Progressive radio station KPFA in Berkeley, California has cancelled a scheduled talk by Professor Richard Dawkins after learning about his views on Islam. The radio station invited Dawkins to give an on-stage talk about his new book Science in the Soul: Collected Writings of a Passionate Rationalist on August 9.

“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 said in an email sent to ticket buyers as reported by local media outlet Berkeleyside. “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.”

Dawkins, of course, in addition to being a top level biologist, is a prominent critic of religion in general not just Islam. The title of his most famous book “The God Delusion” ought to offer no ambiguity about his stance on religion.

In 2013, he drew controversy for saying that raising a child within a religion was child abuse.

“What a child should be taught is that religion exists; that some people believe this and some people believe that,’ The Telegraph reported him as saying. “What a child should never be taught is that you are a Catholic or Muslim child, therefore that is what you believe. That’s child abuse.”

His positions on all religions are widely available online, but it was only his position on Islam that drew the ire of the staff at KPFA.

Dawkins wrote in an open letter to KPFA about the disinvitation, which was published by the Center for Secular Inquiry where Dawkins sits on the board of directors. In the letter, he stated:

“If you had consulted me, or if you had done even rudimentary fact-checking, you would have concluded that I have never used abusive speech against Islam. I have called IslamISM ‘vile’ but surely you, of all people, understand that Islamism is not the same as Islam. I have criticised the ridiculous pseudoscientific claims made by Islamic apologists (‘the sun sets in a marsh’ etc.), and the opposition of Islamic ‘scholars’ to evolution and other scientific truths.

“I have criticised the appalling misogyny and homophobia of Islam, I have criticised the murdering of apostates for no crime other than their disbelief. 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.

“I am known as a frequent critic of Christianity and have never been de-platformed for that. Why do you give Islam a free pass? Why is it fine to criticise Christianity but not Islam?”

In other words, in the eyes of KPFA, you can criticize any religion in the world, except Islam.

Clarion has written and asked the following six questions to KPFA general manager Quincy McCoy:

Does KPFA feel that followers of Islam are less rational and less capable of hearing criticism than adherents of other faiths? Does KPFA believe that criticizing Islam (an idea) constitutes a form of bigotry against Muslims (a group of people)? Did KPFA make the decision to pull Dawkin’s talk after pressure from Muslim activists? If so, who were these activists? Does KPFA believe that Islam is so intellectually shallow that it is not capable of withstanding intellectual scrutiny? Does KPFA fear being targeted in the media or physically if it dares to host a speaker who is a critic of Islam? Does KPFA view Islam as an alien faith in America and therefore not one which falls within the remit of public discussion in the United States?

If you’d like to find out KPFA’s motivations, please feel free to write to KPFA and ask them. You can reach Mr. McCoy at [email protected]. We will publish Mr McCoy’s response if he replies.