4.2.3 Have Muslims Misunderstood Evolution?
On the 5th of January, 2013, the Deen Institute in London hosted a conference titled “Have Muslims Misunderstood Evolution?” Featuring a spectrum of speakers from evolutionary biologists to theologians to a creationist, the event drew hundreds of participants, especially young Muslims. While the conference page is no longer up, we recommend that you read Professor Salman Hameed of Hampshire College’s short review of the conversation here.
In this lecture, Professor Fatimah Jackson of Howard University, a biologist with a focus on human evolution, introduces the concept of evolution and presents the human genetic evidence for the theory. She addresses the common misconception that evolution posits humans are evolved from monkeys, and discusses how she has reconciled the theory with her faith.
The audio quality for this video is mixed. As such we recommend you turn on the subtitles (CC).
Guiding Questions:
- Recall learning material 3.2.5. How does Professor Barseghyan define a scientific theory, given “contemporary demarcation criteria?”
- Why does Professor Jackson argue evolution meets these criteria, and is it the best available explanation for the evidence?
Thumbnail: Bovine cells with mitochondria stained gold. Photo Credit: Credit: Torsten Wittmann, University of California, San Francisco; NIH Image Gallery. CC BY-NC 2.0.
