Muslim medical students boycotting lectures on evolution...
because it 'clashes with the Koran'
Conflict:
An increasing number of Muslim biology students are boycotting lectures on the
theories of Charles Darwin
Muslim students, including trainee doctors on one of
Britain's leading medical courses, are walking out of lectures on evolution
claiming it conflicts with creationist ideas established in the Koran.
Professors at University College London have expressed
concern over the increasing number of biology students boycotting lectures on
Darwinist theory, which form an important part of the syllabus, citing their
religion.
Similar to the beliefs expressed by fundamentalist
Christians, Muslim opponents to Darwinism maintain that Allah created the
world, mankind and all known species in a single act.
Steve Jones emeritus professor of human genetics at
university college London has questioned why such students would want to study
biology at all when it obviously conflicts with their beliefs.
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He told the Sunday Times: 'I had one or two slightly frisky
discussions years ago with kids who belonged to fundamentalist Christian
churches, now it is Islamic overwhelmingly.
One
of Muslim author Harun Yaha's articles denouncing Darwinism
Theories:
Turkish creationist Yahya associates Darwinism with Nazism
'They don't come [to lectures] or they complain about it or
they send notes or emails saying they shouldn't have to learn this stuff.
'What they object to - and I don't really understand it, I
am not religious - they object to the idea that there is a random process out
there which is not directed by God.'
Earlier this year Usama Hasan, iman of the Masjid al-Tawhid
mosque in Leyton, received death threats for suggesting that Darwinism and
Islam might be compatible.
Sources within the group Muslims4UK partly blame the growing
popularity of creationist beliefs within Islam on Turkish author Harun Yahya
who, influenced by the success of Christian creationists in America, has
written several books denouncing Darwinist theory.
Yahya associates Dawinism with Nazism and his books are and
videos are available at many Islamic bookshops in the UK and regularly feature
on Islamic television channels.
Speakers regularly tour Britain lecturing on Yahya's
beliefs.
Evolutionary
biologist Richard Dawkins has expressed his concern at the walkouts
One such lecture was given at UCL in
2008 and this year's talks have been given in London, Manchester, Leeds, Dundee
and Glasgow.
Evolutionary Biologist and former Oxford Professor Richard
Dawkins has expressed his concern at the number of students, consisting almost
entirely of Muslims, who do not attend or walk out of lectures.