""muslim Creationist Adnan Oktar Challenges Scientists To Prove Evolution""

2330

26 February, 2009

Since 22 December, 2008, Guardian Online, Britain’s most popular on-line daily, has been carrying parts of an interview between Mr. Adnan Oktar and the paper’s religious correspondent, Riazat Butt. She refers to Adnan Oktar under the heading "Muslim creationist Adnan Oktar challenges scientists to prove evolution" and to his Atlas of Creation, which she describes as "a book of epic proportions," and goes on to say:

“Adnan Oktar is fond of challenging people, throwing down the gauntlet to Richard Dawkins and anyone else who thinks they can prove Darwin"s theory of evolution. …

In the ongoing debate about creationism… THE TURK IS SOMETHING OF A JUGGERNAUT [a force regarded as unstoppable, that will crush all in its path]. His book, weighing the same as a three-year-old child, claims to refute the theory of evolution on every one of its 786 pages and has been lapped up by creationist advocates across the religious and political spectrum.”

The Guardian also carried the following extract from Mr. Oktar’s response to a question regarding whether the Muslim importance to richness and beauty conflicted with the faith:

“… he [Adnan Oktar] responds: ‘I want to resemble Prophet Solomon. Prophet Solomon was like this. He used to be well dressed. He liked being well dressed. His palace was beautiful; there were beautiful people around him. Allah is beautiful. Allah loves those who are beautiful, wants everywhere to be beautiful. Paradise is also beautiful. [The] aim of a Muslim should be beauty.’”

Adnan Oktar"s answer to a question about the difficulties he had faced throughout his life took the form:

“This ‘persecution’ is, says Oktar, a burden on those called to God: ‘I"m a writer but at the same time I am a man of dawah [mission]. I support an idea. Every such person has been put pressure on, defamed, oppressed because of his ideas or assassinated. Anybody with an idea always sticks to his ideas, keeps spreading his ideas no matter how much he is oppressed, and this is what I think.’”

Adnan Oktar"s challenge to the supporters of the theory of evolution, and his promise to reward them if they produce any evidence for it, was reported as follows:

“What he [Adnan Oktar] thinks … IS THAT DARWIN WAS LYING AND THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO EVOLUTION. He repeats this point throughout the interview. ‘Almost 100 million fossils have been unearthed so far. All of these show that plants, animals, humans and insects have never undergone evolution whatsoever and they were all created in the same way by God. We can see this fact in each fossil we come across. There is no fossil proving the contrary. If they can show one, I will reward them 10 trillion Turkish Lira … But there are almost 100 million fossils proving creation… Also let them coincidentally produce a single protein that maintains life I will again give 10 trillion TL.’

…Oktar RETAINS A POWERFUL INFLUENCE over various communities – especially Muslim ones – around the world. Earlier this year two of his representatives gave a talk at University College London at the invitation of the university"s Islamic Society. Oktar"s website lists more than a dozen such events in the UK in November and December alone.

On another website "complimentary" letters are featured from individuals and organisations following receipt of a Harun Yahya publication. The content ranges from a polite acknowledgement of the book to wholehearted support for its message. What does Oktar make of his global impact?

‘Hundreds of professors, scientists, students and public send e-mails to our internet sites … We receive sincere messages that [the Atlas] has a great effect on them … IT MADE AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT. Afterwards it had a radiation effect and it keeps going on. Those who read the book tell others and those tell others. IT HAS AN IRRESISTIBLE POWER. THAT IS WHY IT HAS A DEMOLISHING EFFECT.’”