ccording to
a recent report by the US-based Pew Research Centre, there are one billion
570 million Muslims living in the world today, and thus every fourth
person on this earth is a Muslim. Is this good reason to rejoice? I do not
think so. On the contrary, the contents of the report provide Muslims with
an occasion for self-appraisal: Why, though they constitute 25 per cent
(1.5 billion) of the world’s population, they are scientifically and
technologically backward, politically marginalised and economically poor.
Why their share of world GDP (60 trillion dollars) is only three trillion
dollars which is less than the GDP of France (population 70 million),
about half the GDP of Japan (population 120 million) and one fifth the GDP
of the US (population 300 million). It is important to know that
Christians constitute about 35 per cent of the world’s population but
control nearly 70 per cent of the world’s wealth.
With regard to human development as well, barring some
oil-producing Arab nations, most Muslim countries rank very low on the
human development index. In the scientific field, the record of Muslim
nations is dismal. Barely 500 PhDs in science are produced every year.
This number is 3,000 in the UK alone. Out of the 500 and odd Nobel Prizes
in science awarded from 1901 to 2008, Jews, who constitute 0.2 per cent of
the world’s population, received around 140 prizes (25 per cent) as
against only one received by a Muslim (the other recipient having been
declared a non-Muslim by Pakistan), which is about 0.2 per cent of the
total awards received. This is indeed a sad commentary on Muslims as far
as scientific achievements are concerned.
Another disheartening report, recently compiled by the
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, lists the top 400 universities in the world
that have a high standard of teaching and research. Not one university
from the Islamic world finds a place in the list. This is a truly painful
situation, especially when compared with the period of shining Islamic
civilisation during the middle ages from the 7th to 16th century. The
well-known science historian, Charles C. Gillespie, has recorded the names
of about 130 scientists and technologists who made a great impact during
the middle ages. Of this number, 120 scientists belonged to the Islamic
world while only four came from Europe. Is this not reason enough for
Muslims to study their past critically, assess the present honestly and
determine the future rationally?
I can provide some more information, not happy news, about
the numerical strength of Muslims in the years to come. Given the present
birth rate, the Muslim population will have doubled in the next 50
years i.e. it would comprise around three billion people. In that
scenario, the number of Muslims will surpass the Christian population
which stands today at about 2.3 billion but will only be doubled in 500
years. This however will not be good for Muslims themselves. Given the
prevailing economic conditions in the Muslim world and the backwardness
they are experiencing today, their growth in terms of population may
further aggravate their economic problems, not solve them. Moreover,
doubling the Muslim population in the next 50 years could in fact widen
the economic gap between Muslim and Christian nations. So who will
dominate the world in this century or the next? Muslims with five per cent
of global wealth or Christians with 70 per cent of world economic power?
Muslims must understand that the numerical strength of a
nation does not guarantee respect and dominance in the present-day
scientifically advanced world. It is only scientific knowledge that
matters and which brings respect, power and wealth. There are many
examples that demonstrate the futility of higher populations possessed of
lower economic and military power. For instance, the economically,
militarily and scientifically powerful but small Jewish community of
Israel is considered a perpetual threat to a very large but
technologically backward population of Arab countries who rightly feel
defeated and cheated. Another glaring example is the disparity between the
small number of Muslims who live in the West where they enjoy economic
prosperity and those who live in many Muslim-majority countries with large
populations where they experience a variety of hardships.
Nissim Hasan, an Islamic scholar of repute, has observed
that "Diminishing Muslim vision of knowledge is singularly responsible for
the decline of the economic and political power of the Islamic
civilisation. We have failed now for centuries to become leaders of
humanity. We have surrendered our vision, our faith and our reason to dead
woods." Mahathir Mohamad, the former prime minister of Malaysia, has
rightly advised Muslims "to give up their illogical beliefs and regressing
thoughts and be prepared to face the challenges of the fast changing
social order" (OIC Conference, Kuala Lumpur).
It is important to note that during their rule of Spain
from the 8th to the14th century AD Muslims dominated the whole of Europe
as Muslim Spain was the hub of scientific activity and its earnings were
higher than the earnings of the rest of Europe put together. Today the
situation has turned topsy-turvy. Today the GDP of Christian Spain is
higher than that of the 12 oil-producing Muslim countries combined. And
Spain was not the only highly developed country in the Islamic world
during the middle ages. All the regions and cities under Islamic rule,
such as Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Tripoli and so on, were humming with
scientific activity. Islamic society all over the world was considered to
be highly developed – scientifically, intellectually, culturally and
economically. In contrast, as described by historians, when science
flourished in the Islamic world, Europe was trapped in the dark ages and
the evils of pedantry, bigotry and cruelty supported by their reliance on
charms, amulets and relics were common. It is important to mention that
during the rise of Islam Muslims comprised barely 10 per cent of the
world’s population.
According to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the great visionary
of India, this situation "started changing after the 16th century when
Muslim society stagnated and followed the lifestyle of the Europeans of
the dark ages. On the other hand, Europeans (Christians) turned towards
progressive thinking and the scientific pursuits of Muslims" (Letters of
Azad). The results were obvious. Muslim society, which dominated the world
for about 800 years in all respects of human activity, started declining
in intellectual vitality and was ultimately dominated by the emerging
power of Europe.
In this connection, the observations of the great Islamic
thinker, Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi, are especially relevant and valid
as he explains, "After the 16th century, Muslims lost interest in inquiry
and the physical sciences and engaged themselves more in the metaphysical
sciences with the result that they could not produce great men of learning
(genius). Muslims forgot their own scientific thinking and followed only
traditional knowledge. They therefore lagged behind in science and
technology and thus became slaves of the West" (Islam and the West).
Some years ago the political scientist, Samuel P.
Huntington, expressed the view that the recent conflict between the West
and the Muslim world was actually a clash of civilisations. This is
absolute nonsense. In fact, it is a clash between the rich and poor where
rich nations dictate their terms and poor nations are subjected to
exploitation and humiliation.
Poor nations, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, should
understand that their survival depends entirely on global peace and their
unnecessary conflict with the rich nations, particularly in the name of
religion, will only land them in greater trouble and distress. Muslims can
only regain their past glory if they adopt a scientific renaissance
similar to the European Renaissance and do so more vigorously and rapidly
than Europe did. But before this is done, Muslims have to condemn and
reject the forces of extremism and promote the true Islamic values of
tolerance and moderation. Hatred of the West will do no good to Muslims.
It will only lead to greater misery for them. And hating the West but
taking pride in getting visas or green cards in order to live there is
nothing short of hypocrisy and duplicity.
Some distinguished rulers in the Arab world, and the Saudi
Arabian King Abdullah in particular, must be congratulated and
supported for their recent initiative to promote interfaith dialogues and
understanding between all the religions of the world. At a recently held
interfaith conference King Abdullah rightly observed that "Islam must do
away with the dangers of extremism to present the religion’s ‘good
message’. We must tell the whole world that we are a voice of justice and
values and humanity, that we are a voice of coexistence. The Islamic world
faces difficult challenges from the extremism of some Muslims whose
aggressions target the magnanimity, fairness and lofty aims of Islam."
Muslims do not need empty slogans and misplaced religious
fervour. It is high time they interacted with the West as responsible
nations. They must welcome Barack Obama’s Cairo speech which invites
Muslims to join hands with the West for global peace and prosperity.
Obama’s initiatives should be supported, his hands strengthened so that he
succeeds in his stupendous task of unity of all faiths for the cause of
better understanding and peace on this highly charged and disturbed earth.
In the words of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, "Islamic
civilisation respects all mankind and this must be made clear to the whole
world, not by words but rather by deeds and conduct."
It is high time close contact and cooperation was
established between Nobel Peace Prize winner Obama and Muslim nations in
general and Arab countries in particular. This will help considerably in
weakening the anti-Islamic forces of the West, which have no doubt existed
there from the time of the crusades.
(Dr M. Iqtedar Husain Farooqi is secretary of the Sir Syed Scientific
Society, Lucknow; Email: [email protected].)