Excerpt:
Richard Dawkins has been accused of Islamophobia after he suggested the Muslim call to prayer was “aggressive-sounding” compared to the “so much nicer” sound of church bells.
The renowned evolutionary biologist and outspoken atheist posted a picture on Twitter of himself sat outside Winchester Cathedral and asked whether his preference was a result of his “cultural upbringing.”
The 77-year-old tweeted: “Listening to the lovely bells of Winchester, one of our great mediaeval cathedrals. So much nicer than the aggressive-sounding ‘Allahu Akhbar.’ Or is that just my cultural upbringing?”
The Arabic phrase “Allahu Akbar” is used at the beginning of the “azaan”, or call to prayer, and means “God is greatest”.