JAIPUR: Richard Dawkins - scientist, bestselling author and the world's foremost atheist- comes across as mild-mannered and genial but doesn't believe in pulling his punches. He certainly didn't on Monday at the Jaipur Lit Fest as he blasted the "lamentable disgrace" of Salman Rushdie's enforced absence. He also launched a broadside against the "virus of faith", and said he looked forward to the "complete death of organized religion" in his lifetime.

"Far too much sympathy is shown to people who claim to be motivated by religion - sympathy that would not be shown to people acting from mere prejudice. I have a problem with Santa Claus, baby Jesus and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, but I can't act on this without being held accountable. I may, on grounds of taste, want to murder a TV personality, but I can hardly do so. And yet, it seems it is somehow acceptable for someone to act without accountability simply because his religious sentiments have been hurt," said Dawkins.

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