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THE EMBASSY OF
THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
TOKYO
___
Speech by
Dr. Mahmoud Karem
Egypt
on
Islam: Fostering Peace and Dialogue in an
Interdependent World
The United Nations University
Please check against delivery.
December 13, 2002
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THE EMBASSY OF
THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
TOKYO
___
At the outset, let me thank the United Nations University for
inviting me to the Islam Symposium. I am truly grateful to Dr. Hans
van Ginkel, Rector of UNU, the Parliamentary League of Ruling
Parties for Islam, particularly Hon. Mr. Matsunami, OIC
Ambassadors and their contact group headed by Ambassador of
Morocco, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and last but not least
our active Dean Ambassador Rachad Farah.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I shall begin with my conclusion. It is important to the
extent that I shall read it upfront. Today, we are living in the age of
science and technology. Common interaction and cooperation
must be our global ideology. We must step into the 21st century
and the new millennium confident that we are a united community
based on intellectual, religious and cultural pluralism.
Our
communities should not rely on the achievements of one single
society. Late Prime Minister Obuchi put it very clearly in his policy
speech to the 145th session of the Diet, when he said, “ in the world
of today no nation can stand alone “. Mr. Yohio Kono mentioned in
an excellent and carefully reasoned piece published in Mainichi on
September 23 that Japan too must adapt by:
“Deepening relations with the people in the Islamic world in order to
gain long term security in the global society as well as holding a place in the
business world, not to be distanced by Europe, US, and China.”
Immediately, after the end of the Cold War in the late eighties,
some spoke of ‘the clash of civilizations,’ and that a clash between
the West and Islam was inevitable. Samuel P. Huntington has once
again underlined a new paradigm of an inevitable social evolution.
To him it seems that social change is anchored on contradiction
and conflict, a dictum I prefer to call “Fundamentalist theory
building.” Before him, many scholars like Bernard Lewis argued in
terms of “Dar Al Harb” and “Dar Al Silm”. But soon these theories
were falsified. I do not believe that a clash between Islam and the
West is inevitable, for there were and still are, different means of
mutual communication and interaction between different societies.
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THE EMBASSY OF
THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
TOKYO
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In this context, I can point to at least two historical occasions
of such interactions. On one hand, the Islamic civilization, in its
early stages, benefited from the many contributions of the Greek
civilization. On the other hand, the western civilization during the
renaissance era benefited substantially from the achievements of
the Islamic civilization.
The western intellectual awakening was stimulated by Arab
cultural contribution in Sicily and Spain; translators eager to spread
and use Arab knowledge began translating Arab theorems and
quantitative research, Cordoba became a beacon of knowledge.
A noted Japanese scholar Prof. Itagaki argued that the
influence of the Islamic civilization on the Japanese civilization in
middle ages, which came through Europe, by way of the Islamic
Arab State in Andalusia, and through the Middle East by way of the
Islamic movement, which expanded to China. He also pointed out
to the fact, that the impact of Islamic civilization was not confined to
the three old continents but also to the new world.
It has been claimed for centuries that scientific progress is a
direct result of separating religion from the State. This view is
derived directly from the European history. Religion was therefore
perceived as impractical, inflexible and full of contradictions.
Unfortunately, in many quarters today, science is regarded as
an intellectual exercise alien to religion. It is considered as a
materialistic pursuit devoid of any belief. Science is not a divine
revelation. It provides means to enhancement of mankind and to a
better understanding of God's creation. Science is knowledge and
Islam has laid great emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge.
Islam urges its followers to be ever up and about, in the pursuit of
knowledge. In the Holy Qur'an, God has ordained His servants:
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THE EMBASSY OF
THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
TOKYO
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"O Lord! Increase me in knowledge:"
Islam’s, main mission is to build an ideal and healthy society
on earth, so that mankind may be able to cultivate all the physical,
mental, spiritual and other inherent faculties to the fullest possible
extent. This forgotten legacy of Islam found its manifestation in
the renaissance in Europe; in the 14th to 16th C. Little is told about
the glorious history of Islam. People from different nations and
cultures were molded by Islam into a society in which the life,
honor and property of every citizen, Muslim and non-Muslim, was
secure. Furthermore, Islam broke the shackles of ignorance that
engulfed humanity and provided for them a system in which they
excelled, among other things, in developing the scientific culture. I
will focus specifically on some of the scientific achievements of the
Muslims from the time when Islam prevailed as a way of life. It is a
solid proof that Islam does not prevent scientific progress; on the
contrary, it encourages it. Let me now cite some areas of
knowledge in which Moslem scientist achieved breakthrough.
Medicine
History is a testimony, as huge strides were made in the field of
medicine during the time of the Abbasid rule. Mobile clinics and
hospitals were established and funded by the Islamic state during
the rule of Khaleefah Haroon al-Rashid, (169-194 Ah/786-809 CE)
Many schools of pharmacy and drugstores were established. Ibn
Sina and Abou Bakr al Razy discovered small pox.
Chemistry
"And we made from water every living thing. Will they then not
believe?"
Perhaps the greatest strides in the sciences were in chemistry, and
this is reflected even in the word 'chemistry', which is derived from
the Arabic word al-kimiya. Among many words that originated from
the Muslims include alkali from al-qili ('potash'), alcohol from alkhul ('antimony powder'), elixir from al-iksar. Gabber Ibn Hayyan;
discovered the properties of metals. Muslim were very advanced in
this field.
Mathematics
"It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory, and the
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THE EMBASSY OF
THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
TOKYO
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moon to be a light (of beauty), and measured out stages for her,
that you might compute the number of years and the count of time."
The Muslim scholars made great achievements in Mathematics. The
use of zero enabled the Muslims to denote units of tens, hundreds,
thousands and so on. This transformed the whole science of
mathematics, forming the most fundamental part of modern
mathematics. The use of zero made it possible to take square and
cube roots of numbers with great ease. The word 'cipher', meaning
zero, is taken directly from the Arabic word sifr. Al khawarisimy in
mathematics, Ibn al Haytham in the area of physics, optics and
astronomy, as well as Ibn al Nafiss, are all but examples of success
in this field.
Astronomy
"It is He who created the night and day, the sun and the moon. Each
one is traveling on an orbit with its own course."
The science of determining the direction of the kiblah (direction of
Mekkah) was highly developed, as a result of which many other
breakthroughs were made. This direction of the Kiblah is significant
because Muslims are commanded to pray facing Mekkah,
irrespective of where they are. As Islam expanded beyond the
Arabian Peninsula the problem of direction surfaced, and to solve
this problem scientists started the study of astronomy and
navigation for the people who traveled from far towards Mecca for
pilgrimage.
Education
"Are those who know and those who do not know equal?"
"Allah raises those of you who believe, and those who have been
given
knowledge,
in
high
degrees."
Education has always been important for the Muslims. Indeed, the
very first word that was revealed to Muhammad, Messenger of
Allah, was 'read', and it was directed to teach the Qur'an by the pen.
Formal education was started from the days of the Messenger of
Allah and it continued throughout the history of the Islamic state.
Elementary schools were set up and colleges and universities
established. The most famous university Al-Azhar in Cairo was
established
in
the
10th
century.
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THE EMBASSY OF
THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
TOKYO
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Geography
"And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth."
The Muslims were able to sketch the map of the world as they
traveled widely. Al-Khwarizmi, at the request of Khaleefah AlMa'mun, prepared a great map of the world with accompanying text.
The geographers till the 14th century used this work extensively.
Agriculture
"And fruit of every kind made in pairs, two and two."
It is sufficient here to point out that the Crusaders learned to value
the agricultural techniques developed by the Muslims, and through
Sicily, Spain and Cyprus, agricultural knowledge and skills passed
into “Christian” Europe.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
With modernization comes a new set of values that infringe on
the conduct and practice of human interaction. I say that because
Islam like all other religions and faiths faces challenges from rapid
social changes, intrusive modernization and westernization thereby
upsetting traditional norms and values. Issues of “Freedom of
Information” pause questions. What do we mean by freedom, and
which kind of information. Is materialism and decadence freedom?
Are we forced to have open skies for satellite channels diffusing
immorality? The same is said about the Internet a tool that is
crucial for progress and an indicator of healthy economic growth.
What about organ transplant? Should it be from donation or can it
be from purchase but such a market should not create an illicit
trade or an illegal black market! It is interesting to state that we
have faced these challenges before when the telephone was
discovered, and later with the advent of the radio and television.
Where are we today, we have debated these issues and now the
telephone, TV and radio are in the houses of all pious Moslems,
they were adapted and amalgamated.
Hence there is no
contradiction between these inventions and Islam. It is only what
we make of them.
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THE EMBASSY OF
THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
TOKYO
___
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Prince of Wales, Patron of the Oxford Center for Islamic
Studies argued as early as 1993, and I quote:
“Because the degree of misunderstanding between the Islamic and Western
world remains dangerously high, and because the need for the two to live
and work together in our increasingly interdependent world has never been
greater…we must not be tempted to believe that extremism is in some way
the hallmark and essence of Muslim. Extremism is no more the monopoly
of Islam than it is the monopoly of Christianity.”
It is our common responsibility today to avert dividing the world,
instigating a clash or instilling a symbiotic linkage between
terrorism and particular societies or faith. September 11th is an
act of brutal terrorism not justified by religion. All Moslem nations
condemned what happened and showed immediate solidarity with
the US, these acts of terrorism, we believe, constitute a challenge to
globalization efforts and contradict the true essence of great
religions and civilizations by undermining their outstanding
contributions to the development of mankind over an extended
period of time. We must work for mutual respect of cultural
diversity.
No single civilization alone can claim one applicable
universally representative formula for humanity in our present day
interdependent world. We must not allow Sept 11 to be a factor
dividing the world, on the contrary, let it be a reason for solidarity.
Thank you
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