British scientist compares ‘Clock boy’ with ISIS executioners, suffers Twitter backlash
British scientist Richard Dawkins has suffered a Twitter backlash after comparing “clock boy” Ahmed Mohamed with a young ISIS assassin.
Texas boy Ahmed was detained and questioned after he had brought a clock to school in September. The homemade clock was mistaken for a bomb.
The family, while claiming the boy was publicly humiliated, recently demanded US$10 million (approx. AU$13.9 million) from the city of Irving and US$5 million (approx. AU$6.95 million) from the Irving Independent School District.
It all started when Dawkins called Ahmed a “hoax boy” instead of a “clock boy.”
“Don't call him "clock boy" since he never made a clock. Hoax Boy, having hoaxed his way into the White House,” Dawkins tweeted as he referred to US President Barack Obama inviting the teenager to the White House after the clock incident.
Don't call him "clock boy" since he never made a clock. Hoax Boy, having hoaxed his way into the White House, now wants $15M in addition!
— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) November 24, 2015According to the British scientist, the boy did nothing special in his “clock” project. He merely “took a clock out of its case and put it in a box,” he said. When he is reminded Ahmed is “just a kid,” he said kids would not sue people for US$15 million (more thanAU$20 million).
@ha4di "Kids" don't normally sue people for $15M
— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) November 24, 2015Dawkins tried to strengthen his reasons further by saying the boy’s age was not a factor. He shared a link of an article published on the International Business Times UK. The article is about a young ISIS executioner who beheads a victim on camera.
The comparison between the school kid and the ISIS executioner drew strong criticism from Twitter users. What the professor suggests by comparing the two is “far more sinister” (than merely comparing their age), Folarin S (@studioflow) tweets.
The 74-year-old scientist was further slammed by Renée Stephen (@ReneeStephen). She says, while Dawkins’ books opened her mind when she was a child, his “sloppy reactionary thinking” saddens her.
@RichardDawkins I used to look up to you. Your books opened my mind w I was a kid. Now you're doing sloppy reactionary thinking; saddens me.
— Renée Stephen (@ReneeStephen) November 24, 2015Dawkins defended his comparison and said he was “horrified” to know that anyone could think he likened the teenage boy to a killer. His only point of reference was their age.
HORRIFIED anyone thinks I could POSSIBLY liken Ahmed to a killer. My ONLY point of comparison was their AGES: kids not immune to criticism.
— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) November 25, 2015Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.
