Why Because They Have Criminalised Thinking

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 "Muslims urgently need our own version of reformation and enlightenment, if we wish for the Muslim community globally to break free from the chains that have been holding us back".




 
 
This morning  my good friend Norman Fernandez sent me this article (above) from The New Atlantis magazine. True to their form the article is very long. It reads like an academic journal. Too long for me to reproduce or "truncate" for this blog.
You can read it in full here.
Then lo and behold just today I also received this other story from another friend of mine taken from Free Malaysia Today here.  The storyline is the about the same "Why aren't there more Muslim Nobel laureates in science?"






From Dr Amir Faizal Abdul Manan

modern science a global endeavour, independent of race, religion, nationality scientific breakthroughs serve humanity regardless of the discovererIn 122-years of Nobel Prize only 4 Muslims : 3 in chemistry and 1 in physicsnone in medicine or economics.no more Muslim Nobel laureates in science given 1.8 billion Muslimsexternal factors deeply-ingrained in social, institutional, national ecosystem stifles  scientific progress of one particular community (Muslims) more than others.
During Islamic golden age (8th-13th century AD) science was commonlater rise of "Islamic” astronomy, “Islamic” philosophy and so onscience perceived as valuable only if religiously usefulnarrowing of open-ended rational inquiries 
the Ottomans crumbled after World War 1.Muslims today glorify past thinkers from thousand years ago what has happened since then?
to identify ways of reviving (Muslim) intellectual dynamism of the past 
conveniently ignore Muslim countries stifling scientific developments  
reactionary movement in defence of orthodoxy 
rationalist movements quenched with support of authoritarian states
even today not able to have a proper conversation about thisAnyone who offers critical appraisal immediately denouncedaccused of being Islamophobes, or worse anti-IslamMuslims urgently need our own version of reformation and enlightenment, if we wish for the Muslim community globally to break free from the chains that have been holding us back.

My Comments:
First of all let me begin with a comment about being relevant. The rest of the world does not care. Whether the Muslims can think, cannot think, whether the Muslims believe in science or they believe in imaginary, magical, pet flying unicorns the rest of the world simply does not care. You are not relevant to the rest of the world.

The rest of the world does not even care that it does not care that the Muslims cannot think. Or, the rest of the world does not even know that the Muslims cannot think. They may not even know that. 
And please do not make statements like this :  "external factors stifles  scientific progress (of the Muslims)".

There is no such thing. The Muslims are responsible for stifling their own progress. 
Lets fast forward to today. This is already the 21st century. But generally the Muslims are still stuck in the 13th century (some benchmark the end of the Islamic Golden Age with the Mongol sacking of Baghdad in 1258 AD). The Muslims are still about 800 years behind in their thinking. 
Because the Muslims have indeed confused themselves with non-existent "science" like "Islamic” astronomy, “Islamic” philosophy    or the modern day variations like Islamic banking, Islamic government, Islamic architecture, Islamic education, etc etc.
There are no such things. What is unIslamic about having clean, drinkable tap water coming right inside your house? And the counter argument 'What is so Islamic about it which differs from being unIslamic?'
What is unIslamic about setting the speed limit at 110 km/hr on the highway? You can drive across Bukit Berapit safely without your car jumping off into the ravine.  And what is Islamic about it which differs from being unIslamic?
And to say that :

Anyone who offers critical appraisal immediately denouncedaccused of being Islamophobes, or worse anti-Islamis quite the understatement. In many Islamic countries you can be arrested, charged in a religious court, fined, jailed and whipped if you say anything that is deemed not in line with whatever is the ruling orthodoxy in that location.
In other words thinking has been criminalised. 
Even if thinking is not criminalised it is still considered a wrong by that most vital and important component of change for any society which is the education systems. Especially at the tertiary levels at the universities.
Thinking may not be criminalised but just try writing an academic paper that even hints at criticising  the accepted orthodoxy. You may get thrown out of the university.  
Some apologists may offer "We accept freedom of discussion but within acceptable limits. Those long established and accepted practises and beliefs cannot be questioned."
I have heard this before. It is the same thing - thinking is subject to this and that. Including criminalising thinking. They may differ in the degree of severity in censuring thinking but n'theless that is the general principle - no free and unfettered discussion. Too much thinking is not good. 
How much is too much?  "I will tell you". It has to be limited by the orthodoxy.

That is why I say there is no Islamic scholarship. There is only sectarian propaganda.

So how long is this going to last? How long is the 13th century going to prevail? Its been about 800 years since the end of the Islamic Golden Age. For 800 years Muslim societies have been inside a dark tunnel with no light at the end to guide them out.
That light shall be free speech. Free discussion and debate without any fear of prosecution by the State or worse, persecution by the street mobs. 
Muslims must reach the level of the West (and now the East as well) where believers, non-believers, disbelievers, sectarians etc can discuss their DIFFERENCES calmly and without anger. 
I refrain from using the word "intelligently" because to date I have not heard a single religious discussion that relies on any sort of intelligence but n'theless being devoid of intelligence need not mean that you must also be devoid of civilised behaviour. Dont ALL religions advocate civilised behaviour?  
As a first step the Islamic societies have to abolish any and all kinds of blasphemy and apostasy laws. If they do not do this nothing good is going to happen for the next 50 years or for the next 100 years.
It is strange that Western countries and developed countries which are home to an increasing number of migrant Muslims face no problems from all the different Muslim sects that live within their borders. A clear example is London where Shias, Sunnis, Qadianis all have their own places of worship. Often people of different backgrounds visit others places of worship or can interact frequently with other sects without any incident. 
One of the main reasons they can interact peacefully like this is because the laws protect each others right to believe whatever they want to believe. And more importantly their laws protect the people from being discriminated against or harmed by anyone on account of religious indoctrination. 
This is what the other Islamic societies and Muslim majority countries around the world should strive to achieve. All religious prosecution and persecution should come to a compete stop. The Muslims should lead the way in showing the best example or uswatan hasanah of respecting the other person's system of belief. Without State sanctioned prosecution or village mob persecution.

Until then they will remain not relevant. They will remain stuck in the 13th century.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
By Syed Akbar Ali 

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