Renowned UK scientist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins has had his Facebook account deleted after he posted a statement condemning the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing male Algerian boxer Imane Khelif to compete in the women’s division at the Paris Olympics, where Khelif won gold.
Dawkins, who is widely known for his views on science and society, revealed that his account was removed without explanation, sparking a heated debate over censorship, free speech, and the scientific basis for gender.
In his post, Dawkins argued that “genetically male boxers such as Imane Khelif (XY undisputed) should not fight women in the Olympics.”
On X he expressed his frustration at the deletion of his account, stating, “Of course my opinion is open to civilised argument. But outright censorship?” The tweet was met with significant support from his followers, who echoed concerns about the fairness of allowing athletes with XY chromosomes to compete in female categories.
The incident has triggered a broader discussion about the role of social media platforms in moderating content and the boundaries of acceptable discourse on topics such as gender identity and sports. Critics of Facebook’s decision argue that it sets a dangerous precedent for silencing legitimate scientific debate and that Dawkins’ comments, whether one agrees with them or not, should be open to discussion rather than outright censorship.
The controversy surrounding Khelif’s participation in the Olympics is part of a larger debate about the inclusion of transgender and intersex athletes in sports. Some argue that athletes with XY chromosomes, which renders them biologically male have an unfair advantage in women’s competitions, while others advocate for “inclusivity” and the rights of all athletes to compete in the gender category with which they “identify.”
Prominent voices from both the UK and the US have called for Facebook to reinstate Dawkins’ account, arguing that the platform has mishandled the situation.
I understand Imane Khelif is a devout Muslim
Is it haram for an Algerian woman to sit on the shoulders of a man to whom she is not related & for him to hold her thighs?
I know some contact may be allowed, but this seems to be far more intimate than a handshake@MuslimCouncil pic.twitter.com/1V7YZLx8C9
— Jack de Bath (@JackDeBath) August 10, 2024
Read The God Delusion by Dawkins. A very sharp, concise and logical man. Not sure why he would waste his time with Facebook?
facebook is only a mean to spread publications. That is its only purpose.
So it is indeed censure.
There is a very easy way to solve all this without all the conflict: Have a third category for sports that are usually divided into 2: Have male, female and other.
They already have a disabled Olympics because it is difficult to characterize if the mechanics that the disabled person uses is sometimes an advantage or disadvantage, e.g. the South African “blade runner”. It is also difficult to characterize how some LBTQ person might have an advantage or disadvantage in a sport because of their birth sex or any drugs that they may take to help with any sex change.
i always found competition lousy…. One can only do its best. And to stay ” the best” involve often cheating….
So we would essentially have a third category for men who did not make the grade to start with. Lets simply go back to reality and end this nonsense instead.
Elon Musk
Fiddler on the roof
Civilized argument? You’d do better to argue with a monkey.
For a scientist you’re kinda slow dude 😎.