Fish, Barrel, Gun

Ask the Imam is a site you can always go to if you want to find something to make fun of. Tim Blair picked on a question about... well, evolution and hair gel. Since Tim didn't give the question in full, here it is:

Do we believe in the evolution of animals such as birds etc. How old is the earth and for how long has there been life on earth according to Islam. What is the ruling on hair gel.

I am asked about evolution and i do not know what muslims believe so I cannot answer them. Please can you give me the correct islamic perspective on these issues.

The answer is as follows:

It is our belief that Allah is the creator of the universe and all its contents. The concept of evolution is un Islamic. The animals, humans, etc all were created by the command of Allah and will be created by His command. The ever changing conclusions of the scientists is sufficient of their false research.

It is permissible to use hair gel.

I've a feeling that this is wrong on both counts.

But what struck me most was the question, which paraphrases as "Please tell me what I think about this issue". I've heard that sort of thing before, I thought... and then I remembered. A girl I used to vaguely know, an acquaintance of an acquaintance, as it were. She was the niece of a Conservative Cabinet Minister and a member of the Socialist Workers Party (passing with flying colours the membership requirement of all parties with the word "worker" in their name, that she did not know which end of a hammer was the handle).

Discussing politics with her was odd. Someone would make a point and then she would strain, not to think, but to remember. What is the party line on this one? What have I been told I should think about this issue?

Maybe the alliance between the SWP and the Islamofascists isn't so strange after all.