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NEW DELHI: A biology professor in Pakistan has issued a public apology for teaching Charles Darwin‘s theory of evolution, raising concerns about growing extremism, freedom of expression and the free exchange of scientific ideas in Pakistan, the Express Tribune reported.
Sher Ali, who is assistant professor of Biology at the Government Post Graduate College of Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, made his apology official by issuing it on a stamp paper.
The controversy surrounding Professor Ali began when he organized a seminar on “women’s rights in Islam and the constitution” which was in response to local protests against women who were not adhering to Islamic dress codes when leaving their homes.
Religious circles and clerics strongly opposed the seminar, accusing Professor Sher Ali of promoting ideas that deviated from Islamic teachings which ultimately led to the professor’s decision to issue a public apology for his actions.
Prior to this, Professor Sher Ali had expressed frustration at being targeted for merely fulfilling his duty as an educator by teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution.
He argued that his teaching materials adhered to the curriculum established by the education board, and suggested that if scholars had concerns, they should pursue legal avenues for resolution, the report said.
This incident has ignited concerns about the restriction of intellectual discourse and the curtailment of academic freedom in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
Sher Ali, who is assistant professor of Biology at the Government Post Graduate College of Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, made his apology official by issuing it on a stamp paper.
The controversy surrounding Professor Ali began when he organized a seminar on “women’s rights in Islam and the constitution” which was in response to local protests against women who were not adhering to Islamic dress codes when leaving their homes.
Religious circles and clerics strongly opposed the seminar, accusing Professor Sher Ali of promoting ideas that deviated from Islamic teachings which ultimately led to the professor’s decision to issue a public apology for his actions.
Prior to this, Professor Sher Ali had expressed frustration at being targeted for merely fulfilling his duty as an educator by teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution.
He argued that his teaching materials adhered to the curriculum established by the education board, and suggested that if scholars had concerns, they should pursue legal avenues for resolution, the report said.
This incident has ignited concerns about the restriction of intellectual discourse and the curtailment of academic freedom in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
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