Mustafa Akyol | |
|---|---|
 Akyol in 2013 | |
| Born | 20 February 1972 Turkey |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, journalist |
| Website | www |
Mustafa Akyol (born 20 February 1972) is a Turkish writer and journalist.
Mustafa Akyol | |
|---|---|
| Akyol in 2013 | |
| Born | 20 February 1972 Turkey |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, journalist |
| Website | www |
Mustafa Akyol (born 20 February 1972) is a Turkish writer and journalist.
Akyol has written regular columns for Turkish dailies like Hürriyet Daily News . [1] He has criticized both Islamic extremism and Turkish secularism, which he likened to Jacobinism [2] and fundamentalism. [3]
Akyol's earlier articles in Turkish newspapers were often friendly to the incumbent Justice and Development Party (AKP), [4] [5] and he was described as a "fiercely pro-AKP" voice by fellow Turkish journalists. [4] In a later commentary in a U.S. newspaper, he criticised the party's governance as having "adopted the very authoritarian habits it used to oppose" and thus having "failed as a model of liberal Islamism." [6]
He also spoke at TED, giving a lecture on "Faith versus tradition in Islam". [7]
Akyol is also author of the English-language book Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case For Liberty (W.W. Norton). Stephen Schwartz critiques the author's lack of full disclosure regarding his own family's Turkish history and involvement in politics. He also faults Akyol for not carefully laying out the facts surrounding Turkish democracy and rushing to conclusions about the country's AKP political party that are not fully supported by the evidence. [8] [9]
Since 2018, Akyol has been a senior fellow at the Koch-funded think tank Cato Institute. [10]
Akyol used to be an outspoken promoter of intelligent design [11] [12] and was identified as a former spokesman for Science Research Foundation (Bilim Araştırma Vakfı), an Islamic creationist group, started by Adnan Oktar. [13] Akyol later noted [14] that he had ended all his "cooperation with [Bilim Araştırma Vakfı]... due to some serious disagreements on issues other than intelligent design." He was also affiliated with the Discovery Institute. [15] Akyol has testified in the Kansas evolution hearings in favor of introducing intelligent design [16] and arranged a government-sponsored intelligent design conference in Istanbul. [17] In 2019, he said he changed his mind, noting that "the theory of evolution is perfectly compatible with the faith." [18]
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Even in this newspaper there are several fiercely pro-AKP columnists, including my sparring partner, Mustafa Akyol.
Mustafa Akyol has left no stone unturned in his efforts to convince the readers of the Turkish Daily News of the benefits of the Islamic revival which has taken place since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government came to power over five years ago.
He also has identified himself as a spokesman for the murky Bilim Arastirma Vakfi, a group with an innocuous-sounding name -- it means "Science Research Foundation" -- but a nasty reputation.
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