New atheist writers adopted the rhetoric of right-wing racists like Wilders
Evidence
Unlike the religious section of the right-wing Islamophobes, these authors have used atheism to target Islam, although the rhetoric often resembles the hysterical denunciations from the Right. As Lean writes, the “new Atheists became the new Islamophobes, their invectives against Muslims resembling the rowdy, uneducated ramblings of backwoods racists rather than appraisals based on intellect, rationality and reason.” Dawkins has praised Geert Wilders, whose blatantly racist comments about Muslims are quite shocking. Wilders referred to Moroccan immigrants as “scum” who make Dutch streets “unsafe.” — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 710
Categorization
Category: Factual Claims
- XREF: Adds a Europe-side actor (Wilders) and neutralizes the idea that atheist anti-religion critique is politically neutral; connects to existing discussions of moral panic and anti-Muslim politics.