Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

Religious institutions in Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Turkey have issued fatwas against the theory of evolution. Now we learn that in Bangladesh has bowed to Islamist pressure and has excluded Darwin from classrooms.

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REPORTING on the row for Eurasia Review, P. K. Balachandran, wrote that the two parties had described the Darwinian theory as “blasphemous”. They demanded an investigation by the government and the punishment of those responsible for its inclusion.

Jatiya Party MP Golam Kibria Tipu said:

As Muslims we are children of Adam. There is no chance of being monkeys. It is an insult to Islam. A blasphemy law should be enacted in this regard.

Then, at the weekend, The South China Morning Post reported the government had caved into the opposition’s demands and ordered Darwin to be removed from the curriculum—along with a book that deals with transgender issues.

The theory of evolution is under siege by fatwas

In 2019, Saudi academic Mohammed Al-Assiri, bravely penned a paper in which he wrote:

Religious restrictions on the scientific teaching of evolution have no place in a balanced society.

He pointed out that:

Teaching evolution is widely accepted in most Western countries, in spite of occasional opposition. Sadly, this is not the case in most Muslim countries, where it is banned from many schools and colleges because it is thought to contradict Islamic teachings.

Saudi Arabia, Oman, Algeria and Morocco have banned the teaching of evolution completely. In Lebanon, evolution was removed from the curriculum because of religious pressure.

In Jordan, evolution is taught within a religious framework. In Egypt and Tunisia, evolution is presented as an unproven hypothesis.

And he argued:

Excluding evolution from curricula deprives young students of a powerful framework to support their understanding of biology.

Listing example of current fatwas and hostility toward evolution in Islamic countries, Al-Assiri wrote:

The rationale for these fatwas is religious and not based on scientific literature or discussion. For example, in Qatar, fatwa 361168 accuses anyone believing in Darwin’s theory of evolution of kufr (blasphemy).

In Oman, the Grand Mufti of the Sultanate is known for his strong opposition to the theory of evolution, and in 2018 he publicly restated this view. In Saudi Arabia, fatwa 2872 states that the theory of evolution contradicts the creation story in the Quran and the consensus of Muslim scholars.

In Turkey, ostensibly a secular country, evolution is due to be dropped from the national curriculum.

All of these fatwas and statements against the theory of evolution discourage schools and even colleges from teaching evolution, because of the fear of provoking the majority of society.

The ignorance of Muslim theologians

Al-Assiri said its is noteworthy that most theologians in Muslim institutions do not have degrees in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) but in branches of Islamic studies.

The theory of evolution is under siege by fatwas. To end this siege I propose that we first consider the theory a purely scientific one, alongside the theory of relativity and its explanation of gravity, both of which are taught freely in Islamic countries. Scientific theories should be evaluated through discussion among scientists, not by decree of theologians.

The idiocy of Christian creationists

Texas—where else?—is the home to The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) which, according to Wiki, specialises in media promotion of pseudoscientific creation science and interpretation of the Genesis creation myth as a historical event.

Osborn Range on Ellesmere Island. Ansgar Walk Walk/CC by-SA 3.00.

Its most recent hare-brained report written by Tim Clarey, PhD focuses on Ellesmere Island, in one of the northernmost parts of Canada, where recently fossils of lemur-like mammals were found.

How did these creatures get into Arctic Archipelago? According Clarey the island was once located in warmer climes but shifted to closer to the Arctic around 4,500 years ago as a result of “The Flood.”

As the Flood reached its peak on Day 150, it wiped off the animals and plants living on the highest hills and spread their remains both north and south to Ellesmere Island and Wyoming, respectively. They were transported and entombed on top of the dinosaur-bearing layers, buried a few days or weeks earlier in the Flood.

He added:

Deliberately forgetting about the historical accuracy of Genesis leads to great confusion and fictional stories. But God’s Word leads us to clarity and salvation through Jesus.

A far more credible report published by CNN last month offers a far less wacky explanation of the findings.

And it points out that the fossils are unknown species of ancient near-primates that lived above the Arctic Circle some 52 million years ago!

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