Celebrating Our Muslim Neighbors by Acknowledging Their Cultural Heritage
By Nick Gier, New West Unfiltered 9-28-07
BY ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR CULTURAL HERITAGE
Nick Gier, Professor Emeritus, University of Idaho (ngier@uidaho.edu)
In preparation for a local event "Building Bridges with Our Muslims Neighbors," I printed out some blank regional maps for children to color. The idea was to give them a sense of where the world's 1.6 billion Muslims lived on our globe.
One out of every fourth person in the world is a Muslim, and there are 6.3 million in the U.S. It is also significant to note that only 20 percent of Muslims are Arabs, and 5 percent of Arabs, Christian Palestinians for example, are not Muslims.
Most of these people live under governments that stand firmly against Islamic extremism. One good example is Morocco whose king, Mohammed VI, is liberalizing the economy, making elections fairer, reforming marriage laws, deporting Islamic extremists, and abolishing the death penalty.
Morocco has been rated as the best Muslim democracy by The Economist magazine, although Freedom House, which rates every country on basic freedoms, is not ready to lift its "partially free" label until there is complete press freedom and more tolerance for critics of the king.
The earliest Muslim government was based on elections, broad deliberation (including women) and consensus, the protection of minorities, and appeal to the wisdom of experience and learning.
While the emphasis on reasoned deliberation has not been completely lost, the rule of force dramatically came into the play with the assassination of the third caliph in A.D. 656, and a switch to hereditary rule, which as been the norm in Muslim countries for centuries. That has now changed with relatively stable democracies in Morocco, Mali, Senegal, Turkey, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
One of Islam's greatest achievements came in medieval Spain. For over 700 years Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived in relative peace and produced some of history's most advanced science, most sophisticated philosophical works, and most beautiful architecture. Medieval Christian scholars read about Greek science and philosophy for the first time because Muslims had preserved the texts in their own great libraries for hundreds of years.
In 1492, the King and Queen of Spain declared that all Jews would have to convert, face death, or leave the country. Morocco stood ready and embraced thousands of Jewish refugees, and for 500 years Morocco's Jews prospered until most of them chose to immigrate to Israel.
Many people are not aware of the technological advances of medieval Islam. The pointed arch of the Gothic cathedral, much stronger than the rounded Roman arch, was borrowed from Muslim builders.
In the early 800s a Muslim by the name of Jabir ibn Hayyan discovered distillation, a process essential to the development of the science of chemistry. Emphasizing systematic experimentation rather than esoteric alchemy, Jabir ibn Hayyan discovered sulphuric and nitric acid; and, for the first time, distilled rose water and other perfumes, prized items offered by ubiquitous Muslim traders.
A 10th Century Muslim Ibn al-Haitham built the first pin hole camera and he was the first to conclude that the eye works by receiving light rather than sending it out to objects. Our word camera comes the Arabic word for a dark room.
A Muslim engineer by the name of al-Jarazi invented the crank-shaft, the combination lock, and the first mechanical clock. These discoveries are found in his book entitled Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices published in 1206.
Christians of the Middle Ages rarely ever washed and the Crusaders were known for their rancid smell as well as their deception and brutality. Muslims are required to wash before prayer and for centuries they had been using the first known soap. A Muslim trader introduced shampoo to the English in 1759.
Muslim astronomers were the first to propose that the orbits of the planets were not fixed circles but ellipses, and a Persian stargazer was the first to observe and identify the Andromeda galaxy. Muslim astronomers knew that the earth was a sphere and that rotated on its own axis. They calculated the earth's circumference, the latitude and longitude of major cities, and were able to calculate the direction of Mecca from any place on earth.
Many star names are from the Arabic and the words zenith, azimuth, and nadir are from the language of Mohammed. Finally, Muslim astronomers made Henry the Navigator's honorific possible, and, as University of Idaho professor S. M. Ghazanfar states, "Muslim navigators guided the Portuguese and Spanish explorers (including Vasco de Gamma and Christopher Columbus) in their voyages."
Muslims are proud of their great cultural history and hundreds of millions vote for politicians who reject radical Islam. Muslim scholars and scientists, many of them in top posts at American and European universities, continue to build on the knowledge of their medieval coreligionists.
It is absolutely essential that we all acknowledge these historical facts and the political reality of moderate Islam. Condemning Islam because of Osama bin Laden is as outrageous as rejecting Christianity because of the Aryan Nations.
Nick Gier taught religion and philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years. Gier is indebted to the British newspaper The Independent (3-11-06) for the list of Islamic inventions. Read or listen to his other columns at www.NickGier.com. [End of article]
Near where I live is a mosque. Around back and visible from the street is a sign over the basement door that states, "Women's Entrance." That cultural heritage began almost 2000 years ago and continues today right here in the USA. In addition to the great scientific discoveries that come from the Middle East there is also this heritage that I am not too crazy about when it affects women like my mother, wife, and daughter.
Comment By Manavendra, 9-29-07How did the Muslims decline since their peak in the middle ages?
Comment By sweed7, 9-29-07I like: Death to infidels! Heaven with twenty-one virgins. (veiled who enter heaven thru the back door and have no say in the matter)
Comment By mike, 9-29-07I hear the local boys singing their favorite Christmas carol, "Jingo Bells, Jingo Bells, Jingo all the way!"
Comment By Hal Herring, 9-30-07Fascinating article, Mr. Gier. Of particular interst are the many inventions of genius - in the back of our minds, we Westerners know that, for example, Baghdad was the seat of mathematical learning for centuries. But I have the same question as Manvendra, above.
What caused the decline? Why the rise of theocracies that shun intellectual knowledge and science? What about the proud descendants of these inventors- we recognize, when we meet them here in our country, or read about their work and lives in the Middle East, that they still have this level of intelligence, regard for knowledge, and a greater level of sophistication and cosmopolitanism (is that a word?) than most of us here. There seems to be no decline, on the level of the individuals. But speaking in the sense of a civilization, they seem to be in profound and even mortal crisis. Is Islam to blame? The corrupting influence of petroleum and petro politics? Do civilizations, like fruit, simply go bad after a time? Are there lessons for us in this seeming crisis in Arab civilization?
One reason I thought to ask this was that I was reading about Senator Brownback's visit to Wyoming in New West's lead story. Brownback is almost certainly a potential theocrat, and one who has no difficulty marrying the interests of global corporations with the seemingly contradictory tenets of his much-professed Christianity. I read his statements, marvel at his prominence, and wonder if a descent into fundamentalist disfunction may not be part of our future as well.
Hal
I'd like to add that I reject the comparison between Islam and bin Laden and Christianity and the Aryan Nations. The percentage of Christians who support the Aryan Nations must be a million fold less than the percentage of Muslims who support jihad against us infidels. Such a comparison is inflammatory and incorrect.
I support the idea behind your article. However, it is beyond time that the Muslim citizens you describe, and their counterparts throughout their religion, renounce and work to destroy those among them who murder innocent people in the name of Allah. Put very basically, it is past time for Muslims, with such a rich history, with so many gifts, to clean their own house.
Until I see some evidence of that happening, I cannot know for sure how many of these good folks might be contemplating jihad as proscribed by the Koran. While I might remain awed by their past accomplishments, my awe will be dimmed by my mistrust and worry that they will do something horrific to my country in the name of their faith.
I don't think my mistrust means that I am a bigot, either. If Christians or members of any other group were flying planes into buildings, blowing themselves up in pizza restaurants at the dinner rush, etc, etc etc., I'd say the same thing.
Hal
Hal, I think part of the decline, in the 20th century at least, can be traced to choices made in both World Wars. During WWI the remnants of the Ottomans allied with the Germans and engaged in their own ethnic cleansing against the Armenians ( http://www.armenian-genocide.org/ ). Then in WWII the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem allied with the Nazi's. IF in both wars the leaders of Muslim nations and Muslim culture had backed the allies and opposed the genocide against the Armenians and the Jews, I can't help but believe the entire world would be focused on other issues today.
Comment By Nick Gier, 10-10-07To Craig Moore's response of 9-28-07, I do not accept the idea of segregating the sexes, but I still remember separate entrances for women in Canadian bars, and many people, including feminists, argue for single sex schools.
Therefore, we have a "cultural heritage" of "almost 2,000 years" that believed in the subordination and segregation of women. Until recently, our heritage has been just as sexist as Islam.
The U.S. has a horrible record in terms of basic treatment of women. We have one of the highest domestic violence rates in the world in which it is the woman who is most always the victim.
Finally, why is it that Muslim countries have already had female presidents and prime ministers—Turkey, Bangladesh (twice), Indonesia, and Pakistan (soon twice)—and we have yet had one? Will you be voting for Hillary, Mr. Moore?
To Sweed7, 9-29-07 I would say that you should watch your hate speech and also be reminded that the correct translation of those goodies in the Muslim heaven is "figs" not "virgins."
With regard to the decline of Islamic culture, I would say that there are at least four factors: the Mongol invasion, tribalism, colonialism, and the rise of fundamentalism, an anti-modern and anti-scientific view own conservative Christians embrace.
So, yes, I agree with you, Hal Herring (9-30-07), that we may have the same problem if we aren't mindful. And your point about Osama and the Aryan Nations is a good one. On the web version of my column, I've changed that to followers of Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell.
Finally, to your point about moderate Muslims speaking out, I simply direct you to dozens of websites of moderate Muslim organizations, and I also point to leaders such as Mohammed VI of Morocco who deports Saudi missionaries who cross the line, and the line that he's drawn is very thin indeed.
But before I expand on each of these, let me just ask a basic question: should we assume that any culture will last forever? Hal's metaphor is a good one: all good fruit ripens and then falls. Does anyone who is really knowledgeable about current trends in the 21st Century seriously believe that we will retain our hegemony in the world?
The last advantage we will have, after we lose our economic leadership to China, Japan, and the EU, will be a muscle bound military, which in the hands of an ignorant and arrogant president like Bush, Jr., could starts wars all over in the name of "saving" America.
No one asks today about why ancient Greece fell, and no one seeks any special reasons except for the fact that the Romans had a better army and superior administrative skills.
The old saw that Greece fell because of homosexuality does not dignify mention, even less a response. Philip of Macedon, son of the bisexual Alexander, praised the homosexual partners in the Spartan army who fought to the death for each other as the great soldiers he'd ever encountered. The U.S. military is far poorer than richer for the gays and lesbians that it has unceremoniously kicked out.
The Mongols only destroyed the cities that resisted them, so the Muslims of Baghdad should have sued for peace, because the capital of the Golden Age of Islam was leveled to the ground in 1258 and great libraries and scholars were gone forever.
Tribalism has bedeviled nation building in Africa, Arab countries, and Afghanistan. It didn't help at all that colonial powers were very adept at playing one tribe or one religious sect against the other. Islamic Spain could probably have survived much longer if various Muslim factions, sometimes allied with Christian armies, had not fought against each other.
Britain and France divided up the Middle East, drew artificial borders, and played favorites with quislings who would do their biding. We and the Brits overthrew a democratically elected government in Iran and sowed seeds of the bitter Iran that is our enemy today.
19th Century Muslims who embraced Western thought and who had political power brought reforms to their countries, but just as many Muslims, disgusted by the way they were treated by European powers, turned against Western thought and planted the seeds of a Islamic fundamentalism that has now flowered after the U.S. constantly sided with Israel and, even worse, stationed troops not far from Islam's holy sites.