Moslems assert need to revive spirit of science
Moslems assert need to revive spirit of science
JAKARTA (JP): Moslem intellectuals from countries around the
world ended their three-day conference yesterday, affirming the
need to revive the spirit of scientific research and technology.
The statement, contained in the Jakarta Declaration on the
Creation of the International Islamic Forum for Science,
Technology and Human Resource Development, was signed by the 400
participants.
The two-page declaration stresses the need for Moslems to
strengthen their adherence to the Holy Koran and Prophet
Muhammad's teachings to stop moral degradation.
"We note that rapid, advanced and revolutionary changes in
science and technology have brought about major changes in global
society," the declaration says.
"On the one hand, they have paved a future human material
progress has never known or imagined; on the other hand, they
have reduced man to a material being that is spiritually
bankrupt, morally unbound."
"Humanity today is facing profound challenges, threatening its
very existence resulting in major paradigm shifts in value,
perception and visions of the truth."
The three-day conference, closed by the forum's chairman B.J.
Habibie of Indonesia, starred Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's Deputy
Prime Minister, yesterday.
Ibrahim called on the world's Moslems to invent their own
technologies based on the Holy Koran and Prophet Muhammad's
teachings rather than imitating Western technologies.
"Moslems must stop pointing fingers at others," he said.
He warned Moslems not fall into a trap of blaming unreal
enemies, but should invent ways to solve problems facing them.
"It would be a pity if the forum degenerates into just another
platform for launching attacks against the real or imagined
enemies of Islam and Moslems," he stated.
He said Islamic civilization pioneered the study of science
and technology, including algebra and logarithms, but has
contributed little recently.
Since then, it is the West which has built upon our success
while we remain content to be mere followers, resigned to the
fact of Western domination, he regretted.
He stipulated that because Moslem countries have long been
under the domination of the Western sovereignty of science and
technology, they have to reinvent their lost property.
"The Moslem community must break its self-imposed exile from
the world of science," he said.
Anwar also urged that the forum must not stop at only
theorizing on problems facing Moslem countries, saying it should
come up with a concrete and pragmatic program of strategies.
And he also suggested that Moslem countries should realize the
importing of the technologies has brought about unbridled
individualism, moral permissiveness and a homocentric view of the
world. (03)