Richard Dawkins may have finally gone too far. (Not the first time I've said this, I know.) After his most recent Twitter feud, he's found himself disinvited by the Northeast Conference on Science & Skepticism. It seems they've finally noticed that he's a raging misogynist. Some of us caught on to this problem a little quicker. Skepchick blogger Rebecca West gives a rundown of this latest fiasco here.
In short, he retweeted a video from a men's movement ideologue called Sargon of Akkad, which mocked and attacked a feminist activist. Even when it was made clear to him that the woman is being terrorized with rape and death threats, and that she was doxxed, his reaction was to double down. This red-haired feminist was just too mockable for him to let it go. She's so obviously the wrong kind of feminist. Dawkins, by the way, is the right kind. He really understands what women should want in life, and is more than happy to explain it to us until we get it into our pretty, little heads.
In particular, he's very clear about what Muslim women should want. He'd like to start a feminist revolution for them, and he'd like to start with their clothing. That this isn't what Muslim feminists are concerned about doesn't seem to phase him. And so goes the other Twitter war, in which Dawkins finds himself these days. In the since deleted tweet, he explains how a "good Muslim" woman comports herself.
Yes, the good kind of Muslims and feminists know how important it is to be pretty and ladylike at all times. It's just criminal when they hide their "beautiful hair." He'd really like to help them. Onward to the pretty Muslim women's revolution!
Perhaps Muslim feminists would take Dawkins more seriously, if he weren't so relentlessly focused on their hair... or if he had any respect for practicing Muslims... or practicing feminists. In other words, if he weren't endlessly condescending and paternalistic. You can take the boy out of colonial Africa, but you can't take the colonialist arrogance out of the boy, I'm afraid.
MORE on Dawkins's scornful response to this incident can be found here.
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