A college professor in Pakistan was forced to denounce Darwin's theory of evolution, creating a wave of concern among academics across the South Asian country. The video of Sher Ali, an assistant professor of zoology who teaches Darwin's theory of evolution as part of a course at the Government Post Graduate College in Bannu, is going viral on social media. In the clip, shot last week, he is seen surrounded by clerics while reading the apology dictated on a stamp paper.
The professor reads the three-page note that says "all scientific and rational ideas, which were in contradiction to Islamic Sharia, including Darwin's theory of evolution, are falsehood", and that "women are inferior to men".
"In terms of wisdom as stipulated by the Sharia and declared that unnecessary mingling of women with men is not allowed," Professor Ali further read from the apology.
This comes weeks after the educator gave a speech on women's rights in Islam in response to protests against women who appear in public without adhering to the traditional Islamic dress code, according to The Express Tribune.
After the event, Pakistani clerics accused Professor Ali of spreading debauchery and speaking against Islam, not only in his speech but also during his university lessons.
But the educator argued that his teaching material, including Darwin's theory, is based on the curriculum set by the education board and that is scholars have any issue, they should take legal action instead.
Rafiullah Khan, a member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's Bannu chapter, said Professor Ali clarified his position on social media, where he has more than 20,000 followers.
"Ali asked those who were objecting to his teaching of Darwin's theory to approach the court and get it declared illegal, saying he was teaching it because it was his responsibility to teach and that he was being paid by the government for this," Mr Khan told German news outlet DW.
Other intellectuals slammed the video, claiming the suffocating environment and clerics' influence are not confined to a few regions or provinces but have spread throughout Pakistan.
