Origin of Species

It was interesting to hear that the Malay translation of the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin is banned in Malaysia. (Read about it here.)

Image from Wikipedia

Even more interesting is the reason for the ban - "endangers public harmony" and "... it goes against Islamic teachings ...";  AND the ban only applies to the translation not the original English version.

I have only read an illustrated and abridged version of the book (comic book version) which I got at one of the Big Bad Wolf sales some years ago.  While the book has some interesting theories about 'natural selection' it did not actually disprove the 'creation theory' many people who believe in religion hold to.  At least that was what I understood then.

There is a saying that the sleep of a knowledgeable person is superior to the ritual worship of an ignorant one.  I'm sure the authorities here are also aware of that saying but are choosing to define knowledgeable and ignorant within very narrow limits.

I wonder what would happen if "The God Delusion" gets translated.  After all that he writes, the best Richard Dawkins can arrive at is 'God probably does not exist'.  To me that's another way of saying 'He probably does'.

Image from Wikipedia