Controversial scientist accused of 'dressing his bigotry up as atheism' following comments on social networking site

The outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins was involved in an online Twitter row on Thursday after tweeting: "All the world's Muslims have fewer Nobel Prizes than Trinity College, Cambridge. They did great things in the Middle Ages, though."

As users piled in to criticise him, the scientist continued: "Why mention Muslim Nobels rather than any other group? Because we so often hear boasts about (a) their total numbers and (b) their science."

His other posts included: "You can attack someone for his opinion. But for simply stating an intriguing fact? Who would guess that a single Cambridge College" and "Muslims aren't a race. What they have in common is a religion. Rather than Trinity, would you prefer the comparison with Jews? Google it."

With the debate escalating, Dawkins, who has more than 777,000 followers, said: "Many are asking how many Nobels have been won by atheists. Needs research. I'd love to know. I suspect the proportion is v high, and growing."

Owen Jones, the left-leaning commentator and author of Chavs, told Dawkins: "How dare you dress your bigotry up as atheism. You are now beyond an embarrassment." Legal blogger Jack of Kent added: "Following @RichardDawkins tweet, Trinity Cambridge has presumably also produced more Soviet-supporting traitors to the UK than Islam."

The row also drew in historian Tom Holland and Channel 4's economics editor Faisal Islam who commented: "I thought scientists were meant to upbraid journalists for use of spurious data points to 'prove' existing prejudgements".

@jptoc chipped in: "A similar (and infuriating for Dawkins) 'fact' is that Islam has more recipients of Nobel Prizes than Dawkins. It's bad scientific method."

But some users appeared more forgiving. @Chriss_m, said: "Dawkins spent the best part of 10 years attacking Christianity and not raising an eyebrow. He now turns that same eye on Islam and uproar."

Trinity College, Cambridge, has 32 Nobel laureates, as against 10 Muslims listed in Wikipedia. When the Guardian contacted Dawkins by email to ask whether he was surprised by the uproar, he replied: "Prompted by exasperation at hearing boasts of (a) how numerous Muslims are in the world and (b) how great is their science.

"This prompted the thought that if they are all THAT numerous, shouldn't they have more to show for it in terms of achievement? The comparison with Trinity Cambridge I judged less offensive to Muslims than the even more dramatic comparison with Jews (who have garnered an ASTOUNDINGLY large number of Nobel Prizes)."

He continued: "Am I surprised? Only at the number of people who seem to think Islam is a race, rather than a religion. I regard that view as racist. Anything you can convert to, or convert from, is NOT a race.

Dawkins has previously been involved in acrimonious Twitter exchanges over Muslim journalist Mehdi Hasan, prompting Owen Jones to comment "If atheism means being bigoted about Muslims or wanting to drive people of faith from public life, then I am not an atheist."