The atheist and biologist said that Ahmed Mohamed was guilty of a “hoax” because the 14-year-old “didn't only claim to have built it. He claimed... that it was his invention”.
Dawkins was accused of Islamophobia, which he dismissed as being a “non-word" during an interview on Channel 4 News.
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Richard Dawkins said Islamophobia is a 'non-word'
The 74-year-old author spoke to Jon Snow about the challenges of Twitter and said that the reason why he is not a good diplomat is because he “loves the truth too much”, adding: “So I tend to go barging in.”
Ahmed was arrested and questioned by police officers at the Texas last Monday and was subsequently suspended for three days.
The controversy sparked international outrage and President Barack Obama invited the pupil to bring his clock to the White House.
When asked by Snow if he had any regrets over his comments regarding Ahmed, Dawkins replied: “I asked the question. I think what he was the victim of is the zero tolerance policy of the United States Homeland Security Act.
“He got a clock, got a screwdriver, opened the clock, took the works out and put them in the box. He did nothing else whatever.
“There was no creative act in that at all, he took it to school, as an invention, and then a teacher was afraid it might be a bomb. It wasn't a bomb, it was an unaltered clock which he had taken out of its case.”
Addressing the fact that Ahmed was a Muslim, Dawkins retorted: “I don't care if he was a Muslim... I'm always being accused of Islamophobia, that's a non-word.”
Here are a few more of Richard's offbeat offerings:
Richard Dawkins Tweets
‘Who (Apart From The Pig) Is Damaged By Bacon?’ (01 of05)
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In July, Dawkins described the conviction of a man and woman for draping slices of bacon on a mosque as “contemptible.” Chelsea Lambie, 18, and Douglas Cruikshank were jailed in June after the act of desecration on Edinburgh’s Central Mosque a year ago. Cruikshank received nine months after pleading guilty while Lambie was sentenced to 12 months after being found guilty of the charges. The author of The God Delusion – who has branded religion a “betrayal of intellect” and “a betrayal of all that’s best about what makes us human” tweeted: “Who (apart from the pig) is damaged by bacon? How can this possibly justify a year in jail? Law gone mad.” He later added: “How can you be jailed a year for non-violently draping bacon on a door? Law contemptible gives standing to offence.”
How can you be jailed a year for nonviolently draping bacon on a door? http://t.co/6Yk4MMQuKv. Law contemptible gives standing to "offence"
In November last year Dawkins declared victory for Osama Bin Laden – after his jar of honey fell foul of airport security rules. The atheist vented his fury on Twitter after the "little jar of honey" went to waste, presumably because of restrictions on liquids that can be taken on as hand luggage.Keeping things well in perspective, he tweeted that "Bin Laden has won, in airports of the world every day".The professor gained little sympathy for his plight. @Sazza_jay witheringly replied: “You are truly the real victim of terrorism”, while @wefail said: “Bin Laden is eating your honey in heaven. LOL.” Blaming ‘dundridges’ for the confiscation, this was Dawkins' sniffy reply to those mocking his outrage: “Are you carpers really too thick to see the difference between a matter of general principle and a petty concern with a single jar of honey?” (credit:Monkey Business Images via Getty Images)
There’s 'A Very Interesting Reason Why A Prince Could Not Turn Into A Frog.' (03 of05)
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In June Dawkins declared fairytales to be “stastically too improbable” and advised parents to consider not telling them to children as they “do not foster a spirit of scepticism.” Making his comments at the Cheltenham Science Festival, Dawkins appeared to slam fairytale authors like the Brothers Grimm for not pausing to think: "Would, on the balance of probabilities, a wolf trick a little a little girl into thinking it was her granny?""I think it’s rather pernicious to inculcate into a child a view of the world which includes supernaturalism," he said, according to The Times. "Even fairytales, the ones we all love, about witches and wizards or princes turning into frogs. There’s a very interesting reason why a prince could not turn into a frog. It’s statistically too improbable.But he stopped short of demanding parents stop altogether telling their children fairytales.He said: "Many people would say you destroy the magic of childhood if you tell them that princes can’t turn into frogs. I’m genuinely uncertain.” (credit:GK Hart/Vikki Hart via Getty Images)
‘Mehdi Hasan Admits To Believing Muhamed Flew To Heaven On A Winged Horse’ (04 of05)
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Dawkins ran into further bother in April last year when he suggested a Muslim journalist should not have an opinion piece published, claiming his Islamic beliefs meant he is not” a serious journalist”. The comment was directed at HuffPost UK Political Director Mehdi Hassan, then working at the New Statesman, who was challenged by Dawkins in an interview in 2012 to admit he believed the Prophet Muhammed flew to heaven on a winged horse. Dawkins later apologised in a blog, writing: “None of those three meanings was well conveyed by my ill-judged words, and I withdraw them with apologies. I’m grateful to the many tweeters who came to my defence and saw no problem with my original formulation. Nevertheless, I cannot deny that my words were carelessly chosen.” (credit:Monkey Business Images via Getty Images)
“[Muslims] They Did Great Things In The Middle Ages, Though.” (05 of05)
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In August 2013, Dawkins courted controversy by claiming the world’s Muslims have won fewer Nobel Prizes than Trinity College, Cambridge, but adding: “They did great things in the Middle Ages, though.”
All the world's Muslims have fewer Nobel Prizes than Trinity College, Cambridge. They did great things in the Middle Ages, though.
He responded to the barrage of ensuing criticism by telling his followers: "A statement of simple fact is not bigotry. And science by Muslims was great in the distant past." In a further posting he wrote: "Where would we be without alchemy? Dark Age achievements undoubted. But since then?"He sought to justify the controversial observation by adding: "Why mention Muslim Nobels rather than any other group? Because we so often hear boasts about (a) their total numbers and (b) their science." One angry Twitter user hit out at the remarks telling the author: "You absolutely disgust me." (credit:Luciana Whitaker/LatinContent Stringer via Getty Images)