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| THE SOUL IN SCIENCE by SHEEMA KHAN |
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| WhatDFish |
| 07/14/03 at 22:49:15 |
| THE SOUL IN SCIENCE The West may lead the world in research and technology, but Muslim scientists have much to contribute in integrating inquiry with ethics, says SHEEMA KHAN By SHEEMA KHAN Sheema Khan, chair of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Canada), holds a PhD in chemical physics from Harvard University. Monday, June 9, 2003 - Page A13 Last November, while the world's attention was focused on Iraq, thieves stole a rare first edition of Isaac Newton's Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica from the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg. A few weeks later, police announced its recovery to an uninterested world. Principia, first published in 1687, is a key work in modern science. In it, Newton proposed the three laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation, foundations of physical sciences and engineering. Less well-known is Principia's final chapter, in which Newton expounded on his beliefs: "This most beautiful system of the sun, planets and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being, . . . eternal and infinite, omnipotent and omniscient. . . . He governs all things, and knows all things that are, or can be done. . . . We adore Him as His servants." While Newton's science propagated through time and space, his harmonization of faith and scientific inquiry did not. Instead, battles between Newton's persecuted contemporaries and the Roman Catholic Church left an indelible mark on Western thought, causing a dichotomy between science and faith that prevails today. Reconciling the two has never been an issue in Islamic thought. The Koran invites contemplation of the natural world, pointing to signs of a wise Creator. Nothing is left to fuzzy uncertainty, or in the words of Albert Einstein: "I shall never believe that God plays with dice with the world." The study of the world is a means to attain faith, as exemplified by the Prophet Abraham. As a boy, Abraham observed the rising and setting of a star, the moon and finally the sun, each object more dazzling than its predecessor. He realized, like Newton, that no matter how awe-inspiring, each object had no inherent power but was subject to a far greater power. Empirical research and deductive reasoning paved his way towards belief in God. He also understood that it was useless to worship objects created through human agency, inanimate creations that could not respond to the innate spiritual calling of the heart. Some would argue that the West's infatuation with technical achievements is akin to the idol worship of Abraham's time. The exhortation towards God-consciousness impelled the nascent Islamic empire to learn from other civilizations, and to collect and translate works of the Greeks, Persians and Chinese. For 1,000 years, Muslims reviewed and refined prior thought, and -- remaining within the guidelines of Islamic principles -- established new frontiers in medicine, mathematics, astronomy and geography. The Muslim world was filled with universities, observatories, and hospitals, while Europe remained in the Dark Ages. Within Islam's moral framework, ethics and social responsibility intertwined with scientific inquiry. As the empire waned, scientific progress shifted to the West. Today, Muslim countries are home to 1.3 billion people and three-quarters of the world's fuel reserves. Yet their combined GNP is less than half that of Germany; illiteracy levels are among the world's highest; and science spending is a meager 0.2 per cent of GNP. At a recent meeting of research ministers and academics in Trieste, delegates searched for the reasons. Some blamed governments that spent on arms rather than education. Others warned of excessive dogma. Yet others cited the lack of free expression and creative thinking in authoritarian regimes. Yet in environments that prize hard work and ingenuity, Muslim scientists thrive. It's no surprise that a Muslim woman, Dr. Tyseer Aboulnasr, is dean of engineering at the University of Ottawa, or that Egyptian-born Ahmed Zewail, now of Stanford University, won the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. London-based intellectual Ziauddin Sardar has formulated a paradigm of Islamic science in which God-consciousness leads to accountability for one's scientific activities. The scientist strives to use knowledge to promote social justice and public interest, and to avoid pursuits that lead to one's own destruction and that of the environment. Such a model has implications for emerging technologies such as stem-cell research. Pending Canadian legislation forbids the creation of embryos expressly for research purposes. Only extra embryos discarded at fertility clinics can be used. The couple involved must give full consent; and no money can be exchanged for the creation or use of the embryos. The embryo can develop for a maximum of 14 days before use. Islamic scholars issued an almost identical ruling one year earlier, based on Islamic jurisprudence and consultation with leading scientists. The additional requirement of marriage between the couple safeguards the family unit, while a two to three-day limit for embryo development has roots in theological texts. This example suggests further exploration of common ground. The West can assist with technological transfer to Muslim countries; Muslim scientists can in turn help foster a holistic paradigm in which social responsibility and ethics are integrated into science policy. Perhaps scientists can work towards a much-needed symbiosis, rather than clash, of civilizations. |
| Re: THE SOUL IN SCIENCE by SHEEMA KHAN |
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| jannah |
| 07/15/03 at 00:48:46 |
| [wlm] wow sr sheema is so awesome... nothing to do with the fact i attended her wedding in montreal ;) |
| Re: THE SOUL IN SCIENCE by SHEEMA KHAN |
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| deenb4dunya |
| 07/15/03 at 09:40:36 |
| ....everything to do with the fact that she lives in Ottawa :-X --Deen :-) |
| Re: THE SOUL IN SCIENCE by SHEEMA KHAN |
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| se7en |
| 07/15/03 at 12:15:31 |
| as salaamu alaykum, [quote]Sheema Khan, chair of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Canada), holds a PhD in chemical physics from Harvard University. [/quote] :o masha'Allah seems like sis sheema herself is an example of a scientist with soul :) |
| Re: THE SOUL IN SCIENCE by SHEEMA KHAN |
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| Maliha |
| 07/15/03 at 13:48:08 |
| [slm] :'( :'( :'( why does ottawa have to have all the awesome people??? sigh. j/k Mashaallah she sounds really amazing ;D May Allah increase her in every dimension (Amin). sis, Maliha [wlm] |
| Re: THE SOUL IN SCIENCE by SHEEMA KHAN |
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| deenb4dunya |
| 07/15/03 at 14:22:27 |
| :P na na na na boo boo :P -- Deen :-) |
| Re: THE SOUL IN SCIENCE by SHEEMA KHAN |
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| superFOB |
| 07/17/03 at 10:07:21 |
| [slm] Ok, take a deep breath readers. Cynical stuff ahead. Please read with an open mind. Interesting article, with some interesting facts. But I fail to see anything that has not been said before. Let me take the different elements and dissect them, one by one. science should be guided by ethics Whose ethics? Who defines ethics? Not the physical scientist, but the social one. The thinkers and philosophers. Freud and his ilk. Muslim scientists usually become too conceited and arrogant to have any impact. Most of them either end up being agnostic or worse, atheists. Too many instances to quote here. Show me one muslim social scientist, and i'll show you an atheist. Scientific inquiry is NOT guided by dogma and the gurus of science despise religion. If you don't have any idea how to condition the scientific community to accept your ideas, please don't throw big words at us. nobel prize winner Nothing surprising here. Being more than 20% of the total world population, it is completely and very comfortably within the limits of statistics and probability. Big deal, says the FOB. civilization and empire Big words. Give us a sense of past glory and a history. But again, as a muslim, empires don't matter to me. And civilization is such a loaded word. When was man not civilized? In other words, didn't Allah sent messengers to every nation? Oh please, don't use these words as they make us seem like the rest of them, the romans, the persians, the ones who went astray. In fact, the article begs the question, what has science and the resulting technology given us? Some would say that it has increased the quality of life. But this is quite a subjective term, and for me, and I am sure for many more out there, it is meaningless (I can futher elaborate, but lets leave it at that). For some, it enables them to better understand the signs of the Creator or something else in the same vein. Well, the first generation was mostly illiterate, and so was the nabi [saw]. This argument fails to convince me, totally. Here's my gripe: Science has given us nothing of significance. Nothing but horrible and efficient ways to kill and maim, to oppress and intimidate, to persecute and torture. In fact more people have been slaughtered in the last century than ever before (even population ratio wise, I am pretty sure). Look at Africa, look at iraq. And then there are the devices of convenience. I look around the house sometimes and think, why do we need so much stuff in the house? The gas stove, the microwave, the audio equipment, the computer, the furniture, you name it. To save time they say. But what to do with the spare time, create more ways to waste it. A vicious cycle, which they call progress. It is not my intention to insult the article or its writer personally. I also make my living by trying to improve the same technical miracles and also justify my pursuits by arguments similar to the ideas set forth in the article. I just feel sometimes that something, somewhere, does not fit, not all loose ends tie up. Can you help me better understand these issues? Am I making sense here? |
| Re: THE SOUL IN SCIENCE by SHEEMA KHAN |
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| lucid9 |
| 07/18/03 at 12:55:10 |
| [slm] I would think that what is commonly called doing science is a religious obligation for muslims. For example, Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day,- there are indeed Signs for those of understanding,- those who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (With the thought): "Our Lord! not for naught have you created (all) this! Glory to you! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire. [2: 190] Allah is He who raised the heavens without any pillars that you can see....He has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law)! Each one runs (its course) for a term appointed. He regulates all affairs, explaining the signs in detail, that you may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord. [13:2] [Allah] created the seven heavens, one above the other. You can see no fault in the creation of the Most Gracious. Look again: can you see any rifts? Then look again and again....[67:3] What I think you are upset about is the use of technology. There is nothing per say wrong with science -- it is the implementations of science in technology that mess the world up. Technology empowers people to transcend their human limitations and do stuff ordinarily "impossible." But if the people themselves are rotten to the core, then this empowerment is just gonna enable people to do all manner on new mischief -- i.e. nuclear weapons, etc. So you shouldn't blame scientists per say. Science afterall is just using your head (common sense) to understand how the world works. So rather, you should blame the engineers and computer scientists! ! |
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