The “Atlas of Creation” in Science Magazine

The 16 February, 2007, edition of the magazine Science, well-known for its pro-evolution stance, carried a report headed “Faith and Science” that discussed the impact of Adnan Oktar’s Atlas of Creation, written under the pen-name Harun Yahya. The report contained the following statements:

It's the most gorgeous-looking attack on evolution seen in a long time: That's the consensus among European scientists who in recent weeks have received . . . free copies of the Atlas of Creation. The 768-page, lavishly produced tome was written by Harun Yahya, a Turkish author who denounces Darwinism as the source of many evils, including 9/11. Its publisher has sent hundreds if not thousands of copies of the book to researchers in at least four countries in Western Europe.

. . . the book has troubled and outraged others--especially in France, where a French translation landed in the mailboxes of hundreds of high school directors and librarians. . . .

Harun Yahya is the pen name of Adnan Oktar, the head of the Foundation for Scientific Research (BAV) in Ankara, which has promoted Islamic creationism since 1997 (Science, 18 May 2001, p. 1286). . . .

Yahya accepts that the world is billions of years old but rejects the concept of evolutionary change. More than 500 pages in the Atlas of Creation (the first in a series of seven volumes) are filled with pictures of fossils, accompanied by modern-day organisms that look strikingly similar--proof, Yahya says, that evolution theory is false. . . .

Within Turkey, BAV has been "quite successful" in promoting creationism, says biologist Aykut Kence of the Middle East Technical University in Ankara. One recent survey found that more than 50% of biology teachers in secondary education "are not sure about the validity of evolution," says Kence. Yahya's books have also been translated into Arabic, Urdu, and other languages of the Islamic world.

. . . In an e-mailed response to questions, a spokesperson for Yahya . . . added that France "can gather up and burn all the books, just like in the days of the Nazis, … yet the collapse of Darwinism cannot be prevented by prohibitions and bans."

Le Figaro, 2 February 2007

In its 2 February, 2007, edition, Le Figaro, one of France’s premier magazines, discussed the Atlas of Creation, written by Adnan Oktar under the pen-name Harun Yahya and published in Turkish, English and French. The report contained the following statements:

Many universities, high schools and colleges in France have received copies of a book titled The Atlas of Creation, consisting of around 770 pages and filled with illustrations regarding Darwinism and evolution. The book, written by the Turkish author Harun Yahya (real name Adnan Oktar) underlines the following:
“Evolutionist frauds and misleading statements” and particularly “the hidden links between Darwinism and such bloody ideologies as fascism and communism”

The author also relies on the large number of fossils unearthed all over the world over the last two hundred years in order to say that “species never changed.”

. . . The author places pictures of magnificent fish, hyenas, ants and starfish alongside pictures of animals and plants that are millions of years older in order to demonstrate that fossils closely resemble living specimens. He thus wishes to show that “living things did not evolve, but were created.”

Le Monde, 3 February 2007

In February 2007, Le Monde, France’s most important daily, carried various reports dealing with The Atlas of Creation. One such report, by Hervé Morin and published on 3 February, 2007, considered the impact of The Atlas in France. In summary the article contained the following statements:

Thousands of copies of an incomparable work have been distributed in recent weeks. The name of this work is The Atlas of Creation, Volume I, and it has been distributed to schools, university centers and educational archive centers. It comes in a large format and consists of 800 lavishly illustrated pages and was authored by Harun Yahya. The conclusion of the book, written and published in Turkey, is crystal clear: “Creation is a fact” and “evolution is a fraud.”

(. . .) Unlike Christian creationists, Harun Yahya accepts that the Earth is 4.6 billion years old. But he concentrates on the similarity between fossils and present-day species in order to state that evolution never happened and that creation is a fact. The author constructs his fundamental logic on the Qur'an and concludes: "Wherever we turn, there is the Face of God.”

(. . .) The Science Research Foundation (SRF), of which the author is the honorary president, was described in 2001 by Science magazine as “one of the world’s strongest antievolution movements outside of North America.”

Le Monde, 8 Subat 2007

Another report in daily Le Monde, by the paper’s Istanbul correspondent Guillaume Perrier, appeared on 8 February, 2007. The report contained an interview with officials from Global Publishing, which publishes the works of Harun Yahya:

CREATIONIST THESES ARE GAINING GROUND IN TURKEY

The spotlessly clean offices of Global Publishing in a popular district of Istanbul provide clear information about their activities. There is a large, red, illustrated book at one end of the conference table. This is the impressive “The Atlas of Creation” by Harun Yahya, sent to the French media, schools and universities at the end of January.

Founded in 2001, Global Publishing employs 92 people and publishes only works by Harun Yahya (consisting of books, films and Internet sites), who has produced a large number of works.

. . . The 50-year-old Harun Yahya (real name Adnan Oktar) is an author who has been publishing books about creation and faith for the last 20 years.

. . . In 2006, fossils proving that Darwin was in error were exhibited 350 times in Istanbul alone. Books written specially for children were distributed free of charge. Creationism is gradually taking root in Turkey.

Aykut Kence of the Middle EastTechnicalUniversity says: “Their theses have been appearing in schoolbooks since 1985. Nowadays it is impossible even to find the idea of evolution in primary schools. Many of the instructors produced in the last ten years have reverted to creationism. According to a survey by the Academy of Sciences, 75% of high school students in the country do not believe in evolution.”

La Croix, February 2007

An Atlas Refuting Darwinism Has Been Sent to Schools

Another major French daily, La Croix, carried a report dealing with the debate The Atlas of Creation has given rise to in France. The report cited one of the fossils in the Atlas as an example. Comparing a 280-million-year-old fossil frog with a living specimen, it quoted the relevant extract as saying, “Living things have never changed, or evolved, since they were first created.”

L'EXPRESS, 2 February 2007

A Turkish Creationist Atlas in Schools

20minutes, 2 Subat 2007

Creationism Has Reached French Schools

L’Humanité, 8 February 2007

L’Humanité, a newspaper published in France, carried a report concerning the major impact Harun Yahya’s Atlas of Creation was having in France. A summary of the main statements in the report reads:

An abundantly illustrated 772-page book published in Turkey and based on the Qur’an, denying the theory of evolution proposed by Darwin, has been sent to public institutions, and to college, high school and university libraries at the end of January, as well as to the offices of various newspapers such as L’Humanité.

The aim of this work is to reveal evolutionist frauds, their misleading statements and “the invisible link between Darwinism and such bloody ideologies as fascism and communism.” And that is indeed the case. A large part of the book consists of illustrations of fossils compared to specimens alive today in an attempt to prove that living organisms have undergone no changes throughout the course of history. This is linked to the conclusion that “God created the universe and all living things”. . . The author, Adnan Oktar, who writes under the pen-name Harun Yahya, is well-known for his advocacy of creationism. . . . The Islamic community has supported this struggle ever since the 1980s . . . The preparation of the book is astonishing. This is a book the first volume of which has now been published, due to be followed by six more, published on luxury, colored paper and selling at the ridiculously cheap price of 75 euros.

Le Nouvel Observateur magazine, 2 February, 2007  

Creationism based on the Qur’an has arrived France

. . . Accompanied by vice-chancellors alongside him, the Minister of Education noted that the Atlas of Creation was the work of a Turkish author by the name of Harun Yahya who advocated Islamic views and propagated these on a web site called “the evolution deceit.” This 770-page book intends to prove that man has undergone no changes since his first creation and that no animal species had altered in the slightest way. He supports this presentation with extracts taken from the Qur’an.

Many Protestant churches, particularly in the USA, are determined to reject Darwinism and the theory of evolution . . . As for the Islamic front, . . . there is no doubt that Harun Yahya is its most active representative, by means of the Nurcu movement and his international Harun Yahya publications.

Le Nouvel Observateur, one of France’s major current affairs magazines, provides detailed information on its own website about the life of the author Harun Yahya, his work, and his statements clearly revealing the falsehoods of the theory of evolution.

Le Nouvel Observateur magazine website

Various comments regarding the works of Harun Yahya appeared in the Le Nouvel Observateur website. Summarized, one of these contained the following statements:

Harun Yahya and Darwinism

Harun Yahya is a good of reference for non-Muslims without a knowledge of Islam and also for French-speaking Muslims who wish to deepen their knowledge of Islam, because the lively texts of his writings and books are available free of charge on his website www.harunyahya.com. The books have been translated into forty languages.

It would be wise to read the three small illustrated books providing an easy understanding of the Qur’an: “Knowing Islam,” “Basic Concepts” and “The Perished Nations.”

Reading Harun Yahya also allows one to learn how he has demolished Darwinism. As Le Nouvel Observateur said in its report, he bases himself on science.

Reading Harun Yahya and understanding the Qur’an may prevent much confusion from arising.

… What we call Dieu, Allah, God, or Jehovah is people’s one God. The holy scriptures are above all a call to faith in God, a code of moral and behavior, and a reward or punishment by Paradise or Hell. Life would have no direction without these key concepts. Neither would the origin of life. If one remains devoted to Darwin, then life on Earth must have appeared randomly. Read Harun Yahya and form your own idea. I am sure you will be impressed. And this will allow you to break one very great taboo: to question the theory of evolution! Not to reject it, merely to question it. That is all!

The French TV channel TF1 website, 2 February 2007

The TF1 TV station’s website, which broadcasts in France, carried a report titled “A Creationist Muslim Book Has Been Distributed to High Schools” on 2 February, 2007, which carried the report contained in Le Figaro magazine.

La Liberation

La Liberation, one of the major French dailies, carried a report titled “A Book by a Creationist Turkish Author Has Been Distributed to Hundreds of High Schools.” The report contained the following statements:

A book called the Atlas of Creation, enriched by a large number of illustrations, written by the Turkish author Harun Yahya and condemning the theory of evolution and full of praise for creationism, has been sent to hundreds of educational institutions, mainly high schools but also including universities. . . .

Supported by pictures of fossils and animals, the Atlas of Creation seeks to prove that man has remained unchanged, contrary to what the supporters of Darwin maintained in the 19th century. The author and editor includes his works, which have been translated into many foreign languages, on his website, as well as extracts from the Qur’an intended to confirm his views. Harun Yahya is known as the greatest champion of creationism in Turkey. . .

Another website published in France carried a report titled “The Atlas of Creation, or how to theorize the negation of Darwinism.” The report gave a detailed description of the impact of the Atlas of Creation, as well as providing links to Harun Yahya’s websites and other works.

Over the last few days, colleges, high schools and universities have received a book called “The Atlas of Creation,” written by Harun Yahya and which refutes Darwinism and the theory of evolution . . . The arrival of this 770-page “Atlas of Creation” at secondary and senior educational establishments gave rise to a number of questions: Who is Harun Yahya?

. . . He concentrated on philosophy and materialist ideologies throughout his academic years. He then wrote a large number of works in which he described the theory of evolution as a deceit. His aim is to “hinder the influence of Darwinism and materialism on the world.” His book “The Evolution Deceit” contains the words “The theory of evolution is nothing but a deception imposed on us by the dominators of the world system.”

. . . His works have been translated into a large number of languages, including French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Polish, Indonesian, Malay, Malayalam, Urdu, Albanian and Serbo-Croat. Through these powerful publications Harun Yahya tells the whole planet that “those who perpetrate acts of terror in the world are in fact Darwinists.” The caption accompanying a photo representing the September 11 attacks reads: “It is Darwinists who cause terror to continue in the world. Darwinism is the only philosophy that develops and encourages conflict.”

. . . Some of his works deal with French Freemasonry and Zionism and their “negative effects on world history and politics.” Other works have been written on the moral values of the Qur’an. Harun Yahya’s aim is to show “non-Muslims the proofs of the existence of Allah and the perfection in His creation” by “introducing Islam to those unfamiliar with it and warming people’s hearts to the truth.”

. . . Harun Yahya already announced that the Atlas of Creation is the first volume of a seven-volume work. It appears that a single volume is inadequate for denouncing, in his view, that “evolution is one of the greatest frauds and deceptions in the history of science.”

Washington Post

Does Darwinism Cause Terrorism?

. . . Over the last fortnight, thousands of schools across France have been mysteriously receiving copies of a "lavishly illustrated" Turkish book attacking Darwinism. Titled The Atlas of Creation, the 768-page, large-print tomes attempt not only to debunk Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, but also to paint it as "the true source of terrorism." . . .

. . . "Atlas" seemingly blames "survival of the fittest" for just about everything from racism and Nazism, to communism and terrorism, because of its ties to atheism and materialism. . . .

Harun Yahya on the Sombreval Publishing Website

The major impact of the Atlas of Creation, a significant work by Harun Yahya, also appeared on the Sombreval Publishing website, and various passages were quoted from the report in Le Figaro.

Jeunes pour la France, 2 February 2007

The website of the political movement Jeunes pour la France also carried a report describing the impact in France of the Atlas of Creation. The works of the world-renowned author Harun Yahya were described in these terms on the site:

The author cites many passages from the Qur’an and concludes that “Creation is the sole truth,” proves the “existence of the soul” and notes that “materialism has come to an end.”

Middle East Online

The well-known website Middle East Online carried a report concerning the Atlas of Creation, containing the following statements:

. . . Entitled "The Atlas of Creation", the 770-page book by Turkish author Harun Yahya quotes several passages from the Koran and asserts that "human beings did not evolve (from another species) but were indeed created."

. . . The book features a photograph of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center with the caption: "Those who perpetuate terror in the world are in fact Darwinists. Darwinism is the only philosophy that values and incites conflict."

The theories of Charles Darwin are "the true source of terrorism," it said. . . .

www.vousnousils.fr

www.vousnousils.fr, a website founded by a group of independent young journalists for the purposes of culture, education and research, stated that Harun Yahya’s Atlas of Creation had a major impact on the French, and particularly noted how Darwinism was described in the book as the true origin of terror.

Yves Daoudal’s blog, 2 February 2007 2007

Darwinist Panic

Large numbers of a richly illustrated, 770-page book called the Atlas of Creation, which rejects Darwinism, have been sent to our educational institutions. The book was written by Harun Yahya (the pen-name of Adnan Oktar), a Turk, who has produced many works. . . .

A report on the website of a French political party on 3 February, 2007, contained the following information about Harun Yahya’s Atlas of Creation:

The Atlas of Creation is the work of Harun Yahya, a Turkish Muslim who expresses himself on a highly developed website called “The Evolution Deceit.” Throughout its luxuriously illustrated 770 pages, the book seeks to prove that man and animal species have remained unchanged since the moment they were created. The Qur’an is indicated as confirmatory evidence.
Creationism in the Islamic world was born in the ‘80s, together with the rise in religious devotion . . . Certainly, the most active communicator of Creationism is “the international publications of Harun Yahya,” and thus Harun Yahya himself.

e.sinchew-i.com

Harun Yahya’s Atlas of Creation was also reported on a major website published in various languages such as English, Malay and Chinese, and the work was described in these terms:

EVOLUTION?. . . A book denying Darwinism and the concept of evolution in the name of Islam, L’Atlas de la Creation (The Atlas of Creation), is widely distributed to schools in France. The book is the work of Adnan Oktar, . . . who over the past decade has published a flood of books . . .

Comments regarding the impact of the Atlas of Creation also appeared on the website of the well-known American journalist Doug Ireland, following which general information about the works of Harun Yahya was provided. The author’s books, the languages into which they have been translated, his websites, his analyses of political events and impact on the world were all described. Links were also given to the author’s websites, articles and books. Various detailed extracts were quoted from the book Global Freemasonry in particular. Ireland noted that millions of young Muslims living in France would be influenced by Harun Yahya’s works, and began his analysis in these words:

I was curious about the author, and a Google search rapidly revealed that Yahya -- who says he is 50 and the author of dozens of books, and that his pseudonym was "formed from the names 'Harun' and 'Yahya' in the esteemed memory of the two Prophets who struggled against infidelity" -- maintains an expensively-designed, multi-media English-language website. . . .

A report concerning the works of Harun Yahya was carried on a personal website called Yazerty, published in France:

Atlas of Creation – Harun Yahya (creationism)
. . . Supported by pictures of fossils and animals, the Atlas of Creation seeks to prove that, contrary to what Darwin’s supporters maintained in the 19th century, man has remained completely unchanged. The website of the author, Harun Yahya, contains his works translated into a number of languages, and extracts from the Qur’an are used for the purpose of supporting his views.

The following information about the Atlas of Creation appeared on the Access Research Network (ARN) website:

The Turkish original of the 768-page book, which rejects evolution, . . . sees Charles Darwin's theory of the "survival of the fittest" as the root of many of today's ills, including modern terrorism.

. . . The Atlas of Creation is a novelty because it puts an Islamic twist on criticism of the theory of evolution, a cause championed by conservative Christians in the United States.

bellacio.org

A report regarding global Creationist movements appeared on an Italian-French news portal website, www.bellaciao.org, on 9 February, 2007. The report discussed the Atlas of Creation and Harun Yahya’s works on the subject:

Harun Yahya, author of the 770-page Atlas of Creation that rejects the theory of evolution says, “Creation and that species never underwent evolution is a fact.” The author supports the view that the Earth is 4.6 billion years old (regarded as the most accurate estimate) and uses a large number of fossils and detailed visual presentations as references in his work in order to show that “species never underwent any change.

Harun Yahya (a Turk whose real name is Adnan Oktar) declares that Darwin’s theory (the only philosophy that encourages and attaches any value to conflict), which he indicates as being the true source of terrorism, accompanied by a picture representing the September 11 attacks, is invalid and goes far beyond mere rejection of the theory of evolution.

One personal website dealing with Eastern philosophies considered Harun Yahya’s Atlas of Creation under the heading “Turkish Creationist Book.” The report provided information about the global impact of the Atlas of Creation and its content.

Another personal website also discussed the Atlas of Creation under the caption “Happy Darwin Day!”. The report recalled that 12 February was both the date of Charles Darwin’s birth in 1809 and also the anniversary of the publication of the Origin of Species in 1859, and noted that the debate over the Atlas of Creation coincided with those same days.

Information about the Atlas of Creation was provided on a personal website dealing with anti-Darwinism. The report noted how Muslim and Christian supporters of Creation concentrate on social Darwinism and the idea of the “survival of the fittest” and frequently emphasize the Darwin-Hitler connection.

A report on the impact in France of the Atlas of Creation appeared on a religious forum site with contributors from various faiths. The report summarized the analysis that appeared in the French press.

A personal website based on freedom of expression discussed Harun Yahya’s ideas on the theory of evolution and Darwinism. It noted that the author’s latest work, the Atlas of Creation, had a major impact in many countries.

A personal website named Cohenside considered Harun Yahya’s ideas on the true source of terrorism, that appear in many of his works. In his Atlas of Creation, which has provoked considerable reaction in the world press, the author maintains that the true origin of terror is Darwinism, which regards the world as a sphere of conflict in which only the strong survive.

The website of the National Center for Science Education, a Darwinist organization which supports the teaching of the theory of evolution in schools, described the impact of the Atlas of Creation in France.

A personal website defending the theory of evolution discussed the content of the Atlas of Creation and the impact it had in Europe.

A personal website published in Dubai provided information about the content of the Atlas of Creation and the works of its author, Harun Yahya. It contained the following statements:

“Atlas of Creation” – a book by Turkish philosopher Harun Yahya . . . The author presents some proofs that evolution never happened. Animals and plants we can see now are the same which were recorded in million years old fossils. We can explain the existence of life only assuming that it has a Creator. And this is the idea which troubles the French. . . .

Great Britain

A personal website published from Great Britain provided information about the Atlas of Creation and noted the major impact it was having in Europe as a whole.

A website prepared by Muslims living in France emphasized the astonishment of the French Minister of Education in the face of the Atlas of Creation. The report also contained information introducing the Atlas, links to its author Harun Yahya’s website and other reports on the subject appearing in the press.

Another personal website published in France contained an analysis of the Atlas of Creation. The report appeared under the caption “Darwin, the Number One Terrorist. . .” A summary of the report contained the following statements:

It is not often that one receives such an attractive book, printed on bright, glossy paper and enriched with a large number of illustrations and, what is more, through the post. The recipients of such gifts do not generally study the subject in that much depth. But this time things are different. The 700-page Atlas of Creation, written by Harun Yahya (real name Adnan Oktar) and intended for use by college, high school and university students, criticizes Darwinism and the theory of evolution in impeccable language. It establishes a connection between Darwin’s ideas and totalitarianism and terrorism. . .