page_title: List of critics of Islam
section_title: Western irreligionists
hierarchical_section_title: List of critics of Islam / Contemporary critics / Western irreligionists
caption_attribution_description: English: Pat Condell
context_page_description: Criticism of Islam has existed since its formative stages. Early written disapproval came from Jews and Christians, before the ninth century, many of whom viewed Islam as a radical Christian heresy, as well as by some former Muslim atheists and agnostics, such as Ibn al-Rawandi. After the September 11 attacks and other terrorist attacks in the early 21st century, hatred of Islam grew alongside criticism of it.
  Objects of criticism include the morality and authenticity of the Quran and the Hadiths, along with the life of Muhammad, both in his public and personal life. Other criticism concerns many aspects of human rights in the Islamic world, including slavery, treatment of women, LGBT groups, and religious and ethnic minorities in Islamic law and practice. The issues when debating and questioning Islam are incredibly complex with each side having a different view on the morality, meaning, interpretation, and authenticity of each topic.
context_section_description: For irreligious former Muslims, see the above subsection "Former Muslims".
  Theo van Gogh (1957–2004), relative of the world-famous painter Vincent van Gogh, was a Dutch film director who collaborated with Ayaan Hirsi Ali to produce the short film Submission (2004) and was assassinated the same year by Mohammed Bouyeri, a Moroccan-Dutch Muslim.
  Michel Onfray, French philosopher and atheist. Onfray attacks Islam and other monotheistic religions, speaking of "Muslim fascism" that has risen with the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and considers Islamic teachings to be "structurally archaic".
  Douglas Murray, British neoconservative writer and commentator.
  Oriana Fallaci, Italian journalist and novelist, wrote three short books after the events of September 11, 2001, advancing the argument that the "Western world is in danger of being engulfed by radical Islam".
  Christopher Hitchens, British-American author and journalist.
  Sam Harris, in The End of Faith, argues that Muslim extremism is simply a consequence of taking the Qur'an literally, and is skeptical that moderate Islam is possible.
  Richard Dawkins, biologist, author, public intellectual.
  Koenraad Elst (born 1959), Belgian orientalist and Indologist known primarily for his writings in support for the Out of India linguistic theory. He was born to Flemish Catholic parent but is an adherent of secular humanism, which may or may not be considered a religion.
  Jennifer McCreight (born 1987), American blogger, atheist, sceptic, and feminist who devised the 2010 Boobquake event in response to news reports that Iran's Hojatoleslam Kazem Seddiqi had blamed women who dress immodestly for causing earthquakes.
  Pat Condell, comedian and YouTube video blogger, who records videos about Islam and its alleged harmful effects particularly on British society.
  Bill Maher, American comedian and political chat show host
  Tommy Robinson, founded and led the English Defence League.
  Anders Behring Breivik (born 1979), Norwegian perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, sought to emulate the terrorist techniques of al-Qaeda and has confessed that a motive for the crime was his intent to popularise his extensive manifesto, which deals with an array of social, political, and historical issues, partly written by him and partly cited from other authors. He has been emphatic in his description of himself as a "cultural Christian", albeit strongly secular and hardly a believer.
caption: Atheist comedian Pat Condell criticises Islam in his YouTube videos
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