Scientist imam: Muslims need to talk about evolution

[DigitalSoldier]

http://richarddawkins.net/articles/617409-scientist-imam-muslims-need-to-talk-about-evolution

We need devout Muslim scientists to speak out, says Usama Hasan, who has had death threats for saying evolution is compatible with the Koran.

What did you say about evolution that upset people in your community?

My trouble started three years ago when I wrote an article saying that we needed to move beyond the simplistic idea held by many Muslims that God created Adam from clay and then breathed life into him. This literal interpretation of the Koran is still the dominant position. I was brought up a creationist and was a fundamentalist for many years, but I came to the conclusion that evolution is entirely compatible with the Koran and that alternative interpretations of the creation story that account for evolution are valid.

Recently you retracted your views because of the outrage they caused. Could you explain?

My retraction was saying that I misjudged how to go about explaining these things. Sooner or later someone will have to address the issue of evolution - it's a no-go area, especially with the clerics - but I'm abandoning my attempt to reconcile it with the Koran until things settle down. I am not willing to risk my life over this issue.

Interesting piece. Even though he is trying to reconcile evolution with the Koran its a step in the right direction he is acknowledging evolution.

Sad to say I wasn't surprise to hear he got death threats from the Muslim community.

 

[Duan]

This is immensely interesting... how the various religions fight about who is right and who is wrong...

Anyone who has the audacity to claim that they know and understand exactly how the universe came into to being is rather brave. In my view whether your religion is Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Budist, Hindu, Science or any other religion, it is still a belief system.

And yes, I did lump Science in with religion... No offence intended here.

Science at one stage believed the earth was flat, now it believes the earth is spherical. Why can't Muslim Clergy change their mind about creation and evolution. Who is to say that evolution is not the artwork of an almighty god? Who is to say there is a god.

I know what I believe and I know it is a belief... I choose to believe it, from time to time I will evaluate my beliefs when they are challenged and maybe even change my mind somewhat.

I think we would all get along a bit better if we afford each other the opportunity to consider our interpretations and beliefs. Threatening someone's life for investigating an interpretation is rather extreme and probably exposes the fear of a small group of believers.

To those believers I ask: Is your actions those of love or fear, if of fear, is it from Allah?

 

[ruan567]

whether your religion is Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Budist, Hindu, Science or any other religion, it is still a belief system.

And yes, I did lump Science in with religion... No offence intended here.

If you know you're saying something that does not make sense, why say it and apologise afterwards?

 

[Ninja'd]

I'm abandoning my attempt to reconcile it with the Koran until things settle down. I am not willing to risk my life over this issue.

Stop your silly reconciliation attempt and abandon religion altogether.

 

[wise_guy]

According to Maurice Bucaille the Quran and Science are definitely compatible:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Bucaille

However the Quran is more a book of signs rather than a book of science.

 

[Dixie]

However the Quran is more a book of signs rather than a book of science.

Nice wordplay...one would've thought that the ancient scriptures would have progressed beyond the beta-testing stage by now...

...but hats off to Usama Hasan...

 

[Natas]

I will NEVER forget a discussion I once had with an ex-colleague of mine. She is a happy-clappy christian. We got onto the topic of religion and ended up on evolution. I explained away one of her arguments for the existence of god using evolution and the existence of dinosaurs as a counter argument. She visibly stumped had nothing to say. I jumped in on her behalf and said that she could win that particular argument if her response was "The the story of the creation of the Earth in the bible was metaphorical and that evolution is one of god's many tools".

I had made my point and I could see on her face that she was questioning things, but alas, she couldn't even admit that.. she could not bring herself, despite all the evidence of evolution, to say that evolution is god's tool. Because when you religion is so phantasmagorial and written so long ago, before the days of microwave ovens and microscopes, its foundations become shaky with the advance of general human knowledge, and to admit something like the truth of evolutionary theory, might just bring the whole thing crumbling down. Despite their best efforts the day will come when human knowledge will have advanced to a point that the human race will collectively be embarrassed about how long people on earth suffered as a result fairytales they thought to be true.

 

[Dastrix]

In my view whether your religion is Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Budist, Hindu, Science or any other religion, it is still a belief system.

Science
The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.

It's not a belief system, It may be your view that it is but you don't get your own facts.

Science at one stage believed the earth was flat, now it believes the earth is spherical.

No, people believed the earth was flat, scientific research proved the earth was spherical.

Who is to say that evolution is not the artwork of an almighty god?

The people qualified to research this area?

Anyone who has the audacity to claim that they know and understand exactly how the universe came into to being is rather brave

You will find scientists in this regard readily admit that they do not have all the answers.

 

[TheHiveMind]

Ya, they like to go on about all the scientific discoveries they made like 1000 yrs ago, as if that means they know wtf they are talking about now.
They don't.

 

[porchrat]

ROFLMAO this Duan dude thinks science is a religion. What a knee-slapper that was.

This was my favourite:

<some stupidity about what science believed... you know... as though science is a conscious entity that believes stuff>. Why can't Muslim Clergy change their mind about creation and evolution.

Ever considered this answer: "because science is not a religion"?