The Arrival of Islamic Creationism Reza

The Arrival of Islamic Creationism

Reza

Published on September 16, 2007

Over the past several years, the scientific community has found itself absorbed within the ongoing conflict between creationists and biologists over the validity in Darwin 's theory of evolution via natural selection. It is not a very recent battle abroad the international sphere, but upon the advent of the evangelical movement, it has gained much momentum in the United States .

Now, however, there is a new contestant in this battle among the `intellects': Islam. On July 17th, The New York Times published a piece on a vociferous and stirring figure, Adnan Oktar, who maintains the site Harun Yahya. He is an Islamic creationist of Turkish origin who argues that evolution is a deception of the truth and has been responsible for fascism, communism, and terrorism. In addition to the site, he has composed an `Atlas of Creation' which has been distributed to academic institutions and congressmen across the entire USA . [1]

The multitude of evidences is always there and the duality between fact and theory is a serious one, not so often reducibly explicable. To contend the Darwinist viewpoint of the world relies on strictly empirical questions with implicit relevance to a couple of important points that are to be raised, however. First, from a scientific perspective, Mr. Oktar's unsubstantiated vilification of evolution is aggressively disserving towards the advance and progress of humanity's scientific pursuits. Since the discovery of Darwinian biology, the technological industry has gone through a tremendous shift. The development of the antibiotic, for example, has been elegantly perfected through mastering its application upon populations of bacteria. The ability to calculate successive results was only promised by considering the implications of micro-mutational natural selection, which is something observably expressed by these microbial pathogens. Another innovation which is arising is in cancer research. Scientists are beginning to map out a moderately coherent explanation of why cancer survives the defense lines of human cellular machinery. It turns out that cancer-causing mutations can actually favor the reproduction and proliferation of certain pockets of cells over others; cancer adapts through natural selection. Additionally, it has also been found that over manifold generations of hominid-evolution, certain cancer-causing genes have actually been credited with the production of particular proteins that specify important functions of life. [2] This is a very powerful realization and offers important hindsight into the future of medical advancement.

The prospect of searching for intelligence elsewhere in the cosmos, within the threat-zone of such stagnating ideologies akin to Oktar's, renders serious questions for the 21st century pioneers of science. The very aspiration in exploring the universe for potential life is based on a deeply rigid understanding of the natural processes that allow bio-habitability to evolve and stabilize in the first place.

Secondly, one might be intrigued, even entertained, by Oktar's accusations of fascism, communism, and terror. This unfounded incrimination offers one insight into Oktar's mind-set and consequentially affords one the chance to ask critical questions of the same magnitude: can Mr. Oktar show it was evolutionary theory that unleashed the attacks of 9/11? Is it evolutionary theory that has caused the suicide bombings, decapitations, and indiscriminate killings of tens and thousands of Iraqis? Does evolutionary theory bare responsibility for the cruelty of Sharia Law in Iran and reduce the status of the women to ï¿½ of male intelligence (in accordance with Iran 's testimony laws)? [3] Does evolutionary theory degenerate the Bahais as being unclean kuffar? Did evolutionary theory wreak upon Bangladesh the genocide of more than 1 million people? Was it evolutionary theory which propagated the 15-year Lebanese civil war? Was it evolutionary theory which caused Saudi Arabia to revert to a culture of cavemen? If anything this is what I call evidence of devolution and it is the influence of religion (Islam in particular) which has promoted fascism and terrorism across the entire world.

In comparison science has been greatly beneficial to the Muslim world. The author of the popular internet blog, Healing Iraq [4], wrote an excellent article on the historical roots of Iraqi secularism. During the early century, following the Ottoman reforms, an educated elite emerged called the efendiyya who had challenged the dogma and superstitions of the Iraqi religious clergy. To quote directly from the article:

The efendiyya in Iraq introduced and promoted many secular and scientific theories that were shocking to the clergy ï¿½ such as Darwin 's theory of evolution and natural selection, Einstein's theories of relativity and quantum physics, Marxist dialectical and historical materialism, Freudian psychology, and socialist political theories [5]

After moderate-minded families saw the benefits offered by education and science, they wisely abandoned the empty words of the religious right and fruitfully embraced reason. Children received the proper tools they needed to become successful businessmen, engineers, technocrats and scientists rather than recline in the low-status positions reserved for the uneducated sector of the populace. Even gender-equality was promoted within the work field. Where the religious clergy failed in their unfulfilled promises, science and reason delivered manifestly positive results. Indeed, this same trend occurred throughout the Arab world contemporarily with the transition from religion to science.

It is just perplexing to think that Mr. Oktar could not shuffle up any other words from the entire vocabulary besides `fascism, communism, and terrorism.' The paradoxical implications are just staggering. Was it Charles Darwin who boasted *`I have been made victorious with terror?' Was it Darwinists fueled by fascistic anti-Jewish sentiments who mobilized their own Islamic SS unit (the Mufti from Palestine ), in subservience to Hitler? Was it `communistic Darwinists' in Iran who synthesized Islamic precepts with Marxism during the 60's (Mujahedeen-e-Khalq), which transformed them into one of the most destabilizing militant organizations of the region?

Even when taking a glance back in history during the golden days of the Muslim world, it was secular leaders who adopted reason and tolerated the scientific endeavor of the existing intelligentsia at the time. The less Islam was involved, the less terrorism and violence surfaced, and greater degrees of scientific achievements transpired. The Caliph Al-Mamun, who built the House of Wisdom during the 8th century in Baghdad , implemented policies that were often in conflict with the religiously orthodox Muslims of the day. He built a modern school dedicated to learning and driven by the search for higher truths rather then enforcing old-school dogma. It was a Middle Eastern enlightenment. This led to the construction of great edifices of knowledge, such as libraries and observatories, managed by intellectual circles of astronomers, philosophers, mathematicians, and scholars in many other important fields. Among these intellectual strata was the more prominently known genius of al-Khawarizmi, who revolutionized mathematics in Baghdad. It was even recorded that during Mamun's period of rule, women held the most respected professional roles, not to be seen for a long time afterwards. [6]

Another marker which might catch the eye is that Mr. Oktar is a staunchly anti-Zionist ideologue in contrast to the fervently pro-Israeli nature of the Christian evangelical community. It is a bit strange that these factions with such unshakeable convictions regarding universal truth almost always carry some sort of earthly political baggage with them. Is it not they who claim that the foresight of human beings should transcend all the `trivial' earthly relishes such as material, politics, and personal greed? One might find more irony, than sense, from the whole notion.

Ergo, in conclusion, a rational spectator might give Adnan Oktar a sharp reply which reveals the contradictions in his own ludicrous hypothesis that evolutionary science has been responsible for fascism, terrorism, and communism. In retrospection of history, it becomes quite implicative that when the Muslim world followed scientific reason and enlightenment, prosperity and happiness bloomed. Conversely, when uncritically paying heed to the very letters of Islam, Muslims have only found themselves in a reduced state of despair, poverty, and war. The aura of Islam paralyzes the mind from functioning; it fogs the clarity of rational vision. It is when the agents of freethinking begin to condense and buffer the way for the intellect that the rational self becomes an independent entity like a bird liberated from a cage.

Muslims are imprisoned by their subordination to Allah. They need to be shown that nothing is above the dictum of the individual conscience. This is an inviolable maxim and Islam is the existential fabrication profaning it. It is a machine of lies and its time to challenge it before the consequences become irreversible.

Sources:

[1] Islamic Creationist and a Book Sent Round the World, NY Times, July 17th, 2007

[2] Evolution and Cancer, Scientific American, January 2007 issue

[3] http://web.amnesty.org/web/wire.nsf/March2007/Iran

[4] Healing Iraq Blog

[5] http://www.iheu.org/node/1179

[6] http://www.dinarstandard.com/innovation/AlMamun122505.htm

* Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "I have been sent with the shortest expressions bearing the widest meanings, and I have been made victorious with terror, and while I was sleeping, the keys of the treasures of the world were brought to me and put in my hand." Abu Huraira added: Allah's Apostle has left the world and now you, people, are bringing out those treasures. (Sahih Bukhari 4.52.220)