By Moorthy Muthuswamy Ph.D., New York
For several years now, Internet has made possible access to Pakistan Link and many Pakistani newspapers. Through them I have learnt a great deal about Muslims and used this knowledge to publish extensively on the Indo-Pak conflict. My analysis indicates a bright future for Muslims provided they under take certain steps. I want to share it with you all.
First, I want to bring a sense of urgency by quoting Dr. Ahmed Zewail, a professor at California Institute of Technology and the 1999 Nobel Prize winner of Chemistry. This eminent Muslim grew up in Egypt. Dr. Zewail has recently warned that most Islamic countries may eventually become banana republics. He attributed this due to the excessive focus on learning Islamic history at the expense of scientific knowledge.
A recent study in Britain found British Muslims near the bottom in both education and income levels. By far, an overwhelming majority of them are from South Asia. In particular, they have fallen well behind Hindus and Sikhs who arrived in Britain at about the same time from South Asia with comparable socio-economic back ground. Muslims are certainly capable people. But something held them back. What is it and why?
Most mullahs in Britain were brought up in Islamic countries with little exposure into the workings of the western world. Even in Britain, their exposure is mostly restricted to the Muslim community. Their education involved mostly learning Islamic history with very little if any of modern science. During their formative years they were taught to view the West and its culture as the enemy of Islam. This has had the effect of them viewing modern education and the British society with suspicion. The following question arises: Are mullahs well placed to guide their flock in Britain? The answer, as the results have shown is a resounding no!
Given the similar recruitment background, there should be little difference between British mullahs and American mullahs. So, how are the Muslims doing in America? The good news is, certainly much better than the British Muslims. This is probably due to the fact that unlike the Muslims who had immigrated to Britain, the American immigration policy, other than the family category, mostly has tended to let in only those with at least a bachelor’s degree. However, an American of Pakistani origin, Manzur Ijaz has observed the tendency of many second generation Muslim American children to graduate with arts and literature degrees as opposed to technical degrees, as many Hindu children do. With such a background, these children’s future career and financial prospects receive limited scope, eventually pushing them to the lower rungs of the society. The point is that it will take a generation or so before the negative impact of the mullah influence begins to take effect.
Fortunately, time is on the side of American Muslims. They now have the opportunity to ensure that the fate of British Muslims does not befall on them. Here are some specific recommendations on how to avoid that. The key is mullahs who are exposed to workings of a modern Western society. For the time being, those Muslim Americans who have retired from professional positions in America along with Islamic credentials may be installed as mullahs. In the long run, Muslim young men who have received under graduate degrees in America may be sent to Islamic countries for a short period to get religious education and upon return installed as mullahs. This will ensure a far more effective guidance of American Muslims. The strength of Islam is its institutions and the mullahs form the basis. It’s time this powerful institution is made into a progressive one.
This may be a project for the American Muslim Council (AMC) or Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and their most influential section, Americans of Pakistani origin, to ensure a broad-based education of mullahs. If this is found to be beneficial in the long run, American Muslims may have found a winning formula for the betterment of Muslims around the world. When they do, Muslims will reach a more equitable arrangement with other civilizations rather than continue undesirable escalation in tensions and confrontations.
(The writer has a doctorate degree in nuclear physics and is originally from India)