Maher, Dawkins Excoriate 'Regressive Leftists' for Political Correctness, Giving 'Free Pass' to Islam

Comedian Bill Maher and world-renowned biologist Richard Dawkins railed against "regressive leftists" Friday night, contending their politically correct censorship and "free pass" the group gives to Islam are not in line with liberal principles.

During Friday night's episode of "Real Time," Maher explained that "regressive leftists" are those "who don't quite get it about being liberals in the world."

"I am shocked about the way on university campuses, the principle of free speech. When I think that the only university I went to, the University of California at Berkeley, the free speech movement in the 1960s — what a betrayal we are seeing right now," Dawkins said. "With campuses all over the western world — American and Britain – denying people the right to come speak at campuses. If you can't speak your mind at a university campus, where can you?"

"It's about being exposed to ideas that you haven't met before, perhaps you are hostile to. If you only really get exposed to ideas you agree with, what kind of university would that be?" Dawkins asked.

Maher then shifted the conversation to the criticism some face for questioning aspects of Islam.

"But also this notion that somehow Islam and Muslim are this protected species that if we talk about them at all, or criticize them at all, it's somehow hurting or humiliating Muslims," the HBO host said. "It's a ridiculous idea."

Dawkins agreed.

"You are absolutely right that the regressive leftists give a free pass to Islam, where as they are kind of right about everything else ... but in the case of Islam it just gets a free pass. And I think it's because of the terror of being called racist," he said.

"Right. Or worse: an Islamophobe," Maher said. "A silly word that means nothing. I mean it's so dumb because all the people who are accused of being Islamophones ... we are liberals. We are liberals about everything."

"And they applaud that, but if you say something about a woman who is forced to wear a beekeeper suit in the hot sun all day—" Maher added.

Dawkins sarcastically interjected, "But that's there culture, you have to respect it."

He added, "There is just this one exception. 'It's their culture.' Well, to hell with their culture."

Maher and Dawkins, both atheists, have faced heavy criticism in recent weeks for their skepticism of the Ahmed Mohamed clock incident.

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