It proves how agenda and ideologically-driven Al-Jazeera is and how they are willing to forgo journalistic professionalism to further their agenda.
Know your facts, Al-Jazeera, before you report them. Darwin never said mankind descended from chimpanzees. He said we both descended from a common ape-like ancestor.
Make sure your science editors have some scientific background. Where did you get the idea that this story disproves evolution?
Also, who is Zaghloul El-Naggar and what are his qualifications to comment on this story? Did you not find any specialists on the topic to interview?
Translation of Al-Jazeera Story:
Ardi Refutes Darwin's Theory
American scientists have presented evidence that Darwin's theory of evolution was wrong. An international team of researchers specialized in the origin of the human race in "Ken" State University (It's actually Kent State but they spelled it wrong) and the University of California (-Berkeley, but they did not add it) have unveiled the oldest known evidence of humans on earth, which is an Ethiopian human skeleton dating back about 4.4 million years, which was named "Ardi."
The team announced Thursday that Ardi's discovery proves that humans did not evolve from ancestors that resemble chimpanzees, which refutes the longstanding assumption that humans evolved from monkeys.
The researchers wrote in the journal Science that Ardi is one of mankind's ancestors and that the lineages that descended from her were not chimpanzees or any other type of monkey currently known.
The scientists say that Ardi could be the oldest of known human ancestors, because she is a million years older than "Lucy," who was considered one of the most important known origins of man.
A Blow to Darwin's Theory
Dr. Zaghloul El-Naggar, who is a professor of geology in several Arab universities, (didn't bother to mention where) commented by saying that Westerners are beginning to come to their senses after they used to deal with the origins of man from a materialistic perspective and by denying religions.
He said in a phone interview with Al-Jazeera that this scientific discovery, which delivers a big blow to Darwin's theory, is a very important development.
El-Naggar said that the researchers' estimation of four million years is an exaggeration. He predicts that man's age on earth is no more than about 400,000 years.
On the other hand, C. Owen Lovejoy, who is an American scientist at Kent State University, specializing in the origin of Man, said that he conducted a study on the primitive human that is known as Ardipithecus ramidus, which lived 4.4 million years ago in Ethiopia.
He added in a study that will be published today in the journal Science that "people often believe that humans evolved from monkeys, but that is not correct; in fact monkeys evolved from us."
He added that "the idea that humans are an advanced version of chimpanzees was widespread, but studying the primitive human contributed to our conviction that it is impossible for humans to evolve from chimpanzees or gorillas."
Screenshots of the story:
11 comments:
Great Lina! Thanks!
Skaggmesen
It sounds like Aljazeera got everything mixed up.
Hi Lina,
I came across your blog a few months ago and have been following it ever since. I really like your thoughtful posts and your mindful analysis. Keep it up!
Maya
what are your qualification to refure Dr najar input regardign this case >?
She is quite rightly asking who Dr Najar is? What are his credentials? Let's assume "Dr Najar" actually exists and is eminent in his field. Then the problem is he supposedly is a geologist. Evolution is biologists speciality! Geology is the science and study of the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth. So, why would Al Jazeera ask this specialist (supposedly) in geology about a problem in biology? Amazing.
Did these people graduate from grade school?
..."chimpanzees or any other type of monkey currently known." Chimpanzees are primates, monkeys are primates. Therefore Chimpanzees are not "any other type of monkey."
The "Dr" is not giving an accurate account of the report! It is a blatantly inaccurate, upside translation of the report if you read it in English.
Thank you Lina for translating to English!!!!
I am living in a part of the world where I can only receive a few news channels on TV. I had preferred the Al Jazeera news channel over the likes of Fox, but now it seems I must turn Al Jazeera off as well if it can allow such dishonest tripe out the door.
Dr Najar is supposedly a geologist. Evolution is biology!! Therefore even if he were the TOP geologist in the world, Al Jazeera should not be referring to him on a topic of BIOLOGY!
I can agree that the article's not a great one Lina but let's not overstate its importance. It looks to me like the work of an intern trying to fill space. Which you can find on the BBC all the time. I only need to do a brief search of the BBC website to find all sorts of glaring legal inaccuracies; some the fault of the BBC, some the fault of those they are quoting but which remain untested/unrefuted.
Your anonymous poster from October 2009 would do better to bear that in mind.
Aside from that, yes it's a terrible article. I am, however, disappointed in your translation. You demand accuracy yet you go out of your way to translate Qrd as 'monkey'. This has led to an aside from your anonymous contributor on the topic of primates. You should know that Qrd, at least in this context, is more correctly translated as 'ape' and not 'monkey'. I'm presuming that was a rushed mistake and not an attempt to make the article look stupider than it is (it really doesn't need the help of an inaccurate translation).
Hamid
Hamid, you don't need to point to the Arabic BBC or anyone else. Aljazeera is the most professional in the Arab world and this is their level. It's an indication of the state of Arabic journalism, isn't it?
As for the translation, it's not my fault if the writer couldn't distinguish between "ape" and "monkey."
Lina, I don't think that you took your own advise. You seem to criticize Aljazera but I am sure you will not criticize a report for ABC news. Watch the attached link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I45uAy5xQxA&feature=related
Last poster,
You are right; I wouldn't criticize ABC's report. There is nothing wrong with it. It didn't say that "Ardi" disproves evolution or Darwin. All it says is that the most common ancestor between chimps and humans lived earlier than previously thought.
Well Lina,, I wouldn't as far as calling Aljazeera the CNN of the Arabic world, it is more like the FOX news channel of the Arabic world,, and even worse.
Anyway a geologist is not a paleobiologist nor a paleoanthropologist and don't know d*ck about any fossil organisms studies,, they know about the life or rather age of dirt as they look through the layers or Earth plates stack.
So in my opinion Dr. Najjar should have admitted that he was not an authority on the subject, but this very difficult for his like to do.
I beleive that Paleantology and its sciences are not welcomed in the Muslim world, because they discover the truth, which is and for religious reasons a taboo.
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