Richard Dawkins links Isis child who beheaded man and 'clock boy' Ahmed Mohamed

The scientist and leading atheist faces a barrage of criticism after posting comments on Twitter about Muslim teenager

Richard Dawkins has sparked a wave of criticism after appearing to draw a tenuous link between Ahmed Mohamed, the Texas Muslim teenager whose homemade clock was mistaken for a bomb, and a child forced by Islamic State militants to behead his victim.

The criticism came after the leading scientist reacted to news that Mohamed's family's was demanding $15m in damages and an apology after the 14-year-old was arrested in September, when his homemade clock was taken for a bomb.