[macspoofing]

It's easy to make post-hoc interpretations of these kinds of verses to make them fit anything.

The reality is that there is quite a lot evolution denialism in the Islamic world - which should suggest that there is nothing obviously pro-evolution in the Quran.

[duskwuff]

> It's easy to make post-hoc interpretations of these kinds of verses to make them fit anything.

Absolutely. These sorts of post-hoc interpretations are particularly common in some branches of Hindu nationalism, where verses of sacred texts (such as the Vedas) are interpreted as representing foreknowledge of modern scientific discoveries, often couched in an anticolonialist narrative such as "Western science stole this knowledge from ancient India".

[BeetleB]

> The reality is that there is quite a lot evolution denialism in the Islamic world

Not disagreeing with you (based on my own experience), but I would caution against generalizations when dealing with a population of over a billion. In some Muslim countries, over half the population believes in evolution.

I can't find a comprehensive study on this, but the theory of evolution is taught in high schools in many (most?) Muslim countries (even if they don't "believe" in it). Indeed, I suspect the opposition in several states in the US is greater than in many Muslim countries. Iran, for example, teaches it in a fair amount of detail.

In addition, the situation is fairly dynamic (e.g. taught in a given country, but banned a few years ago, or vice versa).

[_jal]

It is no different than millennialist numerology games like the Branch Davidians and numerous other cultists enjoy.

The scam just works better if you don't make it quite so easy to falsify.