Evolution and Islam

65:42

18 Aug 2014

Evolution, Biology

Ehab Abouheif

Taner Edis

This video presents two lectures in a panel on evolution and Islam.  They present the views of Ehab Abouheif (McGill University), an evolutionary developmental biologist who studies ants and Taner Edis (Truman State University), a physicist who also studies religious and paranormal claims.  Abouheif’s presentation of the reconciliation of Islam and evolution as he understands them is positive.  Edis is much less positive, suggesting that perceptions of Islam and evolution like those of Abouheif are a minority, elite position.  Edis concludes that the majority of Muslims are unlikely to fully accept biological evolution in his lifetime.

Topics addressed:  evolutionary biology, tree of life for ants, ants in the Qurʾān, evolution as a scientific fact, intermediate transitions in the fossil record of ants, creationism, Intelligent Design, existence of God, Abrahamic faiths, physics, elite and non-elite cultural differences in the Islamic world, the plausibility of supernatural agents, liberal religious options.

The video does not include the question and answer session.  The original version of the video was uploaded on Vimeo and may be found here. The panel was held at the Darwin and Evolution in the Muslim World conference at Hampshire College (Amherst Massachusetts) on October 2-3, 2009.  The conference was supported by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

In addition to the two speakers named above, Salman Hameed (Hampshire College) and Jason Wiles (Syracuse University) each speak briefly, making introductions.

Evaluation:

The material on Islam is within the bounds of what Muslims have historically understood as acceptable.

The scientific discussion here is accepted by contemporary scientists.

There is insufficient historical material on which to base an evaluation.