tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38085367.post7117587595592922856..comments2024-03-19T09:06:21.507-04:00Comments on Irtiqa: More on Turkey: Religion, commerce and the teaching of evolutionSalman Hameedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04327330113822656571noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38085367.post-9871530839919971932010-10-27T17:23:33.541-04:002010-10-27T17:23:33.541-04:00Evolution is just skipped. They'll tell you ho...Evolution is just skipped. They'll tell you how the cell functions, and what various organs in your body are for, but they won't give you the big picture. Just a collection of facts which the student will promptly forget after graduation. They could just stop teaching biology and it would not make much difference in the long haul.emrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00931870864104747021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38085367.post-54398344127212744922010-10-27T13:07:25.255-04:002010-10-27T13:07:25.255-04:00Thanks! Looking forward to learning more.Thanks! Looking forward to learning more.Benjamin Geerhttp://works.bepress.com/benjamin_geer/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38085367.post-59424166558990901182010-10-27T12:18:07.494-04:002010-10-27T12:18:07.494-04:00hi Benjamin,
Here is a very boad and general answ...hi Benjamin,<br /><br />Here is a very boad and general answer: <br /><br />Yes, to a certain degree it is taught. I think in the 80's some creationist/ID friendly statements were also included in the biology textbooks, but I think now they are not as pronounced - or not there at all. It is difficulty to gauge the influence of Harun Yahya (or Adnan Oktar) in Turkey - as the context is very different. He has a colorful past, is considered as a leader of a cult, his Islam is quite suspect (he considers himself to be the Mahdi - and believes in an "idealist" matrix-like universe), and his writings are considered to be quite amateurish. However, outside of Turkey, and especially in Europe, much of the cultural context is lost, and only his anti-evolution sentiments make it out there. Nevertheless, since Turkey has a broad range of religious beliefs within Islam, it is possible that he has a strong following amongst the religious conservatives. But this needs to be studied more and I have met a few graduate students who are looking at this a bit more carefully. Stay tuned...Salman Hameedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04327330113822656571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38085367.post-60919786378237170342010-10-27T11:56:02.358-04:002010-10-27T11:56:02.358-04:00Is evolution currently taught in Turkish schools, ...Is evolution currently taught in Turkish schools, and if so, how is it presented? How influential is <a href="http://tabsir.net/?p=979" rel="nofollow">Harun Yayha</a>?Benjamin Geerhttp://works.bepress.com/benjamin_geer/noreply@blogger.com