not – that Muslims themselves are the prime victims of the oppressive cruelties of Islamism, especially Muslim women.”

Dawkins has been equally critical of other religions too.

Ironically Berkeley, which was the bastion of free specch movement in USA, has of late been consistently denying platform to those not in agreement with its left-leaning ideological sensisbilities. The university campus has seen violent protests by left wing students over invitation to conservative commentators.