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How One Ottoman Reconciled Islamic Teachings with Darwin's Theory of Evolution
From the article:
In 1913, Abdullah Cevdet, a prominent Ottoman materialist and science popularizer, wrote an essay in his controversial magazine İctihad, in response to the arrest of three teachers for teaching Darwinian evolution in a Turkish city.
“Any country” Cevdet warned, “where commenting on the laws of evolution or speaking about Darwinism is perceived to be blasphemous has not emerged from the Middle Ages. And [those belonging to] the Middle Ages have no right to exist in the twentieth century.” For secular Ottomans of that time, Darwinism was more than a biological theory. It was a symbol, a theory exploited to pursue political and social goals.
For some Ottoman conservatives, however, Darwinism was an attack launched against Islam and traditional values.
“Any country” Cevdet warned, “where commenting on the laws of evolution or speaking about Darwinism is perceived to be blasphemous has not emerged from the Middle Ages. And [those belonging to] the Middle Ages have no right to exist in the twentieth century.” For secular Ottomans of that time, Darwinism was more than a biological theory. It was a symbol, a theory exploited to pursue political and social goals.
For some Ottoman conservatives, however, Darwinism was an attack launched against Islam and traditional values.
To read more:
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/altmuslim/2018/11/how-one-ottoman-reconciled-islamic-teachings-with-darwins-theory-of-evolution/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Muslim&utm_content=49
