Atheist Richard Dawkins Mocks Idea That Terrorist Attacks against Christians Have "Nothing to Do With Religion"

Leah Marieann Klett : Apr 1, 2016
The Gospel Herald

Dawkins contends that the mainstream media continually responds to jihadist attacks by dismissing the idea that terrorist groups have anything to do with Islam.

(United Kingdom)—Prominent atheist Richard Dawkins has once again slammed the media for claiming that the atrocities carried out against Christians by Islamic extremists have "nothing to do with religion" following the attack that killed 70 Pakistani Christians, mostly women and children, on Easter Sunday in Lahore.  (Photo Credit: B.K. Bangash/AP)

On Tuesday, the 75-year-old "God Delusion" author took to Twitter to offer a brief commentary on the recent tragedy: "Pak bomb kills 72," he wrote, and quoted the perpetrators of the attack as stating, "We have carried out this attack to target Christians who were celebrating Easter."

"Ah, nothing to do with religion, then," Dawkins quipped.

The Islamic extremist group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which splintered from the Taliban and has pledged loyalty to ISIS, has taken responsibility for the attack.

In a media statement, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said a suicide bomber deliberately targeted the Christian community. "We claim responsibility for the attack on Christians as they were celebrating Easter," Ehsan said in the statement, adding that the attack had been carried out under an operation code-named Saut Ul Raad (Sound of Lightning), "which will continue throughout this year."

"It was part of our annual martyrdom attacks we have started this year," Ehsan said, adding that "we had been waiting for this occasion... We want to convey to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the prime minister that we have arrived in Punjab and we will reach you."

The brutal attack also comes less than a week after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry officially declared Islamic extremists are committing "genocide" against Christians and...

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