Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution should be excluded from the standard school curriculum in Russia because it conflicts with religious education, former prime minister of the Muslim-majority Chechen Republic, Muslim Khuchiev, has said.
Khuchiev, who now serves as an aide to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, railed against one of the most influential scientific concepts in human history while speaking on Thursday at a meeting of the All-Russia Committee of Parents.
“Everyone knows that this is a false theory, it goes against religion,” Khuchiev argued, describing it as “the first step in the spiritual decay of children.”
Khuchiev suggested “simply removing it” from the curriculum. Darwin’s theory “is not true, it goes against religious education, all religions have recognized that,” he stated, claiming that this essentially settles the debate on whether or not it should be removed from textbooks.
Optional study of various theories, including evolution, could continue, he said, but stressed that he was opposed to such ideas being taught to children as “the ultimate truth.” Khuchiev noted that this was his personal view and not the official position of the Russian government.
While Russian government officials have yet to respond to the proposal, the initiative was met with a backlash from Russian MP Anatoly Wasserman, a member of the parliamentary educational committee. Wasserman is widely viewed as something of an eccentric intellectual after winning numerous TV quiz shows.
He argued that efforts to understand religion are hampered by the fact that interpretations in the holy scriptures do not always reflect reality and align with science. “A person demanding some contemporary ideas to be abolished simply because they do not conform to religion, proves that his own understanding of religion is quite limited,” Wasserman claimed.
The MP also noted that while Darwin’s theory in its original form is generally considered outdated, his errors stemmed from being a pioneer in his field.
First presented in 1859, Darwin’s theory of evolution states that biological evolution occurs through the process of natural selection over thousands of generations. The British naturalist also proposed that humans and modern apes shared a common ancestor, earning Darwin fierce criticism from the clergy for contradicting biblical interpretations of divine human origins.
The current scientific consensus is that Darwin’s work, while groundbreaking, contained misconceptions and limitations that were corrected by later researchers, notably Gregor Mendel, who explained how traits are inherited through genes.