French schools swamped by books challenging evolution

AFP/UVA-HO/File Photo: This undated image received 30 November, 2004 from the University of Virginia shows Charles Darwin....

PARIS (AFP) - Tens of thousands of French schools and universities have received copies of a Turkish book refuting Darwin's theory of evolution and describing it as "the true source of terrorism."

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The education ministry said Friday that it had warned school and university directors that the textbook is not in line with the recognized curriculum and that they should disregard it.

Entitled "The Atlas of Creation," the 770-page book by Turkish author Harun Yahya quotes several passages from the Koran and asserts that "human beings did not evolve (from another species) but were indeed created."

"We believe that there are lots of resources behind this campaign and the mass distribution, but were are not alarmed as the book has not reached the classrooms or documentation centers," said the education ministry.

The book features a photograph of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center with the caption: "Those who perpetuate terror in the world are in fact Darwinists. Darwinism is the only philosophy that values and incites conflict."

The theories of Charles Darwin are "the true source of terrorism," it said.

The books sent by post from Germany and Turkey began arriving in French schools and universities about 10 days ago.

The Figaro newspaper quotes an education official from Lyon as saying that this is not the first time that schools are swamped with controversial material.

The official said that the Church of Scientology had also embarked on a mass distribution of literature to schools a few years ago.