In the Masaryk University Journal of Law and Technology, Martin Riexinger explores Adnan Oktar’s use of the internet to propagate Islamic Creationism:
[…]
From the late 1990s onwards the subject became popular among Muslims in the diaspora. This was due to the efforts of Adnan Oktar alias Harun Yahya, a hitherto marginal figure in Turkey, to propagate his ideas via the Internet. The Internet allows him to adapt his propaganda constantly to new issues and creationist and anti-creationist publications and to recruit volunteers willing to translate his books. Thanks to the combination of a neglected subject with the innovative use of new media Oktar gained the opinion leadership in this field.
As Anderson and Eickelman have remarked‘[the Internet] has the potential to promote greater openness in the Islamic decision-making process as well as to reinforce entrenched views.’ The success of Harun Yahya’s activities may serve as a proof for the second aspect. As his critics referred to in this text have demonstrated Harun Yahya’s argumentation is based on a dogmatic preconception and the proofs he presents are mostly forgeries and misquotes. Apparently the fact that these refutations are easily available on the net does not hamper Harun Yahya’s success. Easy access to information alone does not increase the desire to question one own’s concepts. The slow and weak response to Harun Yahya’s campaigns further highlights the negative aspect of the ambiguity exposed by Anderson and Eickelman: in certain contexts the possibility to publish a lot in a short time works to the disadvantage of scientific thought and a rational discourse.
Read the full article here.
Thanks 😉
This is a very useful article, particularly in its discussion of the context surrounding Yahya’s work in Turkey. However, I’ve summarized some reservations about the piece in a post on my website, The Row Boat. I hope they’ll generate some discussion, either here or there or both!