With the recent passing of the most important visionary and technology innovator of our lifetime, Steve Jobs, I am left with this question: Why can't the Islamic world produce a person as brilliant and generous as Steve Jobs? Let me suggest six reasons why we may not be able to do so.
We immediately think of the educational curriculums adopted in the Islamic countries, knowing that education is the first step toward refining the talent and minds of scientists, inventors and innovators. Yet, our curriculums are sterile and outdated and are unable to produce persons of the caliber of a Steve Jobs. Why is this so? Because these curriculums fail to value or embrace the disciplines that are vital for our modern times, sciences like mathematics, chemistry, physics, philosophy and logic, which have been disregarded and replaced by religious subjects. A nation cannot progress if it uses an educational system whose main focus is religion and in which secular pursuits are not given any importance. These curriculums are based on memorization and blind obedience while the curriculums that produced Steve Jobs and other brilliant innovators are based on understanding, comprehension, experimentation and invention. How can we change this paradigm?
Secondly, Islamic nations praise the abstract at the expense of the concrete, that is, they believe in the unknown and disregard reality by permitting religion to dominate all aspects of scientific inquiry. Although the Prophet said to the people of Medina, "You know best about the matters of your world," we remain obsessed with the taboos, heresies and errors of every useful science and do all we can to suppress legitimate questions. When all sorts of freedoms, sciences, inventors and innovators are suppressed and restrained, we are left with those scientists who specialize in the fields of menstruation, nifaas (bleeding after childbirth), halal, and haram.
Thirdly, Islamic countries are obsessed by angels and demons, God and Satan. If something fails, then its failure is due to the fact that God has decided that it is not meant to be, or Satan and his devilish schemes have caused it to fail. Conversely, if it succeeds, then this is God's plan and the result of prayer to keep Satan away. We rely too much on all things intangible and insubstantial, remaining in ignorance. Our biggest concern seems to be whether eating the meat of demons is haram or halal. How strange and ignorant is that?
Fourthly, the religious speech in Islamic countries tells us not to be impressed or admire the lives of other peoples, peoples who have struggled against cancer, walked on the moon and invaded outer space, peoples whose fleets roam the seas and whose aircraft rule the skies. While they have the ability and freedom to do what they please, we go to them in mourning like orphans, searching for medical cures, using their cars and airplanes, and continue to criticize them day in and day out in secret and in public, although we use all of their tools and inventions. How hypocritical!
Fifthly, we can see that Islamic nations have used lame and illogical excuses to push art aside and intentionally hide it from their people. All kinds of art such as music, theater, painting, and sculpture have been de-emphasized or completely disregarded. This has led to creating shaken and disturbed personalities and spirits, stifling talents that could add to the enjoyment of life. Art is a means to satisfy our soul and feed our emotions, producing a more confident, balanced and spiritual humanity and motivating people to live and work, and even more, to create, innovate and give of themselves to others. Art protects humanity from all that can bring it down and allows spirits and hearts to soar high into a sky filled with optimism and hope and to move steadily down the road of innovation, creation and discovery.
Finally, Islamic nations generally tend to dwell in the past at the expense of the present and the future and thus become prisoners of an outmoded way of thinking. Although great progress has been achieved in the past, now such countries seem frozen in time, unwilling or unable to foster the kind of visionary thinking and innovations epitomized by Steve Jobs. In short, we have watched as other countries have planned for the future by emphasizing the very things that made Steve Jobs' technologies so compelling and popular. Times change, challenges arise, and innovators respond and adapt. So must countries.
May God bless your soul, Mr. Jobs, for the many inventions that you have left behind for humanity. Someone of your brilliance could only be the product of a nation that has provided its citizens with a fertile environment to be creative and innovative and that has understood the reality of our times. How can Islamic nations achieve such progress? We must turn the page on extolling religious dogma that breeds ignorance and a disgust for the future. Let us hope another Steve Jobs will emerge to lead us towards a brighter future!
Follow Dr. Khalid Alnowaiser on Twitter: www.twitter.com/KALNOWAISER
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Prior to her assuming command of Charles VII's' army to relieve the siege at Orleans, Joan was subject to three weeks of Examination to confirm the Divine mission or expose her fraudulent delusion.
Mark Twain, "reconstructed" the following dialog(edited):
Dominican-"You assert that God has willed to deliver France from this English bondage?"
Joan-"Yes, He has willed it."
D-"You wish for men-at-arms, so that you may go to the relief of Orleans, I believe?"
J-"Yes—and the sooner the better."
D-"God is all-powerful, and able to do whatsoever thing He wills to do."
J-"Most surely. None doubts it."
D-"If He has willed to deliver France, and is able to do whatsoever He wills, where is the need for men-at-arms?"
J-"He helps who help themselves. The sons of France will fight the battles, but He will give the victory!"
Joan used every advantage of the age, especially artillery, to demolish the English and their feared longbow.
Steve Jobs, the Dominican, and the many in the Islamic world view God as having certain powers. Certain expectations arise from this.
But as Joan demonstrated, "He helps who help themselves...but He will give the victory!" If no one does the work, English would own Orleans and as Steve noted, children starve.
The Islamic world need lots of love right now. Thank you for a great article.
Consequently, these products (PCs, MP3's, SmartPhones, Tabs, etc.) are a result of collaborative hardware/software component developments, by many contributing researchers.
If any group of individuals are to be credited with influencing, or inspiring the "invention" of any of these products within this industry, it would begin with the researchers at Bell Labs in the early 50's, DARPA, SRI, and individuals such as Douglas Engelbart and Alan Kay.
Sadly, the reasons you list for stifled education and innovation potential applies to any region who focuses their educational system using a narrow definition of religion. Scientific thought is being attacked in various areas around the world, and those countries are falling behind (and will continue to lag behind) countries who pursue and reward innovation.
No, I disagree, Dr. Khalid, he is a product of a people that threw off the shackles of the tyrant King of England and revolted to start a new fresh nation which was paid for with the blood of thousands of patriots. Steve jobs could only be who he was by; (paraphrasing Isaac Newton) standing on the shoulders of giants.
"How can Islamic nations achieve such progress?" Through peace and prosperity. Progress is achievable when you and I and the citizen of our respective countries are willing to confront and risk our lives (as patriots do) for the future benefit of our family, children and country. Seeking freedom from tyrants, kings, and dictators means no longer consenting to their rule. The people will be punished harshly and killed until the ruler is finally removed. Thereafter, power must transfer periodically to renew a people’s’ faith in a better future. Then maybe we can as free Islamic nations grow our own Newton's, Einstein's and Job's.
As it was pointed out in Mr. Jobs biography, at age 13, Mr. Jobs asked the Lutheran pastor of his parents' church if God knew about starving children. "Yes, God knows everything," the pastor replied. Jobs never returned to church, refusing to worship a God who allowed such suffering.
For Muslim to turn away Islam, the penalty can be a death sentence. How is it for creativity and thinking outside of the box?
Because the Islamic world has some sense of ethics and common decency? Jobs was brilliant, at overcharging customers for inferior products.
I see, so in your estimation, the Islamic world has ethics and common decency, but Steve Jobs was the devil?
Wow.
Or apparently, in your fanboy world, ruling your company with an iron fist is freedom.
Of course no one is as big a deal as you.
There is, of course, some truth to the author's concerns. Countries with large populations of fundamentalist Muslims tend to eschew science in favor of religious "truths" that are based on faith and a "holy book" and nothing else. However, this is no different from certain states in the United States that have large populations of fundamentalist Christians that also tend to eschew science in favor of what they perceive to be religious "truths" based on their reading of what they consider to be a "holy book."
...from now on, the statistic of 'runs batted in' will be called, "Barts"
...a pinch hitter will be called a "Bartlett", or a "Gia-mot", depending on which league
...the phrase 'hitting for the cycle' will hereby be known as "Being Bart-ish"
...left field, Bart's favorite position, will be known as "Bartland, USA".
...Babe Ruth, baseball's greatest player, will hereby be known by the nickname 'The Great Bart-bino'
...third base will be known as 'Yale', and the center fielder will be known as "The Iced Coffee", Bart's favorite beverage
All of this can be found in this copy of the new "Major League Bartball Rulebook" that you've received. And from now on, all of you...and myself...will be referred to as 'A. Bartlett Giamatti' in honor of this great man."
I guess it sometimes takes 20 years or so for satire to become reality.