Has the world forgotten Muslim contributions to humanity’s progress?

Around $40 million ($100 million according to other estimates) were spent in the last decade on anti-Muslim propaganda

Hamza Farrukh October 25, 2015
This speech makes one simple proposition –  learn to distinguish between extremist radicals operating on a grotesque and inhumane interpretation of Islam, and the 1.6 billion other Muslims who show, day in and day out, the vitality and robustness of the message of peace and harmony engrained in the teachings of the last Prophet (PBUH).

Scaremongering and racially-charged stereotypes perpetuated by the constant fixation of popular media on ‘Islamic’ terrorism and ‘Muslim’ violence, supposedly inevitable by-products of the faith, has allowed images of savagery to overshadow, and crowd out the voices and experiences of the vast majority of practicing Muslims.

Those quick to call extremist violence a “clash of civilisations” forget that their Islamophobic tweets and Facebook statuses would not be possible without the contributions to algorithm made by the likes of al-Kindī and al-Khwārizmī.

They also forget that Muslims have borne the brunt of this terrorist violence; eight Muslims have been killed for every non-Muslim killed by terrorism. Not to say anything of the incredible loss of life resulting from the mindless – and unfortunately, countless – wars waged by the Western political elite, capitalising on this ‘holier than thou’ attitude.

Or, it may not be forgetfulness after all.

Islamophobia is not simply a reaction to 9/11 or some inescapable hatred for Muslims characteristic of the West – sorry to disappoint my fundamentalist friends. It’s the product of well-orchestrated, generously-funded political programs that benefit from such polarisation, according to the Centre for American Progress. For example, around $40 million ($100 million according to other estimates) were spent in the last decade on anti-Muslim propaganda, which feeds conspiracy theories advocating particular worldviews.

Is it really then a surprise that 43 per cent of Republicans still believe Barack Obama is Muslim?

Heck, even soup cans are suspect, for certainly all it really takes is one sip of hot halal Campbell to turn you into a cold-blooded violent jihadist. Blaming Muslims is essentially becoming the American equivalent of the “yahoodi sazish” (Jewish conspiracy) mantra.

Whether it be amnesia for Muslim contributions to humanity’s progress or the influence of anti-Muslim campaigns, the victims remain the same –  the Ahmed’s of the world, mothers threatened on public transport, the everyday Muslims who are subjected to these biases every day.

Take this message not as an exercise in the glorification of Islam but as a reminder that we all do, no matter how much your ego makes you want to believe otherwise, spring from and belong to the same clan of humanity. Collective success will follow only after the admittance and remediation of our biases.
WRITTEN BY:
Hamza Farrukh Hailing from Rawalpindi, he is a recent graduate from Williams College, MA WHERE he majored in Economics and Political Science with a concentration in Leadership Studies. He spent his junior year at Exeter College, Oxford and was featured on PTV News last summer as the pride of Pakistan. He is a cricket enthusiast and loves to cook. He can be reached at https://www.facebook.com/HamzaFarrukh93. He tweets as @hamzafarrukh (https://twitter.com/hamzafarrukh)
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (38)

nishantsirohi123 | 8 years ago | Reply Yes, but he should also share the events that lead to the downfall of this "muslim golden age" the scientists, scholars and thinkers were persecuted by the kings and clerics. the ottomon caliph declared the printing press as satanic, thereby stagnating the progress of the muslim world, while europe moved from the dark ages to the age of enlightenment and age of discoveries
Sridhar Kaushik | 8 years ago | Reply Muslim contribution to India: a number of graves! I am not saying it. Tarek Fateh, a Pakistani canadian, said it in a conference! Will Durant termed muslim invasion of India a bloody chapter in the history of mankind. All that the muslims did was rape, pillage. In Pakistan, missiles are named after Afghan, Turkish invaders like Ghazni, Ghori etc etc. Is there anything in Pakistan named after Abdus Salam, a great scientist in his own right? I bet none.
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