February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 327 days remaining until the end of the year (328 in leap years).

Events[link]

• 457 – Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
• 1074 – Pandulf IV of Benevento is killed battling the invading Normans at the Battle of Montesarchio.
• 1301 – Edward of Caernarvon (later King Edward II of England) becomes the first English Prince of Wales.
• 1497 – The bonfire of the vanities occurs in which supporters of Girolamo Savonarola burn thousands of objects like cosmetics, art, and books in Florence, Italy.
• 1783 – American Revolutionary War: French and Spanish forces lift the Great Siege of Gibraltar.
• 1795 – The 11th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified.
• 1807 – Napoleonic Wars: Battle of Eylau – Napoléon's French Empire begins fighting against Russian and Prussian forces of the Fourth Coalition at Eylau, Poland.
• 1812 – The strongest in a series of earthquakes strikes New Madrid, Missouri.
• 1819 – Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles leaves Singapore after just taking it over, leaving it in the hands of William Farquhar.
• 1842 – Battle of Debre Tabor: Ras Ali Alula, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia defeats warlord Wube Haile Maryam of Semien.
• 1856 – The Kingdom of Awadh is annexed by the British East India Company and Wajid Ali Shah, the king of Awadh, is imprisoned and later exiled to Calcutta.
• 1856 – The colonial Tasmanian Parliament passes the second piece of legislation (the Electoral Act of 1856) anywhere in the world providing for elections by way of a secret ballot.
• 1863 – HMS Orpheus sinks off the coast of Auckland, New Zealand, killing 189.
• 1894 – The Cripple Creek miner's strike, led by the Western Federation of Miners, begins in Cripple Creek, Colorado.
• 1897 – Greco-Turkish War: The first full-scale battle takes place when the Greek expeditionary force in Crete defeats a 4,000-strong Ottoman force at Livadeia.
• 1898 – Émile Zola is brought to trial for libel for publishing J'Accuse.
• 1900 – Second Boer War: British troops fail in their third attempt to lift the Siege of Ladysmith.
• 1904 – A fire in Baltimore, Maryland destroys over 1,500 buildings in 30 hours.
• 1907 – The Mud March is the first large procession organized by the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS).
• 1935 – The classic board game Monopoly is invented.
• 1940 – The second full length animated Walt Disney film, Pinocchio, premieres.
• 1943 – Imperial Japanese naval forces complete the evacuation of Imperial Japanese Army troops from Guadalcanal during Operation Ke, ending Japanese attempts to retake the island from Allied forces in the Guadalcanal Campaign.
• 1944 – World War II: In Anzio, Italy, German forces launch a counteroffensive during the Allied Operation Shingle.
• 1948 – Neil Harvey becomes the youngest Australian to score a century in Test cricket.
• 1951 – Korean War: Sancheong-Hamyang massacre
• 1962 – The United States bans all Cuban imports and exports.
• 1964 – The Beatles first arrived in the United States. Their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show two days later would mark the beginning of the British Invasion.
• 1974 – Grenada gains independence from the United Kingdom.
• 1976 – Darryl Sittler sets an NHL record for scoring 10 points in a single game.
• 1979 – Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was discovered.
• 1984 – Space Shuttle program: STS-41-B Mission – Astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart make the first untethered space walk using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU).
• 1986 – Twenty-eight years of one-family rule end in Haiti, when President Jean-Claude Duvalier flees the Caribbean nation.
• 1990 – Dissolution of the Soviet Union: The Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party agrees to give up its monopoly on power.
• 1991 – Haiti's first democratically-elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, is sworn in.
• 1992 – The Maastricht Treaty is signed, leading to the creation of the European Union.
• 1995 – Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, is arrested in Islamabad, Pakistan.
• 1999 – Crown Prince Abdullah becomes the King of Jordan on the death of his father, King Hussein.
• 2009 – Bushfires in Victoria left 173 dead in the worst natural disaster in Australia's history.
• 2012 – President Mohamed Nasheed of the Republic of Maldives resigns, after 23 days of anti-governmental protests calling for the release of Chief Judge unlawfully arrested by the military.

Births[link]

• 1102 – Empress Matilda, Princess of England and wife of Henry V of the Holy Roman Empire (d. 1169)
• 1478 – Sir Thomas More, English statesman, humanist and author (d. 1535)
• 1612 – Thomas Killigrew, English dramatist (d. 1683)
• 1693 – Empress Anna of Russia (d. 1740)
• 1702 – Carl August Thielo, Danish composer (d. 1763)
• 1758 – Benedikt Schack, Czech composer and tenor (d. 1826)
• 1804 – John Deere, American manufacturer (Deere & Company) (d. 1886)
• 1812 – Charles Dickens, English novelist (d. 1870)
• 1837 – Sir James Murray, Scottish lexicographer and philologist (d. 1915)
• 1842 – Alexandre Ribot, French statesman (d. 1923)
• 1867 – Laura Ingalls Wilder, American author (d. 1957)
• 1873 – Thomas Andrews, British shipbuilder on the RMS Titanic (d. 1912)
• 1870 – Alfred Adler, Austrian psychologist (d. 1937)
• 1877 – G. H. Hardy, English mathematician (d. 1947)
• 1878 – Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Russian-American pianist and conductor (d. 1936)
• 1885 – Sinclair Lewis, American writer, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1951)
• 1885 – Hugo Sperrle, German field marshal (d. 1953)
• 1886 – Yehezkel Abramsky, Russian rabbi, head of the London Beth Din for 17 years (d. 1976)
• 1887 – Eubie Blake, American musician and composer (d. 1983)
• 1889 – Harry Nyquist, important contributor to information theory (d. 1976)
• 1891 – Ann Little, American actress (d. 1984)
• 1895 – Anita Stewart, American film actress (d. 1961)
• 1898 – Dock Boggs, American musician (d. 1971)
• 1901 – Arnold Nordmeyer, New Zealand politician (d. 1989)
• 1905 – Ulf von Euler, Swedish physiologist, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1983)
• 1905 – Paul Nizan, French author (d. 1940)
• 1906 – Oleg Antonov, Soviet aircraft designer (d. 1984)
• 1906 – Puyi, Emperor of China (d. 1967)
• 1907 – Yevgeniy Abalakov, Soviet mountaineer (d. 1948)
• 1908 – Buster Crabbe, American swimmer and actor (d. 1983)
• 1908 – Fred Gipson, American author (d. 1973)
• 1909 – Hélder Câmara, Roman Catholic archbishop (d. 1999)
• 1909 – Wilhelm Freddie, Danish painter (d. 1995)
• 1909 – Amedeo Guillet, former officer of the Italian Army (d. 2010)
• 1909 – Silvio Zavala, Mexican historian
• 1912 – Russell Drysdale, Australian Artist (d. 1981)
• 1912 – Roberta McCain, American, mother of John McCain
• 1914 – Ramón Mercader, Spanish assassin of Leon Trotsky (d. 1978)
• 1915 – Eddie Bracken, American actor (d. 2002)
• 1915 – Teoctist, Ex-Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church (d. 2007)
• 1918 – Markey Robinson, Northern Irish painter (d. 1999)
• 1920 – Oscar Brand, Canadian folk musicologist
• 1920 – An Wang, Chinese computer pioneer (d. 1990)
• 1922 – Hattie Jacques, English actress (d. 1980)
• 1923 – Martha Holmes, American photographer (d. 2006)
• 1923 – Dora Bryan, English actress and singer
• 1925 – Hans Schmidt, Canadian professional wrestler (d. 2012)
• 1926 – John Frank Davidson, British chemical engineer and Royal Medal holder
• 1926 – Konstantin Feoktistov, Soviet cosmonaut (d. 2009)
• 1927 – Juliette Gréco, French singer and actor
• 1927 – Vladimir Kuts, Russian runner (d. 1975)
• 1929 – Alejandro Jodorowsky, Chilean filmmaker
• 1932 – Gay Talese, American author
• 1932 – Al Worden, American astronaut
• 1933 – John Anderton, English footballer
• 1934 – Eddie Fenech Adami, Maltese politician, Prime Minister (1987-1996, 1998-2004); President (2004-2009)
• 1934 – King Curtis, American saxophonist (d. 1971)
• 1934 – Earl King, American musician (d. 2003)
• 1935 – Herbert Kohl, American politician
• 1937 – Juan Pizarro, Puerto Rican baseball player
• 1938 – S. Ramachandran Pillai, Indian communist leader
• 1939 – Ray Taliaferro, American radio talkshow host
• 1941 – Peter Foxhall, Australian evangelist
• 1943 – Gareth Hunt, English actor (d. 2007)
• 1945 – Gerald Davies, Welsh rugby player
• 1945 – Ian Jack, Scottish journalist
• 1946 – Hector Babenco, Brazilian film director
• 1946 – Sammy Johns, American country singer and songwriter
• 1946 – Pete Postlethwaite, English actor (d. 2011)
• 1946 – Gérard Jean-Juste, Haitian priest and activist (d. 2009)
• 1947 – Wayne Allwine, American voice artist (d. 2009)
• 1949 – Joe English, American drummer (Wings, Sea Level)
• 1949 – Paulo César Carpegiani, Brazilian footballer and coach
• 1949 – Jacques Duchesneau, Canadian civil servant and Chief of Police
• 1951 – Benny Ayala, baseball player
• 1952 – Vasco Rossi, Italian singer
• 1953 – Dan Quisenberry, American baseball player (d. 1998)
• 1954 – Dieter Bohlen German composer
• 1954 – Brian Morton, Scottish writer
• 1955 – Rolf Benirschke, American football player
• 1955 – Miguel Ferrer, American actor
• 1956 – Emo Philips, American comedian
• 1956 – Mark St. John, American musician (Kiss) (d. 2007)
• 1957 – Richard Cook, British jazz writer (d. 2007)
• 1957 – Carney Lansford, American baseball player
• 1958 – Matt Ridley, British scientist and writer
• 1960 – Robert Smigel, American actor and comedian
• 1960 – James Spader, American actor
• 1962 – Garth Brooks, American singer
• 1962 – David Bryan, American musician (Bon Jovi)
• 1962 – Eddie Izzard, British actor and comedian
• 1964 – Ashok Banker, Indian novelist
• 1964 – Ray Mears, British survival expert and TV presenter
• 1964 – Cynthia Woodhead, American swimmer
• 1965 – Jason Gedrick, American actor
• 1965 – Chris Rock, American actor and comedian
• 1966 – Kristin Otto, German swimmer
• 1967 – Richie Burnett, Welsh darts player
• 1967 – Cheung Man, Hong Kong actress
• 1968 – Peter Bondra, Slovak ice hockey player
• 1968 – Sully Erna, American singer (Godsmack)
• 1968 – Mark Tewksbury, Canadian swimmer
• 1969 – Adriano, Brazilian footballer
• 1969 – Yves Racine, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1970 – Stanley Roberts, American basketball player
• 1971 – Anita Tsoy, Russian singer
• 1972 – Essence Atkins, American actress
• 1972 – Robyn Lively, American actress
• 1972 – Amon Tobin, Brazilian musician
• 1973 – Irina Björklund, Finnish actress
• 1973 – Juwan Howard, American basketball player
• 1974 – Cheryl Cosim, Filipina journalist
• 1974 – J Dilla, American record producer (d. 2006)
• 1974 – Nujabes, Japanese hip hop producer (d. 2010)
• 1974 – Danny Goffey, British musician (Supergrass)
• 1974 – Steve Nash, Canadian basketball player
• 1975 – Wes Borland, American guitarist (Limp Bizkit)
• 1975 – Alexandre Daigle, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1976 – Kelly Choi, Korean/American TV hostess
• 1976 – Sreto Ristić, German footballer
• 1977 – Georgios Alexopoulos, Greek footballer
• 1977 – Paul Comrie, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1977 – Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Japanese footballer
• 1977 – Dimitris Papanikolaou, Greek basketball player
• 1977 – Mariusz Pudzianowski, Polish strongman
• 1978 – David Aebischer, Swiss ice hockey player
• 1978 – Endy Chávez, Venezuelan baseball player
• 1978 – Ashton Kutcher, American actor
• 1978 – Daniel Van Buyten, Belgian footballer
• 1979 – Daniel Bierofka, German footballer
• 1979 – Nicola Campedelli, Italian footballer
• 1979 – Jon Leicester, American baseball player
• 1979 – Cerina Vincent, American actress
• 1980 – Kevin J. Boyle, American politician
• 1980 – Maximiliano Cejas, Argentine footballer
• 1981 – Lee Ok-Sung, South Korean boxer
• 1981 – Darcy Dolce Neto, Brazilian footballer
• 1982 – Osamu Mukai, Japanese actor
• 1982 – Mickael Pietrus, French basketball player
• 1983 – Scott Feldman, American baseball player
• 1983 – Teshome Getu, Ethiopian footballer
• 1983 – Georgios Gougoulias, Greek footballer
• 1983 – Federico Marchetti, Italian footballer
• 1983 – Christian Klien, Austrian racing driver
• 1983 – Sho Kamogawa, Japanese football player
• 1985 – Tina Majorino, American actress
• 1985 – Devis Nossa, Italian footballer
• 1985 – Deborah Ann Woll, American actress
• 1986 – Michael Orozco Fiscal, American footballer
• 1986 – Pippa Wilson, British sailor
• 1986 – Stephen Colletti, American TV star
• 1987 – Joe Cardle, British footballer
• 1987 – Kerli, Estonian singer
• 1988 – Lee Don-Ku, South Korean ice hockey player
• 1988 – Nikola Fraňková, Czech tennis player
• 1988 – Albin Hodza, French footballer
• 1988 – Lee Joon, Korean singer (MBLAQ)
• 1988 – Ai Kago, Japanese singer (W and Minimoni)
• 1988 – Matthew Stafford, American football player
• 1989 – Nick Calathes, Greek basketball player
• 1989 – Louisa Lytton, British actress
• 1990 – Anna Abreu, Finnish singer
• 1990 – Neil Etheridge, English/Filipino footballer
• 1990 – Steven Stamkos, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1991 – Zhou Yimiao, Chinese tennis player
• 1992 – Maimi Yajima, Japanese singer (Cute)
• 1993 – David Dorfman, American actor
• 1996 – David Castro, American actor
• 1996 – Mai Hagiwara, Japanese singer (Cute)

Deaths[link]

• 999 – Boleslaus II of Bohemia
• 1045 – Emperor Go-Suzaku of Japan (b. 1009)
• 1317 – Robert, Count of Clermont, French founder of the House of Bourbon (b. 1256)
• 1560 – Bartolomeo Bandinelli, Italian sculptor (b. 1493)
• 1603 – Hermann Wilken, German humanist and mathematician (b. 1522)
• 1626 – William V, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1548)
• 1642 – William Bedell, English clergyman (b. 1571)
• 1652 – Gregorio Allegri, Italian composer (b. 1582)
• 1690 – William Morice, English royalist statesman
• 1693 – Paul Pellisson, French writer (b. 1624)
• 1736 – Stephen Gray, English astronomer and scientist (b. 1666)
• 1779 – William Boyce, English composer (b. 1711)
• 1799 – Qianlong Emperor of China (b. 1711)
• 1801 – Daniel Chodowiecki, Polish painter (b. 1726)
• 1823 – Ann Radcliffe, English novelist (b. 1764)
• 1837 – King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (b. 1778)
• 1839 – Karl August Nicander, Swedish poet (b. 1799)
• 1862 – Francisco de Paula Martinez de la Rosa, Spanish statesman and dramatist (b. 1787)
• 1871 – Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg, piano manufacturer (Steinway & Sons) (b. 1797)
• 1873 – Sheridan Le Fanu, Irish writer (b. 1814)
• 1878 – Blessed Pope Pius IX (b. 1792)
• 1897 – Galileo Ferraris, Italian physicist (b. 1847)
• 1898 – John Reily Knox, Lawyer and founder of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity (b. 1820)
• 1919 – William Halford, American naval officer and Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1841)
• 1920 – Aleksandr Vasilevich Kolchak, Russian military commander (b. 1874)
• 1920 – Charles Langelier, Canadian politician, judge, journalist, and author. (b. 1850)
• 1937 – Elihu Root, American statesman and diplomat, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1845)
• 1938 – Harvey Firestone, American manufacturer (b. 1868)
• 1939 – Boris Grigoriev, Russian painter (b. 1886)
• 1942 – Ivan Bilibin, Russian illustrator (b. 1876)
• 1944 – Lina Cavalieri, Italian soprano (b. 1874)
• 1952 – Pete Henry, American professional American football player and coach (b. 1897)
• 1959 – Nap Lajoie, American baseball player (b. 1874)
• 1959 – Daniel François Malan, South African Prime Minister, father of Apartheid policy (b. 1874)
• 1959 – Guitar Slim, American blues guitarist (b. 1926)
• 1960 – Igor Kurchatov, Russian physicist (b. 1903)
• 1962 – Clara Nordström, German writer and translator (b. 1886)
• 1963 – Learco Guerra, Italian cyclist (b. 1902)
• 1964 – Sophoklis Venizelos, Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1894)
• 1965 – Perikles Ioannidis, Greek admiral (b. 1881)
• 1968 – Nick Adams, American actor (b. 1931)
• 1972 – Walter Lang, American film director (b. 1896)
• 1979 – Dr. Josef Mengele, German, Nazi war criminal (b. 1911)
• 1980 – Secondo Campini, Italian jet pioneer (b. 1904)
• 1986 – Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegalese historian (b. 1923)
• 1990 – Alfredo M. Santos, Filipino military figure (b. 1905)
• 1990 – Jimmy Van Heusen, American songwriter (b. 1913)
• 1991 – Amos Yarkoni, Israeli soldier, Medal of Distinguished Service recipient (b. 1920)
• 1991 – Jean-Paul Mousseau, French-Canadian painter, member of Les Automatistes (b. 1927)
• 1992 – Buzz Sawyer, wrestler (b. 1959)
• 1994 – Witold Lutosławski, Polish composer (b. 1913)
• 1994 – Stephen Milligan, British journalist and politician (b. 1948)
• 1994 – Arnold Smith, Canadian diplomat (b. 1915)
• 1996 – Phillip Davidson, US Army general (b. 1915)
• 1998 – Lawrence Sanders, American author (b. 1920)
• 1999 – King Hussein of Jordan (b. 1935)
• 1999 – José Silva, author of Silva Method and the Silva UltraMind ESP System (b. 1914)
• 1999 – Bobby Troup, American musician and actor (b. 1918)
• 2000 – Shiho Niiyama, Japanese voice actress (b. 1970)
• 2000 – Big Pun, Puerto Rican-American rapper (b. 1971)
• 2000 – Doug Henning, Canadian magician (b. 1947)
• 2000 – Dave Peverett, English musician (Foghat, Savoy Brown) (b. 1943)
• 2001 – Dale Evans, American actress and singer (b. 1912)
• 2001 – Anne Morrow Lindbergh, American author and aviator (b. 1906)
• 2002 – Jack Fairman, British racing driver (b. 1913)
• 2003 – Augusto Monterroso, Guatemalan author (b. 1921)
• 2003 – John Reading, Mayor of Oakland, California (b. 1917)
• 2005 – Bob Turner, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1934)
• 2006 – Princess Hadice Hayriye Ayshe Dürrühsehvar (b. 1914)
• 2008 – Tamara Desni, German-born British actress (b. 1913)
• 2009 – Jack Cover, American inventor of the Taser gun (b. 1920)
• 2009 – Brian Naylor, Australian television presenter (b. 1931)
• 2009 – Molly Bee, American singer (b. 1939)
• 2009 – Blossom Dearie, American singer (b. 1924)
• 2010 – Franco Ballerini, Italian Cycler, Coach of the Italy team of cycling (b. 1964)

Holidays and observances[link]

• Christian Feast Day:
  • Blessed Eugenia Smet
  • Blessed Pope Pius IX
  • Chrysolius
  • February 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Grenada from the United Kingdom in 1974.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: February 7

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

Adnan Oktar
Born	Adnan Oktar 1956 (age 55–56) Ankara, Turkey
Residence	Turkey
Other names	Harun Yahya, Adnan Hoca
Occupation	Author
Known for	Islamic creationism, Anti-Zionism, Anti-Masonry
Religion	Sunni Muslim
Website
www.harunyahya.com

Adnan Oktar (born 1956), also known as Harun Yahya,^[1] is an author and Islamic creationist.^[2] In 2007, he sent thousands of unsolicited copies of his book, Atlas of Creation^[3], which advocates Islamic creationism, to American scientists, members of Congress, and science museums.^[4] Oktar runs two organizations of which he is also the Honorary President: Bilim Araştırma Vakfı ("Science Research Foundation", BAV, established 1990), which promotes creationism and Milli Değerleri Koruma Vakfı ("Foundation to Protect National Values", established 1995) which claimed to promote Turkish nationalism.^[5] In the last two decades, Oktar has been involved in a number of legal cases, both as defendant and plaintiff.

Biography[link]

Adnan Oktar was born in Ankara, Turkey, in 1956. He grew up in Ankara, and lived there through his high school years where he studied the works of Islamic scholars like Said Nursi,^[6][7] a Muslim Kurdish scholar who wrote Risale-i Nur, an extensive Qur'anic commentary which includes a comprehensive political and religious ideology.^[8]

In 1979, Adnan Oktar came to Istanbul and entered Mimar Sinan University.^[9] These years were marked with violence and repression which led to the installation of a military junta following the coup of September 1980. The environment in Turkey was one of political and cultural instability, threatened by Cold War politics, and a clash between Kemalist secular modernisers and a rising tide of Islamic militancy.^[7] In this environment he regularly went to the Molla Mosque in Fındıklı locality, close to the academy of fine arts where he studied interior architecture,^[10][11] to pray regardless of threats.^[9] Edip Yuksel, who knew him during those years, described him as a "Sunni zealot."^[6]

In the early 1980s, he gathered young students around him to share his views of Islam. These students belonged to socially-active and prosperous families of Istanbul.^[6] From 1982 to 1984, a group of 20 to 30 was formed. They were joined by private high school students who were from socially active and well-known families with a high economic status who had become newly religious.^[9] Edip Yüksel said he presented his teachings "gently and in a modern fashion to the children of the privileged class, without intimidating them... a refined and urbanized version of Said Nursi."^[6]

In his religious teachings, he argued against Marxism, communism and materialistic philosophy. He attached special importance to refuting the Theory of Evolution and Darwinism^[12] because he felt that it had been turned into an ideology used to promote materialism and atheism, and numerous derivative ideologies. He personally funded a pamphlet entitled the Theory of Evolution^[9] which combined "mysticism with scientific rhetoric."^[6][7]

In 1986 he enrolled in the Philosophy Department of Istanbul University. Adnan Oktar appeared as the cover story of Nokta (The Point) magazine, reporting how he gathered with his friends and held lectures in a mosque. Many university students, mostly from Bosphorus University, one of the most prestigious universities of Turkey, started to participate. Adnan Oktar's name began to appear regularly in the press, sometimes in the headlines. Later that year he published a book titled Judaism and Freemasonry based on conspiracy theories that state offices, universities, political groups and media were influenced by a "hidden group".^[9] Adnan Oktar later qualified those remarks. (see "Conspiracy Theories" below)

Oktar was arrested, charged with promoting a theocratic revolution for which he served 19 months, though he was never formally charged.^[6][7] In 1986, Oktar spent 10 months in a mental hospital, but he complains that he was not mentally ill but a political "prisoner" who was punished because of the publication of his book, Freemasonry and Judaism.^[11][13]

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Oktar built up his community. His followers were especially active recruiting in the summer resorts along the shore of the Sea of Marmara. The social organization within the group become more hierarchical and took on a Messianic nature.^[7] Oktar says that due to the anarchy and terror in those years, he was unable to continue his studies. He had already begun working on his books, so when he left school he devoted his energy to his books.^[14]

In 1990, he founded the Science Research Foundation (SRF, or, in Turkish, Bilim Araştırma Vakfı, or BAV). Oktar founded the Science Research Foundation to hold conferences and seminars for scientific activities "that target mass awareness concerning what the real underlying causes of social and political conflicts are",^[15] which he describes to be materialism and Darwinism, though some media describe the BAV as "a secretive Islamic sect"^[16] and "cult-like organization, that jealously guards the secrets of its considerable wealth".^[17] Members of the BAV are sometimes referred to as Adnan Hocacılar ("Adherents of Adnan the Hodja") by the public^[18]

In 1994 the Islamist Welfare Party (Refah Partisi), the predecessor of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), won control of the municipalities of Istanbul and Ankara. The new mayors (in Istanbul this was Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, now Turkey’s Prime Minister) sought broader support. The journalist and editor Fatih Altayli claimed that Oktar made business agreements with municipalities under the control of the Welfare party. This claim was denied by Oktar, and resulted in libel suits against Fatih Altayli with various results.^[7]

In 1995, Adnan Oktar founded Foundation for Protection of National Values (FPNV or in Turkish Millî Değerleri Koruma Vakfı), through which he networks with other conservative Turkish nationalist organizations and individuals based on the ideology of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey.^[7]

In 1997, after another military intervention, the “bloodless coup” of 1997, the government of Erbakan stepped down and the Welfare Party disbanded. According to the New Humanist, the current AKP government avoids political connections with Oktar and his organization.^[7]

In September 1999 Adnan Oktar was arrested and charged with using threats for personal benefit and creating an organization with the intent to commit a crime (see "Legal issues" below).^[19] After a court case lasting two years the charges were dismissed.

After 11 September 2001 and the WTC attacks, Oktar published a book called Islam Denounces Terrorism. Oktar spoke more of interfaith dialogue, attempting to unify believers of all stripes. Muslims, Christians and Jews should unite against the corrupting influence of Darwinism, which he held responsible for fascism, anti-Semitism and the holocaust.^[7]

Between that time and present, BAV has organized hundreds of conferences on creationism in Turkey^[20][21] and worldwide.^[22][23] He built a large publishing enterprise^[24] with publications sold though Islamic bookstore worldwide.^[25] He is considered "one of the most widely distributed authors in the Muslim world".^[25] His television show is viewed by many in the Arab world.^[26] Adnan Oktar has been preaching about the “Turkish-Islamic Union”, which would bring peace to the entire Muslim world under the leadership of Turkey.^[7]

In 2007 he sent out thousands of unsolicited copies of his Atlas of Creation advocating Islam and creationism to schools and colleges in several European countries and the USA.^[4]

The next year the 1999 case was reopened by another court (see "Legal issues" below). Adnan Oktar was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison.^[19] But the verdict was appealed and in May 2010 it was overturned. During these years he engaged in numerous libel suits with various results (See "Legal Issues" below). In some cases he was successful in blocking high-profile websites in Turkey for slander (See "Blocking Internet Sites" below), including that of Richard Dawkins, as well as the complete Wordpress-site.

In 2010, Adnan Oktar was selected as one of the top fifty of The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan for his dissemination of creationism in an Islamic context, and other extensively distributed publications on Islamic topics.^[27]

Writings[link]

Oktar has written numerous books under the pen name Harun Yahya. "Harun" refers to the biblical Aaron and "Yahya" refers to the New Testament John the Baptist.

Oktar's books on faith-related topics attempt to communicate the existence and oneness of God (Allah in the Qur'an) according to the Islamic faith, and are written with the main purpose of introducing Islam to those who are strangers to religion. Each of his books on science-related topics stresses his views on the might, sublimity, and majesty of God. These books attempt to display for non-Muslims what Oktar claims to be signs of the existence of God, and the excellence of his creation. A sub-group within this series are the series of "Books Demolishing the Lie of Evolution", a critique of the ideas of materialism, evolution, Darwinism, and atheism.

These publications argue against evolution. They assert that evolution denies the existence of God, abolishes moral values, and promotes materialism and communism.^[28] Oktar argues that Darwinism, by stressing the "survival of the fittest", has inspired racism, Nazism, communism and terrorism. A claim not unexpected in Turkey when during the political turmoil before a 1980 military coup, communist bookshops touted Darwin's works as a complement to Karl Marx.^[29]

Truman State University physicist Taner Edis, who was born in Turkey, says the secret to BAV's success is the huge popularity of the Harun Yahya books. "They're fairly lavishly produced, on good-quality paper with full-color illustrations all over the place," he says. "They're trying to compete with any sort of science publication you can find in the Western world. And in a place like Turkey, Yahya books look considerably better-published than most scientific publications.".^[30] Many of Oktar's books have been made into high-resolution videos which are freely downloadable on the Internet.^[31]

Creationism[link]

The spread of organized Christian creationism to Islam began in the 1980s, when the Muslim minister of education in Turkey turned to the Institute for Creation Research (ICR), a Christian institution then located near San Diego, California, for help in developing twofold curriculum that would teach evolution and creation side by side.

In 1990, the Science Research Foundation (BAV in Turkish) was formed in Istanbul, headed by Oktar.^[32]

Oktar for many years drew on the writings of young earth Christian creationists to develop his case against evolution. However, Islam does not require belief in Young Earth creationism, and making use of the fact that earth may have existed for billions of years, Oktar later produced material which was more similar to Intelligent Design. So similar in fact, that Harun Yahya's website was listed as an 'Islamic intelligent design' website by the Discovery Institute.^[32] However Oktar does not embrace use of the term 'Intelligent Design' due to its lack of specific mention of God, calling it 'another of Satan's snares'.^{[32] [33]}

In early 1998, the BAV launched its first campaign against evolution and Darwinism.^[7] Thousands of free copies of Adnan Oktar's book, The Evolution Deceit, and the booklets based on this book were distributed throughout Turkey.^[34] They regularly ran full-page ads against evolution in daily Turkish newspapers and even ran an ad in the U.S. magazine TIME.^[5] The funding of the campaigns is unknown.^[11] BAV spearheaded an effort to confront Turkish academics who taught evolutionary biology^[35] A number of faculty members were harassed, threatened and slandered in fliers, leading to legal action against BAV (see "Legal Issues" below).

In 2005, Professor Ümit Sayın summed up the effect of the BAV's campaign when he said to The Pitch:^[30]

In 1998, I was able to motivate six members of the Turkish Academy of Sciences to speak out against the creationist movement. Today, it's impossible to motivate anyone. They're afraid they'll be attacked by the radical Islamists and the BAV.

In September 2008 Oktar issued a challenge offering "10 trillion Turkish lira to anyone who produces a single intermediate-form fossil demonstrating evolution". He has claimed, "Not one [fossil] belongs to strange-looking creatures in the course of development of the kind supposed by evolutionists." Dr Kevin Padian at the University of California has criticized the notion that such fossils do not exist, stating that Oktar "does not have any sense of what we know about how things change through time. If he sees a fossil crab, he says, 'It looks just like a regular crab, there's no evolution.'"^[36]

However, the reaction of scientific community is negative and dismissive.

Taner Edis has said "there is nothing new in the Yahya material: scientifically negligible arguments and outright distortions often copied from Christian anti-evolution literature, presented with a conservative Muslim emphasis" concluding it "has no scholarly standing whatsoever".^[37] According to Richard Dawkins, Oktar "doesn't know anything about zoology, doesn't know anything about biology. He knows nothing about what he is attempting to refute".^[11]

In France, scientists spoke out against the book, and American scientists are unimpressed.^[38]

The Atlas of Creation[link]

Cover of the English edition of volume 1 of The Atlas of Creation (Global Publishing, Istanbul, 2006)

Oktar published volume 1 of his Yaratılış Atlası (The Atlas of Creation), with Global Publishing, Istanbul, Turkey in October 2006.^[39] Volumes 2 and 3 followed in 2007. A dedicated website (yaratilisatlasi.com, English atlasofcreation.com) registered to Global Yayıncılık (Global Publishing), Istanbul, went online also in 2007.

At 11 x 17 inches and 12 pounds, with a bright red cover and almost 800 glossy pages, most of them lavishly illustrated, “Atlas of Creation” is according the New York Times "probably the largest and most beautiful creationist challenge yet to Darwin’s theory, which Mr. Yahya calls a feeble and perverted ideology contradicted by the Koran".^[4] Tens of thousands of copies of the book have been delivered, on an unsolicited basis, to schools, prominent researchers and research institutes throughout Europe and the United States.^[4][40]

Biologist Kevin Padian from University of California, Berkeley, said that people who had received copies were “just astounded at its size and production values and equally astonished at what a load of crap it is." adding that "[Oktar] does not really have any sense of what we know about how things change through time.”^[4]

Gerdien de Jong, one of five biologists at Utrecht University who received a copy of the book, has described its reasoning as "absurdly ridiculous".^[41]

Biologist PZ Myers wrote: "The general pattern of the book is repetitious and predictable: the book shows a picture of a fossil and a photo of a living animal, and declares that they haven't changed a bit, therefore evolution is false. Over and over. It gets old fast, and it's usually wrong (they have changed!) and the photography, while lovely, is entirely stolen."^[42]

The Committee on Culture, Science and Education of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe wrote in a report that "None of the arguments in this work are based on any scientific evidence, and the book appears more like a primitive theological treatise than the scientific refutation of the theory of evolution."^[43]

Conspiracy theories[link]

Oktar propagates a number of conspiracy theories, beginning with his 1986 Yahudilik ve Masonluk (Judaism and Freemasonry). The book suggests that the principal mission of Jews and Freemasons in Turkey was to erode the spiritual, religious, and moral values of the Turkish people and, thus, make them like animals, as stated in what Oktar refers to as their use of "Distorted Torah."^[9][44] Oktar asserts that "the materialist standpoint, evolution theory, anti-religious and immoral lifestyles were indoctrinated to the society as a whole" by Jews and Freemasons.^[9]

Oktar's theory of a global conspiracy of Freemasonry is expounded in his book Global Masonluk (English Global Freemasonry) and on his websites Masonluk^[45] and Global Freemasonry.^[46] According to Oktar, Freemasonry is "the main architect of the world system based on materialist philosophy, but which keeps that true identity concealed."^[46] Oktar claims that the theory of evolution is a Masonic conspiracy initiated by the Rosicrucians.

Oktar's recent publications declare Darwinism and Materialism to be conspiracies responsible for anti-semitism and terrorism.^[7][47] In recent publications and interviews (since 2004^[48]), Oktar qualifies his condemnations of Zionism and Freemasonry by adding the word atheist before them, as in atheist Zionists^[49] and atheist Freemasons.^[50]

Holocaust Denial and Affirmation[link]

In 1996, BAV distributed its first book, originally published the previous year, entitled Soykırım Yalanı (The Holocaust Lie).^[51][52] The publication of Soykırım Yalanı sparked much public debate.^[53] This book claims that "what is presented as Holocaust is the death of some Jews due to the typhus plague during the war and the famine towards the end of the war caused by the defeat of the Germans."^[54]

A Turkish painter and intellectual, Bedri Baykam, published a strongly worded critique of the book in the Ankara daily newspaper Siyah-Beyaz ("Black and White"). A legal suit for slander was brought against him. During the trial in September, Baykam exposed the real author of The Holocaust Lie as Adnan Oktar.^[53] The suit was withdrawn in March 1997.^[55][56]

In 2001, the Stephen Roth Institute, of Tel-Aviv University, listed Oktar as a Holocaust denier due to the publication of The Holocaust Lie.^[57]

Three years later the Stephen Roth Institute expressed the opinion that Adnan Oktar had increased his tolerance toward others, asserting that "he now works towards promoting inter-religious dialogue".^[48] calling upon all Muslims to have "a tolerant and friendly attitude toward other religions".^[58]

In 2006, BAV published a book affirming the Holocaust, called The Holocaust Violence. The Holocaust Violence states "The Nazis subjected European Jews to indisputable and unforgivable cruelty during World War II. They humiliated, insulted and degraded millions of Jewish civilians, forcing them from their homes and enslaving them in concentration camps under inhuman conditions... Certainly the Jewish people, of whom 5.5 million died in concentration camps, were the worst victims of the Nazi barbarity."^[59]

In a 2007 interview with The Guardian, Oktar denied writing The Holocaust Lie, a claim that The Guardian stated was "hard to believe."^[60] The next year in an interview with Der Spiegel, Adnan Oktar stated that "The Holocaust Lie," had been written by a member of his organization who had published his own essays using Oktar's pen-name "Harun Yahya", upon his own initiative. Oktar disclaimed the first book, and said the second book reflected his own opinions.^[52]

In 2009, Oktar expressed his views for Jews in his own words, "hatred or anger toward the line of the Prophet Abraham is completely unacceptable. The Prophet Abraham is our ancestor, and the Jews are our brothers. We want the descendants of the Prophet Abraham to live in the easiest, pleasantest and most peaceful manner. We want them to be free to perform their religious obligations, to live as they wish in the lands of their forebears and to frequently remember Allah in comfort and security."^[61] In 2009 and 2010, Oktar published several websites of Jewish interest.^[62][63][64]

Other legal issues[link]

In addition to the slander trial over The Holocaust Lie, Oktar has been involved in other cases. Although most are unrelated to creationism or religion, a BAV spokesperson says Oktar is being persecuted “because of his ideas.” Physicist Taner Edis of Truman State University, who has followed the case closely, says given the political pressures on Turkey’s justice system, that’s “not entirely implausible.”^[65]

In the summer of 1986, Oktar was arrested for his statement "I am from the nation of Abraham and Turkish ethnicity" in a newspaper interview.^[66] According to the New Humanist, Oktar was arrested for promoting a theocratic revolution for which he served 19 months, though he was never formally charged.^[7]

In 1991, Oktar was arrested for possession of cocaine,^[67] which he claimed had been planted in one of the books in his library by the security forces, who, he said, also spiked his food with cocaine.^[68] He was later acquitted.^[67]

A number of faculty members who taught evolution were harassed, threatened and slandered in flyers that labeled them "Maoists". In 1999, six of the professors won a civil court case against the BAV for defamation and were each awarded $4,000.^[30]

In 1999, Oktar was arrested and charged with using threats for personal benefit and creating an organization with the intent to commit a crime.^[19] BAV's lawyers claimed there were several human rights violations during this police operation, as well as the use of violence during the arrest and afterwards.^[69] The judicial process lasted over two years, during which most of the complainants retracted their claims. As a result, cases against Oktar and other BAV members were dismissed.^[35]

The 1999 case was reopened by another court in 2008. The indictment from the prosecutor’s office, made public by Cumhuriyet, claimed blackmail and extortion. Among other things, it claimed that BAV used its female members to attract young scholars from rich families with the promise of sexual favors in exchange for attending events. It was claimed that the sexual activities of thousands of people were videotaped with hidden cameras for the purpose of blackmail. Members who wanted to leave the group were threatened that the tapes would be made public.^[7][70] In the face of all these allegations against BAV, the Chairman of the Court announced in the hearing on 29 February 2008, that testimonies obtained through unlawful means may not be considered as evidence based on article 148 of the criminal code.^[71]

Oktar was convicted of creating an illegal organization for personal gain. He and 17 other members of his organisation were sentenced to three years in prison.^{[19][72][73][74]} Oktar appealed the verdict.^[75][76] In May 2010, the Court of Appeals overturned the conviction and dismissed the charges.^[77]

Blocking of Internet sites[link]

Since 2007 Oktar has successfully had the Turkish government block public access to several websites. In April 2007, Oktar filed a libel lawsuit against the owners of Ekşi Sözlük, a virtual community similar to everything2. The court reviewed the complaint and ordered the service provider to close the site to public access. The site was temporarily suspended so the entry on Oktar could be expunged and locked. Then access to Süper Poligon, a news website, was also restricted following Oktar's complaint.^[78] In August 2007, Oktar got a Turkish court to block WordPress.com in all of Turkey. His lawyers argued that blogs on WordPress.com contained libelous material on Oktar and his colleague, which WordPress.com staff was unwilling to remove.^[79]

In addition, Edip Yuksel, a Turkish writer who knew Oktar in the 1980s and is now critical of him, had his website banned in Turkey from Oktar's complaints.^[67] In addition, Yuksel wrote a Turkish-language book about Oktar called The Cult of the Antichrist, but he has yet to find "a publisher willing to brave Mr. Oktar's lawyers."^[67]

On 19 September 2008, a Turkish court banned Internet users in Turkey from viewing the official Richard Dawkins Web site after Oktar claimed its contents were defamatory, blasphemous and insulting religion, arguing that his personality was violated by this site. The ban was lifted on 8 July 2011.^{[73][80][81][82][83]} Also in September 2008, a complaint by Oktar led to the banning of the internet site of the Union of Education and Scientific Workers (Türk Eğitim Sen).^[84][85] This was followed by a block of the country's third-biggest newspaper site, Vatan, in October.^{[80][82][83][86][87]}

Television broadcasting[link]

On 21 March 2011, Oktar started television broadcasting on A9 satellite channel where his interviews and night lectures are broadcast live.^[88]

Bibliography[link]

A Call For Unity [of Muslims, Christians and Jews]	File:Jesus Second Coming Book.jpg The Signs of Jesus' Second Coming
File:Islam Denounces Terrorism.jpg Islam Denounces Terrorism	File:Wisdom and Sound Advice from the Torah.jpg Wisdom and Sound Advice from the Torah
File:Only Love can Defeat Terrorism.jpg Only Love can Defeat Terrorism	File:Islam Denounces Antisemitism.jpg Islam Denounces Antisemitism

Oktar's books and brochures appear in Turkish with "Vural Yayıncılık" ("Global Publishing"), Istanbul. English translations of Oktar's books appear with "Ta-Ha Publishers", London, UK; "Global Publishing", Istanbul, Turkey; "Al-Attique Publishers", Ontario, Canada and "Goodword Books", New Delhi, India.

Publication media includes: Books, Booklets (Pamphlets), Children's Books, Journals, Documentaries, Audio Books, CD's, Posters and over a hundred websites. The total number of books and brochures published by Oktar number in the hundreds.^[89] The works are lavishly produced, on good-quality paper with full-color illustrations^[30] and sold in Islamic bookstores worldwide.^[25]

• Yahya, Harun (1986). Yahudilik ve Masonluk (Judaism and Freemasonry). ISBN 9757043001. 
• Yahya, Harun (1995). Soykırım Yalanı (The Holocaust Lie). ISBN 9757856258. 
• Yahya, Harun (2000). Allah Is Known through Reason. New Delhi: Goodword Books. ISBN 8187570059. 
• Yahya, Harun (2000). Miracle in the Ant. ISBN 1842000152. 
• Yahya, Harun (2000). Allah Is Known through Reason. New Delhi: Goodword Books. ISBN 8187570059. 
• Yahya, Harun (2000). Allah's Artistry in Colour. Goodword Books. ISBN 1842000160. 
• Yahya, Hârun (2000). The Creation of the Universe. Al-Attique. ISBN 189426438X. 
• Yahya, Harun (2001). The Evolution Deceit. London: Ta-Ha. ISBN 9756579382. 
• Yahya, Harun; Clarke, Abdassamad (2001). The Miracle in the Atom. Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd. ISBN 1842000233. 
• Yahya, Harun (2001). Disasters Darwinism Brought to Humanity. Al-Attique. ISBN 1894264444. 
• Yahya, Harun (2002). Global Freemasonry. Global Publishing. ISBN 9756426004. 
• Yahya, Harun (2002). The Glory in the Heavens. ISBN 1842000403. 
• Yahya, Harun (2002). The Design in Nature. Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd. ISBN 1842000357. 
• Yahya, Harun (2002). The Alliance of the Good. Islamic Book Service. ISBN 8172313721. 
• Yahya, Harun (2002). The World of Animals (Children, Have You Ever Thought?). ISBN 184200042X. 
• Yahya, Harun (2002). Before You Regret. Al-Attique Publishers Inc. ISBN 189426441X. 
• Yahya, Harun (2002). Fascism The Bloody Ideology of Darwinism. ISBN 983938435X. 
• Yahya, Harun (2002). Islam Denounces Terrorism. Elmhurst: Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an. ISBN 1879402971. 
• Yahya, Harun (2002). Romanticism: A Weapon of Satan. ISBN 8188273201. 
• Yahya, Harun (2003). Wonderful Creatures. London: Ta-Ha Publishers. ISBN 1842000470. 
• Yahya, Harun (2003). 24 Hours in the Life of a Muslim. ISBN 1842000543. 
• Yahya, Harun (2003). The Courage Of The Faithful. ISBN 9756426624. 
• Author, Author (2003). A Definitive Reply to Evolutionist Propaganda. Global Publishing. ISBN 9756426241. 
• Yahya, Harun (2003). The Errors of The American National Academy of Science. 
• Yahya, Harun (2003). Why Darwinism Is Incompatible with the Quran. Global Publishing. ISBN 9756426039. 
• Yahya, Harun (2004). Signs of the Last Day. Global Publishing. ISBN 9756426020. 
• Yahya, Harun (2004). The Muslim Way of Speaking. ISBN 9756426438. 
• Yahya, Harun (2004). Passivity in Religion. ISBN 9756426640. 
• Yahya, Harun (2004). The Signs Of Jesus' Second Coming. ISBN 9756426497. 
• Yahya, Harun (2004). Answers from the Quran: For Newcomers to Islam. ISBN 8172315627. 
• Yahya, Harun (2004). Communist China's Policy of Oppression in East Turkestan. Global Publishing. ISBN 9756426446. 
• Yahya, Harun (2006). Atlas Of Creation (Volume 1). 
• Yahya, Harun (2007). Biomimetics: Technology Imitates Nature. ISBN 9756426772. 
• Yahya, Harun (2007). Miracle in the Eye. ISBN 9756426721. 
• Yahya, Harun (2007). Allahs Miracles in the Quran. Goodword Publication. ISBN 8178985381. 
• Yahya, Harun (2007). Atlas of Creation Volume 2. 
• Yahya, Harun (2007). Atlas of Creation Volume 3. 
• Yahya, Harun (2007). Consciousness in the Cell. ISBN 9756426713. 
• Yahya, Harun (2007). Global Impact of the Works of Harun Yahya. ISBN 9758718320. 
• Yahya, Harun (2001). Miracles of the Qur'an. Al-Attique Publishers Inc. ISBN 1894264533. 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Adnan Oktar

• Official Harun Yahya site
• Harun Yahya: Catalog of works
• Taner Edis: Harun Yahya and Islamic Creationism (2003)
• Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation