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Shabana Azmi ‘Feels Sad For Pathetic Trolls’ Who Doubt Javed Akhtar Receiving Richard Dawkins Award
A while back, Shabana Azmi had taken to her Instagram handle to congratulate her husband Javed Akhtar for being this year's winner of the Richard Dawkins Award. At the time, the award had not been officially announced.
This got trolls spreading rumours that Javed hadn't actually won the award, and was just nominated for it. One of them tweeted a Whatsapp screenshot wherein a person claimed that Javed mistook his nomination for being the actual winner.
Shabana slammed the user for spreading a rumour which was untrue. Reacting to the screenshot, she wrote, "This is patently untrue! We have an email from Richard Dawkins on 5th June offering the award and also from Robyn Blumner who heads the Centre for Inquiry, USA. I feel sad for these pathetic trolls who do not care that they will stand exposed in seconds for such a preposterous claim."
THIS IS PATENTLY UNTRUE! We have an email from Richard Dawkins on 5th June offering the award and also from Robyn Blumner who heads the Centre for Inquiry USA.I feel sad 4 these pathetic trolls who do not care that they will stand exposed in seconds 4 such a preposterous claim ! https://t.co/Ro1ejCNSdk
— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) June 9, 2020
Dawkins himself tweeted the official confirmation on Tuesday. He wrote, "Javed Akhtar @Javedakhtarjadu is the 2020 Richard Dawkins Award winner and I could not be more pleased. The Center for Inquiry, on whose board I sit, has designated him this year's recipient for his courageous public stands on behalf of atheism, rationality, and freethought."
Javed Akhtar @Javedakhtarjadu is the 2020 Richard Dawkins Award winner and I could not be more pleased. The Center for Inquiry, on whose board I sit, has designated him this year's recipient for his courageous public stands on behalf of atheism, rationality, and freethought.
— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) June 9, 2020
The Richard Dawkins award is given to individuals who proclaim and uphold the values of secularism, rationalism, and scientific truth. Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist and author.
Javed, who is the first Indian to be bestowed this award, had expressed that he was pleasantly surprised with the honour. He told NDTV, "I wasn't sure that these people would know what I am saying, what I am writing, what I am speaking from different podiums. But thank you very much. Mr Richard Dawkins' letter was a very very pleasant surprise."
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