The Fossil Record Refutes Evolution
6:19
8 Aug 2007
Evolution
Oktar Babuna
This video, produced by “Harun Yahya International” and presented by Oktar Babuna, says that the fossil record “refutes” evolution because there are not transitional forms between various species. The video quotes both Darwin and Richard Dawkins.
Please excuse the poor quality of the video; this is quite old for an internet video.
Evaluation:
The material on Islam presented here is within the bounds of what Muslims have historically understood as acceptable.
The representation of what a transitional form would consist of does not correspond to what evolutionary biologists would call a “transitional form”. Since evolutionary changes are generally quite small, rather than the “half fish, half starfish” form that Babuna suggests, one finds much smaller changes. For an example of a transitional form as scientists understand it, see Neil Shubin in “Finding Your Inner Fish”.
The historical material presented is accurate. One must keep in mind that like all sciences, paleontology continues to change as more evidence is uncovered.
About Oktar Babuna
Born 1963 in Istanbul, Turkey, Oktar Babuna is known for being the personal representative and advisor of Harun Yahya, one of the world’s most famous Muslim creationists. Babuna is a formally trained medical doctor specializing in neurosurgery. Having graduated from Istanbul University Medical School in 1987, Babuna went on to pursue research in molecular biology at the University of California San Francisco Medical School and the University of California Berkeley Donner Lawrence Laboratories. He eventually specialized in neurosurgery at New York University (NYU) in 1996, though it is unclear whether he received his degree in 1996 or simply started his studies at NYU in 1996.
Babuna’s work now focuses on research surrounding faith and evolution, a topic on which he lectures regularly, especially on mass media outlets and in representation of Harun Yahya. In addition, he also authored a chapter in the book Divine Action and Natural Selection: Science, Faith, and Evolution. As of 2015, Babuna operates Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages in Turkish.
Selected Bibliography:
Babuna, Oktar. “Dr. Oktar Babuna.” LinkedIn. LinkedIn, n.d. Accessed 09 June 2015.
Babuna, Oktar. Facebook. Facebook, n.d. Accessed 09 June 2015.
Babuna, Oktar. Instagram. Instagram, n.d. Accessed 09 June 2015.
Babuna, Oktar. Twitter. Twitter, n.d. Accessed 09 June 2015.
“Dr. Ahmet Oktar Babuna.” Islamic Events. IslamicSG, n.d. Accessed 09 June 2015.
“Oktar Babuna.” Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Accessed 09 June 2015.
Piazza, Judyth. “Judyth Piazza Chats with Dr. Oktar Babuna.” The SOP. N.p., n.d. Accessed 09 June 2015.