"It's symptomatic of a bigger problem in the Muslim world where people representing practical Muslims have to be seen to be more literalist,” Adam Deen, co-founder of the Deen Institute, told The Independent on Saturday, December 15."It's almost like there's an intellectual mafia movement who won't allow any freedom of thought."
Creation or Evolution?
Evolution in the Light of Islam
Rethinking Darwin
Bridging the Gap Between Evolution and Faith
Darwinism from an Islamic Perspective
The Deen Institute, a Muslim debating forum which promotes critical thinking, has planned to hold a conference entitled “Have Muslims misunderstood evolution?” early next year. Speakers invited at the event included Muslim scientists, imams who have promoted the compatibility of Islam and evolution as well as those who preach a form of Islamic creationism. Deen, who describes himself as a “conservative Muslim” who encourages critical thinking, said he was surprised to face such opposition at a place of scientific study. /b]
As soon as it went live I was inundated with complaints,” one source involved with preparations said.
“It's sad because student societies should be desperate to host this kind of debate.”
Facing opposition from Muslim students, the Institute said it was forced to pull out when it became clear that opposition to the event from supporters of creationism began mounting.It is now being held without input from any Muslim student society at Logan Hall, a conference center owned by the University of London. We eventually had to give up of getting any support from student societies because it was seen as simply too controversial,” Deen said.
Dr Oktar Babuna, a representative from the prominent Turkish theologian Harun Yahya movement, is scheduled to speak at the conference alongside Sheikh Yasir Qadhi, an influential imam who accepts evolution at a micro level but refuses the idea that man evolved from anything other than Adam himself.
Two Muslim scientists; American biologists Ehab Abouheif and Fatimah Jackson, will also speak alongside Usama Hasan, a British imam who preaches the commonly held scientific view that man is descended from ape-like forebears.
Another commenter, Zeshan Sasjid, shares a similar view.
"Evolution is not Islamic,” he said.
“Prophet Adam did not have parents. A Muslim can't believe that.”Yap.,. that is a fact_ "Evolution is not Islamic Goal ... Stagnation and stagnating brain is Islamic goal"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxkGygvYJRk
Topic: Debate on Islam and evolution called off after revolt by student association