The Adhaalath Party has accused the Maldives Association for the Advancement of Science (MAAS) of attempting to lead the students of Fuvamulah schools astray by lecturing them against the tenets of Islam.
In a press release issued by the party’s Fuvamulah branch, Adhaalath claimed that lecturers from MAAS tried to convince the students that human beings originated from monkeys and that “our forefathers were monkeys and we are sons of monkeys.”
‘’They [MAAS] told the students that everything was created from nothing, on its own, without a God,’’ the press release alleged.
The Adhaalath Party claimed MAAS lecturers taught the students about Big Bang Theory and Quantum Theory, and told the students that the earth, universe and everything in it “was created from nothing.”
‘’Students of Fuvamulah understand that it is impossible for something like a pencil to be created by itself. It is regrettable that this scientists’ association did not know as much,’’ the party said.
When the students refused to accept what the lecturers were trying to explain to them, the lecturers spoke in such a way as to make the students feel they were unscientific, said Adhaalath.
Founding member of MAAS, Ahid Rasheed, told Minivan News that the series of science lectures had been solicited by the school, and that students had shown “excitement and curiosity.”
“We were invited to give presentations on science and astronomy, and mostly gave an introduction to science, such as why it’s important, and how can serve as an introduction to the universe,” said Rasheed. “We introduced key concepts in the field such as findings by Einstein, the discovery of gravity, evolution and the Big Bang. But we didn’t promote anything, and we did not mention religion. That wasn’t why we were there.”
Rasheed said the presentations spanned one week and that school staff were in attendance. “If the school and teachers had any objection to what we were teaching, they would have said something. Until today, we have had no negative feedback from people on the island. They’ve actually been inviting us to do more presentations.”
Rasheed supposed the anxiety generated by the lectures was due to basic misconceptions of science, which he said were evident in the classroom.
“We had to do a whole lecture on basics. For example, a majority of the students didn’t believe that humans had gone to the moon,” he said.
In another case, Rasheed reported that younger students were asking basic questions such as why the sky is blue. “Students deserve to know about the basics of where they are, and the world around them,” he said.
The possible contradiction between science and Islam was broached by one student, Rasheed said. “I said what I tell others: that there might be some reservations from Islamic scholars, maybe because of misconceptions about science. But there is no contradiction between Islam and the Big Bang theory as far as I am aware. A majority of Islamic scientists agree with that.”
Pointing out that Islamic scientists were historically famous for their discoveries, Rasheed said “it’s sad because science is not something we can neglect, science means development.”
Adhaalath’s press release noted that the MAAS team was sponsored by the Fuvamulah council. The Fuvamulah councilor is a known member of the Maldives Democratic Party (MDP), from which Adhaalath recently split.
‘’We strongly condemn this act of MAAS, which was also against the Religious Unity Act. We assure the people of Fuvamulah that we will not let them get away with this and will work on this issue until either action has been taken against them or until a trial is conducted,’’ the party said.
Violations of the Maldives’ Religious Unity Act are punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
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Adalath believe in Harry Potter and magic evolution from Adam and Eva in 21 century!
If God exist He is like super IT specialist and was create not Adam and Eva but very high end bio genetical programms /
So evolution it is only one from many conformation of God existance because every part of universe have very logical structure and cannot appear just from nothing
Dialog between science and religion very important /The problem is that religion use dogma and dont like to accept that today is 21 century and people use airplane, not only camels in desert/
Evolution it is not a fantasy about hell and paradise where holy guys drink alchohol that prohibited on Earth and spend time with holy girls hahahaha
Science and evolution collecting real experimental facts and history archeology evidence and work only with real facts to prove or not some theory/
But such Harry Potter from Addalath party belive only in 12 century levels education
and forget that if God has create our brain it is direct prove that we have to use such High Tech device to collect knowledge about our world
/And real Knowledge about our material world it is science/So between God as creator of Universe and science no any confront point /The point only in human understanding/If we use science and increase knowledges we will approach to scientific understanding of God but if we still in 12 century and cannot accept TV or Airplane because it is haram we are very close to monkey levels/
Reading "two can play a game"'s comment, I wonder how Maldives can ever be classified as a 100% muslim country.
the mixing of religion and science is wrong for both religion and science. you cant put god under a microscope, you can apply laws of physics to the spiritual part of enlightenment. that is exactly why during the golden age of muslims, the great scientists never mixed both...even when they were experts on both theology and science. the idea of finding scientific miracles in the quran was developed by maurice bucaille...another nutjob like mr.zakir kite. and from then on, muslims tried so hard to find acceptance in the western eyes. but the truth is that the beauty of quran is in various layers, especially the spriritual and batin interpretations.
"Falsafi Ko Behas Ke Andar Khuda Milta Nahi. Dour Ko Suljha Raha Hai Aur Sira Milta Nahi. Pata Yoon To Bata Daitay Ho Sub Ko La-Makaan Apna. Ta’ajub Hai Magar Rehtay Ho Tum Tootay Hoay Dil Mein." - Naaz Khialvi (Pakistani Poet).
(Translation: The philosopher doesn’t find God in an argument.He is trying to untangle the cord but cannot find the top.You tell all You are homeless,But surprisingly You dwell in a broken heart)
among others there is the famous muslim astronomer, mathematician scientist and philosopher who was also a lover of god, Omar Khayyam (famous for his rubaiyat today). similarly the likes of ibn rushd and ibn sina wrote both on science/philosophy and on theology (SEPARATELY!).
If one day science proves human evolution in laboratory model, these mullahs will come and say “Hay we have this in Quran” Quran says Allah has converted Jews to monkeys. They will say it is just opposite way Allah explains things to his salves.
It is very worrying that non-academic and unscientific views are not just used by political parties for furthering their own agenda but expressed by staff at the Education Ministry as well.
Teachers in the employ of the government arm overseeing the education sector have made such far-flung claims as that the Austrian Arch-Duke Franz Ferdinand was murdered by a child in the employ of Hitler who happened to like taking photographs of some unknown Individual by the name of Mussolini.
Lovely analogy but worrying howsoever.
The education sector goes to the pits on a daily basis. This is just an isolated incident - not less important of course.
However, politics aside people, we really need to ask whatever government we elect in 2013 to focus more on education. Or those of us who can afford it will move our kids out of public schools further ghettoizing the public education system in a country where unsubsidized services are affordable to a very small number of households.
ignorance of adhalath is more worrying than teaching kids about evolution and big bang theory!!!!
WOW.
Lets break this down and see if I can make any sense of this.
1 - "MAAS lecturers taught the students about Big Bang Theory and Quantum Theory." (Well, MAAS is an organisation that teaches and promotes science, so basically it is their job to teach Big Bang Theory and Quantum Theory.)
2 - "Adhaalath Party releases a PR claiming that MAAS attempted to lead the students of Fuvamulah schools astray by lecturing them against the tenets of Islam." (Ignorance leads people astray. Science is geared against ignorance. Ilm or Alim is defined as science or knowledge. Doesnt the Quran support gaining knowledge? MAAS taught science and knowledge. So who is misleading who? Adhaalath or MAAS?)
3 - "Students of Fuvamulah understand that it is impossible for something like a pencil to be created by itself." Meaning that in the presence of common sense, the truth will always prevail. So why the exaggeration and the PR? I couldnt find a single overhyped PR from MAAS. So who is scared of whos doctrines?
4 - As for what Yaamyn has said about evolution (excluding the emotional remarks), I completely agree. Science has through ages of research proved evolution, and continues to do so. Evolution has also famously been fought against in court, (anyone remember the Dova case in US?) and has triumphed against trillion dollar campaigns to falsify it. Evolution has survived in science despite rejections by almost every single organised religion. The evidence supporting Evolution is as concrete as the evidence that supports gravity.
5 - Islam, doesnt necessarily deny evolution or science, nor does any other religion (as far as I know). So if religion wants a place in the civilized world, it should learn to accept science.
On a more personal note, I think a lot of people here must have flunked Biology class, excluding Yaamyn and a few others. I also support Zeenat Haq's "Let our children be taught science, maths along with Quran. Let them decide for themselves, when they grow up." Cheers...
also, in the quranic terms....ulema or "scholars" are really scientists. the mullahs are ...well, just like recorders. they record what their older mullahs say and repeat it again and again.
http://www.tolueislam.com/Parwez/articles/the_Ulema.htm
c'mon guys... stop promoting hate and anger
The Holy Quran says about the Big Bang Theory and a lot of Muslim scholars are saying this.
Why is Adaalath so upset about teaching what is in the Quran? Is it because they think only they have the right to teach about what is in the Quran?
Frankly I think they are a bunch of imbeciles who should not be in charge of a bath tub, let alone advising about religion in a country.
Why don't you science rejecters go back to the dark ages. We've had enough of your babbling with science's compatibility with islam. Religion is based on dogma and hearsay..There is no proof for the existence of God either.
Rooster on Tue, 4th Oct 2011 9:35 AM
"I think you are being spoon fed. I also think you are being fed with the wrong spoon and you are oblivious to this."
I was expecting you to be very sure of what you say rather than what you 'think'. Please be specific of what you mean by being spoon fed cause its got various meanings. Whether i am spoon fed or not is not the issue. what you have to understand is the contradiction. If you think the contradictions are false. please prove.
"The best way to check this would be by doing the research yourself instead of cutting and pasting the claims of the people who are misleading you."
What makes you think someone is misleading me? If you think i am misleading explain how I am being mislead. The best way to check anything would be to study and research as you have said, in fact that's exactly what i am doing. I have checked the Islamic side and scientific side but you give me with only the islamic side. I would say your research is biased. You cant really call it copy pasting. I was only sharing a link.whats the point of writing and same thing when someone has done nice video of what you want to say?
"My advice: Do not stop after doing a superficial read of the Qur’an and its interpretation. Do a thorough research of the very same verses you are talking about via your youtube video and the article."
I agree to this point and i think this is how everyone should make their conclusion. don't just agree with what people tell you. research and study for your self before making the decision or judgment and dont be biased by only reading the Islamic side. thank you.
"The following website will be helpful to know how different translators of the Qur’an translate a single verse. The Qur’an is a Divine revelation. We are human beings.
http://www.islamawakened.com/Quran/default.htm
The people who are misleading you have only scratched the surface. They have not done a thorough research on what they are talking about."
I don't understand who this "they" means and how you came to the conclusion that somone is misleading??.. 😐 I don't think anyone is misleading me since I usually do my research for myself and i don't base my judgment on person's say or just any article on the internet. whether its prophet Muhammad or Albert Einstein, what they say has to be peer reviewed,tested and accepted by the majority of the scientific community first. then i research it myself and if i find its accurate i ll consider it. now tell me how do you do your research?
btw thank you for the link and hope this is not too long for a reply.
oh god these muslims, this country is going down because of it. if Quran is all you need, why dont you just have Quran as a text book at schools?
Well most atheist now push forward the Multiverse theory.
Multiverse theory says
There are a infinite number of big bangs happening at this moment in time, and therefore an infinite number of universes are collapsing at the same time.
By chance our universe where earth is had the right variables for life. Well after all its infinite number of Universes so there is bound to be one like ours.
Although the unexplained why all these big bags are happening and where did all this energy originate from
This is totally off the top of my head.
Doesn't mean that there is a Personal Monotheistic God behind these events. Even if we do not understand something fully, you do not have to attribute the cause to a God or some supernatural being because eventually we will find out natural causes for it. I chose to be an Atheist because their is no evidence whatsoever for the existence of a God.
Briko
You might want to first have a proper understanding of what a Scientific theory is. See my first comment on this thread.
I don't know where you got "most atheists push the Multiverse theory.." bit.
For the love of God, stop confusing issues. I've seen too many people doing this with the aim of misleading others.
Secularism is not Atheism. Atheism is not Science. Science is not Harun Yahya. Evolution is not the Big Bang.
Stop lumping together things you don't understand, just so you can dismiss them at will.
one word: troglodytes
listen .. by time theories are proven and some are unproven. Humans know so little and yet a lot to be learned. No harm in learning and understanding current theories as we base our research on whats been accepted at the time. Christians and Muslims both believe Adam was created, atheists believe in evolution .. i wonder what was the first evolution and where how it was created in the first place.
grow up and respect!. See, now scientists are questioning about Einsteins theory of relativity with new CERN findings .. it might take another decade or century to prove or disprove CERN's findings. So much to learn from the unknown which nobody knows, so i believe in God (Allah) the ultimate creator who knows the unknown. Human finding at many times comes with flaws and this proven from history. So don't base your belief on a saying on a stupid website or a theory.
@yaamyn
Indeed science is not Atheism nor is Atheism secularism. People have to stop assuming too much.
That being said Multivariate or the string theory is a pretty good theory.
why do people believe in a religion? (referring to Abrahamic religions)
"Because of "conditioning" , they are spoon fed on scripture since birth and have all this religious mumbo jumgo forced down their throats at a very tender young age, it is a form of child abuse...it is brainwashing kids who cannot make clear decisions for themselves.
They used Hell and Satan as a scare tactic, and Heaven as a sweetener, anybody who truly believes in either is in my opinion very weak minded...
in my opinion most religious people are emotionally insecure, religion can be used as a great tool to control you wife, children, if your a leader or politician your followers, to maintain your business, to keep you happy (in times of depression, illness, financial loss, loss of a loved one etc) by being in a fantasy world (after life, rewards, 72 virgins, etc), where nobody can criticize against it,etc.. religion also motivates you to live and provides you a purpose blindly. so it satisfies..
one example of religions being used for their specific needs are the sects of Islamd and Christianity. Each believers of that sect blindly and deeply believes that their sect is the most accurate. Infact these sects are as different as a completely different religions.
and why do you (thiest's) think people don't believe in a religion?(i assuming you would come up with more rational answers than bashing arguments)
There is no evidence whatsoever for God.
@mohamed
we were sculpted from CLAY!! we did NOT evolve from an ancestor of the monkeys!
Wow, the evolutionary chain from clay to human must be pretty freakin' xbox huge.
Learn heaps reading all of this...
I just think that the external form of religion is a kind of an art - a semiotic expression of human aspirations, it is important, but the details should not be taken literally...
There are heaps of arguments rooted in Qur'an and Sunnah and in Sirah which refute a literalist position...
Also, Ayat in Qur'an uphold a-posteriori epistomoly (scientific way of seeking knowledge) and reasonnn