The 6th Annual

The 6^th Annual

Religious Peace Conference

Dublin – Ireland
22/ 06 / 1431 H according to 05/06/2010G

Topic : Deity, Darwin, and Science & Religion in the age of the unreasonable.

H. E. Prof. Dr. Hamid AL-RIFAIE, opens the symposium H. E. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Naseef, Opens the symposium

H. E.Prof. Dr. Shaheed Stardien Opens the Symposium H. E. Prof. Dr.William Rivile opens the symposium

It is my pleasure to introduce a brief presentation regarding the current argument on Darwin philosophy,

According to my mind, there is a difference between the scientific research and its ideological philosophy. The scientific research is agreeable and promoted by all, while its philosophy is a controversial issue.

Actually, there are two schools regarding philosophy of the scientific research:

Religious schools particularly Islam promotes the scientific research for two aims:

The Holy Qur’an commands Muslims and promotes them to exert the maximum efforts in the fields of the scientific research and technology; where Allah says:

· “O Prophet Muhammad say to Muslims to look what that is in the heavens and in the earth?” 10/101

· “Say to Muslims to walk through the land and see how Allah has originated the creation.” 20/29

· “ We will show them our signs in the universes and in their own selves, until it becomes manifest to them that the Qur’an and Allah is the truth”.53/41

· “ It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.”28/35

So we support the scientific research's part of the Darwin theory but we strongly reject the atheistic part; because it is against the scientific realities.

Is not kind of the time’s loss on the account of construction and the technological innovation?

Indeed, religions and particular Islam have considered matter of the belief an optional issue; while the construction of life is a religious duty.

The constructional worship in Islam is widest than the spiritual worship; Implementing it sincerely is the true criterion of the correct spiritual worship. So if a Muslim does not achieve his constructional worship sincerely; that means his spiritual worship is not true.

Islam decides that the complete obedience to Allah be with integration between the spiritual worship and constructional worship.

Islam calls upon all followers of religions to compete in doing the good deeds which bring benefits for all people all over the world; where Allah says:

Finally, my dear colleagues as you know well; that the world today is suffering from a critical crisis in security and stability. So, I think it is our big responsibility to do our best to guide humanity on how to come out from this ruining crisis.

The 6^th annual Interfaith Roundtable Religious Peace Conference was held on Saturday 5^th June in the Crown Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown. With an opening address by Her Excellency Dr. Kemafo N. Chikwe, the Nigerian Ambassador, it attracted noted academics and commentators in the spheres of religion, culture, science and sociology to present a variety of viewpoints.

Introductory commentary and prayer was delivered by Colm Colgan, Alan Connolly (Chair of Phoenix FM Radio), Fr. John Jones of the Catholic Church, Rev. Paul Hughes of the Church of Ireland (Anglican) and Sudansh Verma of the Hindu community.

Dr. Abdullah Omar Nasseef, President of the World Muslim Congress, spoke briefly but passionately about the importance of interfaith dialogue, of the importance of religion to the future of humanity.

Dr. William Reville Professor of Chemistry from Cork University, presented an analysis of the “New Atheism” (NA), a vociferous anti-religion movement. According to Prof. Reville, the NA has introduced a note of disrespect and deliberate antagonism into the discussion between atheists, scientists and the religiously minded. As with all such extreme groups the NA have gurus such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris who articulate their resentments into a quasi-intellectual dogma that seeks to replace respectful discussion with sneering and cynicism.

Prof. Reville praised Dawkins as a Scientist but criticized him for his intemperate remarks against those of faith. Indeed he quoted an astonishing statement by Dawkins who equated a child raised in a religious environment as “child abuse”. It is offensive remarks such as this that makes constructive dialogue between the NA and others difficult.

Prof. Reville stated that on the issue of religion Science should be silent as it was not an area in which scientific inquiry was useful or even possible. He stated that it was quite possible to accept the theory of Evolution and remain a committed Christian on the basis that as God created the Universe, the Divine also created the laws under which the Universe and every living thing in it operated. Thus from that perspective Evolution could be said to be a type of Divine Design - the development, change, and extinction of species over millions of years.

Prof. Reville pointed out that many Scientists, whilst supporting the theory of Evolution, remain committed to their faith. Indeed Darwin, the most important proponent of evolution through natural selection, was not an atheist, by his own words, at any time.

Prof. Dr. Al-RIFAIE, president of the International Islamic Forum for Dialogue, argued that in Islam Science and Spirituality are not opposing issues but complementary. Dr. Al-Rifaie stated that in Islam it was not enough just to have faith and pray to God (spiritual worship). It was also necessary to take action in order to improve the world, a facet he referred to as “constructional worship”. It is in this area that Science is most valuable, providing humanity with the technological developments necessary to provide food, shelter, healthcare and employment for the billions of people on the planet.

Dr. al-Rifaie stated that this separation of “worships” (spiritual & constructional) permitted all peoples of faith and none to co-operate together on issues of mutual enhancement.

But Dr. al-Rifaie raised the issue of the deterioration of security, economic decline and ecological disaster despite continual scientific progress. He contends that this is because science has become increasingly divorced from spiritual values. Dr. al-Rifaie recently published the book “Religious Matter & Cosmic Crisis” which calls for a restoration of religious values which he describes as the essential component for humanity to achieve peace and real progress.

Dr. al-Rifaie cites inter-religious dialogue as an essential precursor of this development as it lead to mutual acquaintance, which in turns leads to mutual understanding, and ultimately to mutual action for mutual benefit. This is the common good, and included education, freedom, justice and ecological preservation. This cannot happen with science, it is a common good advised by science imbued with the values of religion.

Mr. Michael Nugent of Atheism Ireland presented the non-Theistic view of the issues. He referred to the range of views within the Atheist, Agnostic, Humanist sphere Nugent accepted that there are various models of reality including one in which there was a divine determinant, but that the most reasonable and most plausible model must be based on tangible evidence. In his view there was no tangible evidence of the existence of God.

Nugent expressed concern that there were various definitions of “God” depending on one’s beliefs and that it was sometimes difficult to engage in constructive discussion on the matter unless each party knew which definition of “God” was being referred to.

3. God as a metaphor, a reflection of a commitment to goodness and worthwhile values.

Nugent pointed out that example 1 was very, very different from example 4 and yet both were in common currency in the debate on religion. He stated out that Atheists and Agnostics were usually very comfortable with the unknown and the uncertain. They even accepted the point of view that some things may never be known, that humanity (as it is currently evolved) may not have the capacity to understand ideas which may be understandable to more evolved beings in the distant future.

V J. Kohli of the Hindu Community delivered a paper from K. Haridas, an Indian Nuclear Physicist, on Science and Spirituality. From a Hindu perspective the domain of each is in conflict, instead they represent a complementary approach to Knowledge, personal and impersonal.

One must look outwards for knowledge useful to Science and inwards for personal knowledge, and personal truths. Science deals with facts, observable, repeatable phenomena that generate an understanding of the physical world. But Science cannot deal adequately with values, with a sense of self only achieved by examining one’s interior world.

Mr. Kohli stated from a Hindu perspective it was consciousness that derives matter and not the other way round.

Mr. Shafiq Morton a Muslim journalist & radio presenter from South Africa addressed some of the shortcomings of the theory of evolution. He stated that in Islam there has always been a debate between scientific empiricism and revelation. For Muslims revelation about the wishes of God comes via the Holy Qur’an, but those revelations also refer to the physical world, of flora & fauna, of the sky & the earth. This lead to Muslim scientists’ involvement in numerous technological developments, whose fundamental truths are still in use today in everything from mathematics to optics.

Mr. Morton stated that he was not convinced that there was sufficient fossil evidence to support Darwin’s natural selection theory of evolution, and in particular the evidence of a moral being deriving from the ancestors of apes was especially lacking. The “Adam moment” is not visible in the available evidence for evolution, and accordingly Mr. Morton stated that he would rely on revelation as it was empirical that a Muslim adhering to the advice of the Qur’an would lead a good life and be an asset to the community. There was no such evidence from the theory of evolution.

Dr. Frank Kaufmann from New York addressed the controversy that science versus religion seems to raise. The level of controversy indicates that there is something serious at stake, something that addresses the perennial questions “Who am I?”, “What is nature?”, How am I supposed to be?”. These questions are not readily answered by science, but religion certainly a method by which these questions can be contemplated.

Dr. Kaufmann stated that although there was always some people opposed to religion through the centuries, this opposition became more organised in the 19^th Century. Ironically, from Dr. Kaufmann’s perspective, this came about through the creation of a new secular religion whose prophets were Marx, Darwin & Freud. This “Holy Trinity” of class politics, psychology & evolutionary biology, provided an origin narrative based on mutating genes, a model of human development based on conflict, and a model of “being” based on subconscious desires, inhibitions and compulsions as the key motivating factors in humanity.

Dr. Kaufmann stated that only religion could address the real human issues of love, harmony, compassion and humility, upon which any successful community is based, and he ended his talk with a plea for co-operation between the faiths.

Haji Abubakr Maldin, President of Jamiyah, Singapore, spoke eloquently of his experiences in setting up forums for inter-religious organisations in Singapore. Maldin, as a member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights was instrumental is helping to advise penalties for those who infringe minority rights. He stated that Islam embraced science where science was instrumental in assisting humanity. For example Islam condemned the wanton destruction of fauna and flora that is so necessary for human existence and beauty.

Mr. John J May, from the Humanist community spoke passionately about the theory of evolution, which he described as “the greatest deceit in the history of Science”. May has just published a book “The Origin of Specious Nonsense”, which describes the numerous holes in the theory of evolution. May stated that he had read Darwin’s “The Origin of Species” forensically and counted over 1500 suppositions, and suppositions are not facts. He claims that there are no indisputable facts to support the theory of evolution and accordingly evolution is not a science but a way of thinking that presupposes that there is no first cause – a supposition that is in direct contradiction of the known laws of science.

Sheikh Abdul Wahid Pallavicina, President of CO.RE.IS (the Italian Islamic Community), delivered a paper on “The Universality of Abrahamic Monotheism”. Sheikh Pallavicina stated that science & religion would not be polar opposites if it were “sacred” science & “orthodox” religion that pertained. He said that the possibility of knowledge of God remains the only purpose of human life on earth.

Sheikh Pallavicina reminded everyone present of the shared conviction of the One God that characterises Judaism, Christianity & Islam, and that this conviction was held prior to those religions (for example in some Egyptian periods etc). This is hardly surprising as God has always existed. From the perspective of Islam everyone who believed in one God prior to the time of Muhammad was a “Muslim”.

Mr. Abd al-Ghafur Masotti, also from CO.RE.IS, elaborated on Sheikh Pallavicini’s reference to “sacred” science & “orthodox” religion. Massoti referred to the US geneticist Craig Venter’s creation of new life forms, and the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva used to determine the structure of matter, as examples of where “secular” science can be used, potentially, for good or evil.

Massoti contended that the spiritual tenets and intellectual resources of the Islamic faith prompt Muslims to search for knowledge, but that this knowledge should be used to help humanity. As human beings we face a dramatic challenge: how can different cultures live peacefully and use the limited resources of the planet without destroying it? How is the debate between religion & science relevant to those imperatives?

Massoti states that science, imbued with ethics, can assist humanity to determine how to take advantage of nature without ecological destruction.

A number of awards were made to speakers in recognition of their contribution to religion, to inter-religious dialogue, and to peace.

The conference ended with a number of speakers calling for a continuation of the Interfaith Roundtable conferences. Roberto Sampson from the Catholic Youth Council ended the conference with appropriate prayers for all humanity.