There is no reason to say that what so and so says is Islam, my friend. There is no universally agreed upon interpretation of Islam.
That's true. Man, you'd imagine a deity that wanted people to follow him would make himself understood plainly and unambigiously...
As an example, suppose if I quote a scientist who makes a ridiculous statement, shall i take that to represent the official view representing 'science'?
Seeing how such view would represent a term divorced from any meaningful context you could say it, but I'm not sure what meaning the statement could possibly convey.
So when you call it 'Islam' vs modern science, you are inserting your own bias into it. It's what you think Islam is.
I guess the title was a little abrasive, but can you blame me? After all, this isn't what
I say or think about Islam. It's what these prominent Muslims, some of whom are respected scholars and religious leaders, say.
If you are looking for idiotic views among the religious, I am fully aware of this and get more annoyed about it than you do. But let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
I don't think one should reject Islam on the basis of what any one person says. I think one should reject Islam on the basis that it's fundamentally irrational and based on no objective and observable facts. Christianity is no different. The moment you jump outside of the realm of logic and enter the realm of the supernatural, your ideas ought to be rejected.