Site Presented By
Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Ironclad
Published Letters: 68 Editor's Choice: 19
This is an excellent article that clearly states the fundamental obstacles that cripple research and scientific progress in the Islamic world. Three points need to be emphasized -
1) No scientific doctrine that conflicts with the Quran can be allowed in an Islamic society. The Quran is considered the literal word of God and therefore cannot be wrong. Finding fault here would have major theological consequences that are not present in Christian or Jewish societies, since the Bible or Torah were considered to be written by men (with their interpretation faults). Islamic Hadiths (sayings of the prophet) have a similar safety valve since Mohammed once indicated that he could be wrong in the area of physical observations (science). But the Quran is different - and the words there set the boundaries of any "Islamic Science" in stone. Evolution and Quantum randomness are not welcome doctrines in Islamic thought.
2) The Reformation in Christian Europe allowed the separation of science and religion in a way unthinkable to Islamic philosophy by removing religious control from basic inquiry. This was not the intent of the Reformation, but it was a major consequence, since even the most devout scientists of the time were forced to wrestle with the conflicts between their faith and their discoveries. Christianity already had the seeds of secular and religious separation in its basic doctrine ("Render unto Caesar") - the Reformation removed the hand of the Church from control of science. Islamic Society never can have this level of separation due to the tight integration of religion, law and politics.
3) Greek and Medieval inquiry opened the door to the scientific method of theory, empirical testing and proof, but it was not rigorous science as we know it today. There is a huge debt to Islamic thinkers for preserving much of the Greek thought through the dark ages and passing it back to Europe with their additions and observations. But brilliance in one area does not translate to validity in all - witness Isaac Newton's writings on Alchemy as the proof that being a genius does not mean that you cannot get things spectacularly wrong too. We all stand on the shoulders of those that came before in advancing knowledge - but sometimes, our supports only have a narrow shaft of truth.
One final point - Science is about open inquiry and restricting it to an "Islamic" or "Western" perspective will always result in a stunted outlook. This is not to say that one cultures' morality may make certain fields of endeavor more difficult or restrictive - think of cloning humans specifically for spare parts as a area where Western morality would inhibit inquiry. If there is to be an "Islamic science" - then perhaps it might be able to better operate with disapproval rather than restriction.
Using science to justify religion will always be a fools' endeavor. And until the Islamic world learns to separate the physical from the spiritual, they will never truly be able to ask the questions that have led to the blossoming of the western scientific method of the present day.
When did Salon go down the toliet? The comments on this report fit remarkably well with the taunts I used to hear in the third grade. "General Betrayus"? This whole board has turned into a Kos Kids trash heap insult fest. If you have a specific comment on the counter insurgency strategy - perhaps you could voice it more clearly.
It is truly depressing to read anything on Salon these days, it feels like a mirror image of Fox. What happened to simple analysis? All we get now is opinion, opinion, and more opinion.
Let me get this straight - a drunken man calls his sister at night and then fires a shotgun prompting her to call 911 thinking he is dead. When the police respond, he does not follow orders and come out, but ends up in a drunken conversation where he makes threats. This goes on for a few hours and then when he does not come out - the police attempt to incapacitate him with tear gas which fails. He then comes out of the house, discharges the weapon and returns inside.
(he later discharges the weapon again and then later points it at a vehicle - 12 to 15 hours after this starts)
1) If you are the police investigating this - how do you know he has not got someone inside the house with him that he has killed or injured?
2) If you are the police and you fire all that tear gas and then the man is not "incapacitated" - do you suspect that he might be using something more than alcohol to fuel his rage?
3) If you are the police and talking to the guy and he refuses to come out - do you just leave and maybe let him go on a bloody rampage? (his family was there to calm him down - right!)
4) If at the end when he points the shotgun at the approaching vehicle - do you let him shoot it or just ignore it? (pointing a gun at any law enforcement agent is usually considered grounds for deadly force - whether the person doing it is sane, drunk or possessed)
The point is - if you don't "surround him" and he then goes on a bloody rampage (given the conversation with the negotiator, would you dismiss this threats after he had had the argument with his wife or dismiss it as a drunken threat?)
This story has so many holes in it that is hard to even know where to start. "Police overreact to man firing shotgun 3 times" - right!
But this is Salon – la-la logic land!
two stories about shoootings in two days? at least the other one had a point (although it appeared to leave out quite a bit too)
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
219 Democrats and one Republican join in favor of the legislation, which passed by a narrow margin
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Salon headlines in your mailbox
