- Professor has articles edited because he says MS is caused by ‘supernatural reasons’
- MS affects 2.3 million people worldwide, but it is not known why people develop it
A Turkish professor has sparked outrage by claiming MS could be a ‘punishment from Allah’.
Hüseyin Çaksen said in an academic article that “many” believed the incurable condition, which affects 2.3 million people worldwide, had a “supernatural cause.”
In his now withdrawn report, Professor Çaksen accepted that his own theory could never be ‘scientifically proven’.
One critic described the theory as “simply vulgar” and “nonsense” in a social media post that has been viewed millions of times.
Researcher Hüseyin Çaksen, from the state-run Necmettin Erbakan University in Turkey, wrote the article ‘The importance of religion, spirituality and spiritual care in patients with multiple sclerosis’
Attention to Professor Çaksen’s article sparked interest in his other work, leading observers to find one titled “Hijab Protects Adolescent Girls and Women from Sexual Harassment.”
Seven of his scientific publications have now been retracted by journal publishers, including the MS and Hijab publications. Another was titled “The Role of Religious Coping in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.”
Notices accompanying all articles state that they have been retracted because they ‘lack a scientific basis’.
The Retraction Watch blog reported that the move came a day after Professor Çaksen’s MS paper sparked outrage online.
Academic Urartu Şeker, based in the Turkish capital Ankara, brought the article to public attention on X, formerly known as Twitter. According to the English-language Turkish news site Duvar, he said it was a ‘trash ideas’.
Professor Çaksen from Necmettin Erbakan University have been published “The Importance of Religion, Spirituality, and Spiritual Care in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis,” May 2023 article in the peer-reviewed Journal of Pediatric Neurology.
Academic Urartu Şeker, based in Ankara, Turkey, brought the article to public attention on X, formerly known as Twitter. He wrote that researcher Hüseyin Çaksen’s article was ‘trash’ and ‘frightening’
He originally wrote: ‘Although it cannot be scientifically proven, we are convinced that the main cause of the disease in some MS patients is supernatural reasons, such as a gift, test or punishment from Allah.’
The article also suggested that medical professionals should be trained in “supernatural causes with a religious context.”
MS is a lifelong condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body, causing nerve damage to the brain and spinal cord.
Symptoms include difficulty walking, vision problems, and numbness or tingling in different parts of the body.
Dr. Sarah Rawlings, executive director of research and external affairs at the MS Society, told MailOnline: ‘It is a great shame to see misinformation being spread about the causes of MS.
“We recognize that the claims made may be very disturbing to people with the condition.”
Despite decades of research, scientists still don’t know what causes MS.
According to the charity, a mix of genetics, environmental and lifestyle factors are the most likely triggers.