Save our Children from Mental Abuse

At present there are numerous – and counting -- pseudo scientific junk programs on TV: There is this Deepak-Chopra-clone fellow quack called Moiz Hussain on Hum TV talking about Reike being able to reprogram DNA among other things, a science and Islam show on QTV (featuring Mr. Bashiruddin Mahmood infamous for trying to capture Jinns and harness their power to solve our energy needs), numerous astrology segments, a recent makaan ko chor kar lamakaan ke tarf show on PTV talking about feng shui and whole lot of other nonsense. Topping the list, leader by a long margin, is Harun Yahya and his documentaries against evolution and all things rational shown on Indus TV (during Ramadan excerpts from these were included in Indus Chotu). Learning that Mr. Yahya (actually Mr. Adnan Oktar; “Harun Yahya” being his pseudonym) has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia therefore comes as no surprise. This madness is being passed on to innocent children and what is worse, is that it’s passed off as science!

Now, needless to say, all this is infuriating beyond belief and efforts to stop it continue to frustrate. Writing articles in newspapers about how this nonsense is filling the void, for the borderline-rational, between no real science shows on the one hand and too much of Islamic channels on the other etc, won’t do too much.

It is disturbing enough that both English and Urdu versions of Yahya’s creationism documentaries -- that conceal, deny and confuse with theories not testable with science -- are being shown almost daily. That they’re passed off as science is even more disturbing. Moreover, influencing fertile minds with this nonsense via a part-puppet show i.e. Indus Chotu is simply appalling. This prostitution of science is being met with sad silence. We have tried to contact the heads of the production departments at Indus and have pleaded with them to stop Yahya’s schizophrenic madness infiltrating children’s minds. Off the record, they agreed that creationism was hogwash, but when we tried to engage them to put an end to the show, they responded with silence.

Academies of Sciences from around the world have signed an MOU stating the following:

"We, the undersigned Academies of Sciences, have learned that in various parts of the world, within science courses taught in certain public systems of education, scientific evidence, data, and testable theories about the origins and evolution of life on Earth are being concealed, denied, or confused with theories not testable by science. We urge decision makers, teachers, and parents to educate all children about the methods and discoveries of science and to foster an understanding of the science of nature. Knowledge of the natural world in which they live empowers people to meet human needs and protect the planet." (www.icsu.org/Gestion/img/ICSU_DOC_DOWNLOAD/1017_DD_FILE_IAP _Evolution.pdf).

Consequently, one of the 68 signatories happens to be Pakistan’s Academy of Sciences. We have tried to contact the heads of the organization to act upon their documented signing and intervene by at least issuing a disclaimer in both English and Urdu, from the Pakistan Academy of Sciences stating something to the effect: creationism is not science; this documentary’s stance is a purely religious one. The Pakistan Academy of Sciences met our request with a somewhat similar, cold silence.


Whilst India continuously promotes Science and the scientific method through National Geographic’s "Science Safari", our children are exposed to conspiracy theories, supernatural belief, and religious refutations of natural selection (all of course bundled up in a package and passed off as "science"). On the Nat Geo, there are constant attempts to promote the "facts" of natural selection. Also featured are shows that debunk notions like exorcism, remote viewing, and witchcraft etc. It would be amazing if a child, wanting to know about where lightning comes from, can turn on the channel and watch an Urdu documentary explaining the phenomenon.

All in all, motivated to put an end to the madness, the newly formed and Musharraf inaugurated (no less) LEJ Science Information Center was called to find out if they plan to keep a check on how accurately the media reports/communicates science (website claims its open from 8:30 am to 10:00pm). The receptionist insisted “this is a hostel; I don’t have LEJ’s number.” The numerous numbers on their website were repeated; turns out they’re all right. “Numbers are correct. No information on LEJ. Thank you.” Click.

We also wrote an email to Citizen’s Media Dialogue next -- obvious choice: citizen angry at media’s “bastardization” of science (“prostitution”, while more apt, has been used earlier); the message bounced “No such yahoo ID”. The only organization (Citizen’s Media Dialogue) that citizens can turn to does not even have a proper yahoo email that works. Even a group of 10 year old little boy scouts manage to make a functional web email!

One might not think that children would be affected much by believing a little supernatural. But in the long run a child grows to harness these beliefs and loses the ability to reason. It’s bad enough that education in Pakistan is in the pits, why allow media to make it worse? How does one put and end to it after repeatedly being given the silent treatment? What does one do?

Readers, anyone in the media, please take it upon you to at least forward this outcry to others. Dr. Ata-Ur Rahman, if you have finally got the message through our various mediums, please act upon the MOU your organization (Pakistan’s Academy of Sciences) signed. Knowledge is supposed to be continuous and cumulative, snowballing towards further intelligence and mental enhancement of our species. Children’s minds are delicate; they should be cultivated and molded to ensure a better future for mankind. If exposed to false pre-conceived notions early on, they can become futile and lose the one natural ability humans commonly possess… the ability to reason.