Muslims and Science
By Khalid A.
London , UK
I refer to Misbah Azam’s letter on the above subject (July 2009) which I find overly defensive and almost a call to our youth saying ‘not to worry – all is well’. Your writer is telling the Ummah not to be thirsty for scientific knowledge as the market is flooded with Muslim scientists.
Anecdotal evidence cannot produce consistently reliable picture of our state of affairs in the field of science and technology. The examples quoted by the writer are worthy examples of individuals who excelled in their fields ‘in spite of ’ being a part of Muslim society which treats scientists with apathy.
Do achievements in pure science and medicine create the same level of passion amongst the masses as do things like a nuclear bomb or a rocket? I would recommend to Misbah to read my letter titled ‘God, Science and Islam’ published in your columns (20 Feb 2009), to realize how we have lost centuries, by ignoring the Industrial Revolution, by convincing ourselves that a primitive way of life is more pleasing to Allah and by forgetting that the laws of science were created by Allah and not by the ‘infidel’ scientists.
