More on Islam and evolution

On Sunday, when I wrote about Dr Usama Hasan having to retract his statements supporting evolution, I ought to have mentioned Inayat Bunglawala of Muslims 4 UK.

Inayat Bunglawala was interviewed in the same piece on the Today programme, urging that space be allowed for a debate as to whether there is more than one valid interpretation of the Koranic account of the creation of Adam. Is it really necessary for a Muslim to believe Adam was fashioned literally from clay he asks? Surely this can be interpreted in a less literal sense, consistent with the known facts of science.

Inayat Bunglawala has taken on the dreadful Harun Yahya whom I listened to in Cork. Here are a couple of links to his writing on the Guardian website:

• in a head to head debate with Harun Yahya about evolution and the origins of life from a Muslim perspective
• and, in the light of news that Usama Hasan has found it necessary to retract his statements supporting the theory of evolution, arguing that Islam must engage with science, not deny it

By the way, on Thursday 5th, BBC's In Our Time discusses the origins and early development of Sharia law. I wonder will they get as far as Rowan Williams being quoted three years ago saying the adoption of certain aspects of Sharia law in the UK "seems unavoidable". He was much derided for this at the time but I think he meant only on a voluntary arbitration basis.