Muslims in Science

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Muslims in Science

• By Mandy Maring

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Western and Modern science aren't so
Western, or so Modern
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Once a Majority, Now a Minority

• During the Medieval Period the Muslim culture
  flourished, especially in science and technology
• Europe was Christian-dominated and refused to
  accept that the Muslim culture was prosperous
• The West didnt acknowledge many of the Muslims
  achievements
• Europe didnt start using modern science until
  about 400 years ago

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History of Islamic Science

• Muslim scientists used experimentation,
  quantification, prediction and control
• They used the scientific method to understand
  the laws of nature and create new technologies
• Science thrived in Islamic culture for nearly 500
  years, up until 1500 C.E.

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The Role of Religion

• The Quran inspired Muslim science and education
• It has 750 versus telling followers to explore
  the laws of nature
• Muslims believed that God gave them herbs and
  medicines to use to cure the sick

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Achievements

• Medical
• Diagnosis
• Surgery
• Hospitals
• Running water
• Well ventilated
• Doctors often specialized
• Medicine

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More Achievements

• Other
• Used technology to create chemical weapons
• Made significant discoveries concerning forces
  and the laws of nature

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Some Muslim Scientists

• Abu Ali Hasan Ibn Al-Haitham
• 965-1040 C.E., educated in Basrah and Baghdad,
  later moved to Spain
• Physicist who contributed to optics (law of
  refraction, explained process of vision),
  development of scientific method (systematic
  observation of phenomena), medicine and physics.
  He wrote over 200 books (one on evolution).

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Some Muslim Scientists

• Abu Marwan Ibn Zuhr
• 1091-1161 C.E., lived in Seville
• Physician and clinician who may be the first
  parasitologist. He was the first to prescribed
  tracheotomy and direct feeding to the gut.
• Abu Abdullh Al-Battani
• 868-929 C.E., moved to Sammarra after getting
  advanced education
• Mathematician, astronomer and astrologer who
  determined the length of a year down to the
  second, the length of the seasons, and the true
  and mean orbit of the sun.

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From Majority to Minority

• Islamic science in the Middle East fell when land
  was overtaken and eventually colonized by
  European countries
• Christianity and other nations attempts to take
  over Islamic culture contributed to the decline
  of science
• Independence wasnt received until after WWII,
  and now many Middle Eastern nations have a
  corrupt government, causing education to suffer

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Suffering Education

• Those who do attend school receive poor
  educations
• Today the average length of schooling in the
  Middle East is 5.2 years
• The Middle East currently has a 62 adult
  literacy rate
• The education they receive is based on their
  religion, not science and technology

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Islamic Science's Influence on the West

• The impact that Islamic culture had on Europe
  caused the Renaissance and the Scientific
  Revolution
• Few books were translated and exist today, but
  some are still used in modern science and
  medicine
• Many inventions, medicines and treatments are
  still used today
• Many Western inventions and discoveries had
  already been invented and discovered in Islamic
  science but werent credited

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Muslims in Science Today

• Progress is slowly being made
• Many universities have Muslim Students
  Associations to give support and to serve as a
  mentor
• In 2000 UNESCO began a project to build the first
  international research center in the Middle East,
  SESAME (International Center for
  Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and
  Applications for the Middle East)
• SESAME is a center for scientific research and
  training in the areas of biology, environmental
  science and medicine. It will be built in
  Jordan.

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Dr. Samira Ibrahim Islam

• First Saudi woman to
• Complete a basic education
• Obtain a BA and PhD
• Become a full professor
• Become a Vice Dean at a university

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Dr. Samira Ibrahim Islam

• 1971- Volunteered to lecture at King Abdulaziz
  University
• 1972- University President invited her to be an
  official professor on staff (lecture only). Dr.
  Muhammad Abdu Yamani (Rector of the university)
  gave her encouragement and support
• 1973- Assigned as Academic Advisor for girl's
  section in 2 branches of the university. She was
  assigned head of the science dept. and later head
  of the chemistry, physics, math and biology
  depts.
• 1974- Became Vice Dean

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• 1975- Second person to be assigned as a founder
  of the faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences
• 1976- Students of both genders enrolled in
  nursing and medical technology programs
• 1978- Dr. Islam became Dean of the Nursing Program

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Awards

• Dr. Islam was one of 15 women from science from
  around the world chosen to be honored at the
  LOreal and UNESCO For Women in Science Awards
  2000 in Paris
• ¼ of the women chosen to attend were from the
  Middle East