'Enlightened moderation' can improve Islamic science

'Enlightened moderation' can improve Islamic science

Two leading advocates for science in Muslim countries say
"enlightened moderation" and a shift away from military spending
are needed to haul Islamic countries out of their backwardness in
research.

Pakistani Science Minister Atta-ur-Rahman and Anwar Nasim,
science advisor to the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic
Conference (OIC), say Muslims "are having little impact in
today's battle of ideas" and warn that future generations will
pay the price.

Just two individuals from Islamic states have ever won Nobel
prizes for science, they note in a commentary published on
Thursday in Nature, the weekly British science journal.

Both laureates, Abdus Salam of Pakistan and Ahmed Zewail of
Egypt, carried out their research abroad.

In the post-9/11 world, the risk of intellectual isolation
looms for Muslim researchers because of the image of extremism
and intolerance bred by violent fundamentalism, the commentary
says.

Backwardness in research has a huge impact, for economic
progress today is now based on knowledge and innovation, it
warns.

To revive Islam's glorious scientific past -- from the eighth
to the 15th century it was the world leader while Europe was
mired in the superstitions of the Dark Ages -- the two call for a
"new strategy of 'enlightened moderation'."

"In the wake of 11 September 2001, Islamic countries face
myriad challenges and the gap of misunderstanding between the
West and the Islamic world is widening.

"The way forward for Muslim countries is, in their own
interest, to focus on internal reforms and socio-economic
modernisation, to shun extremism and to promote moderation."

The commentary calls for a big shift away from military
spending, which ranges from four to seven percent of gross
national product (GNP) in OIC countries, and towards research,
where the budget is typically less than one percent of GNP.

"Political leaders in many Islamic nations largely fail to
appreciate the importance of scientific research to their
countries' development," it says.

"Public spending is often skewed towards the military,
educational standards are low and public interest in science is
undeveloped." -- AFP