[Hac-announce] It's not only fundamentalist Christians--Muslims too

[Thomas Platt]

On Nov 29, 2011, at 9:18 AM, Manny Ratafia wrote:

Muslim medical students boycotting lectures on evolution... because  
it 'clashes with the Koran'

Hi all,

Some of you may wish to refer to the Wikepedia entry on Adnan Oktar  
(pen name, "Harun Yahya"):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adnan_Oktar#Creationism

Quote from under the section entitled "Creationism":
"Oktar for many years drew on the writings of young earth Christian  
creationists to develop his case against evolution. However, Islam  
does not require belief in Young Earth creationism, and making use of  
the fact that earth may have existed for billions of years, Oktar  
later produced material which was more similar to Intelligent Design.  
So similar in fact, that Harun Yahya's website was listed as an  
'Islamic intelligent design' website by the Discovery Institute.[31]  
However Oktar does not embrace use of the term 'Intelligent Design'  
due to its lack of specific mention of God, calling it 'another of  
Satan's snares'.[31] [32]"

Also see from the NY Times
Islamic Creationist and a Book Sent Round the World
http://tinyurl.com/d6rr5mc

In the Paleobotany section at the Peabody, where Halina and I also  
volunteer, there is also one one these huge expensive tomes, "Atlas  
of Creation", which is kept because of the photos of terrific fossils  
specimens.  As for its message, the book and its accompanying disc  
keep up a monotonous drumbeat which amounts to "Take a look at this  
ancient fossil.  See?  It hasn't changed from the same plant or  
animal of today!" and repeat and repeat.  "Well some of the original  
instantaneously created organisms went extinct."

That's about it, not a very sophisticated argument contained in a  
very fancy book.


	Tom Platt
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