|
It is not often that one
finds a book that appears to be so well written and researched that it
is labeled a masterpiece by the unsensitized eye, but is seen as poison
by the sensitized eye. This is an accurate description of Bernard Lewis’
book
Islam & the West.
A professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, Lewis is a
well known figure in scholarly circles that deal with the
socio-political history of the Near East and the Muslim World. A Jew by
birth (and a Zionist by choice), Lewis became interested in the Near
East during his early childhood and later pursued his degree in Near
Eastern Studies. One of his finest works was The Jews of Islam,
written about the Jewish Golden Age under Muslim rule in Spain and
Morocco. Jews of Islam documents the equitable treatment of the
Jewish population in Spain and Morocco by the Muslim Empire—~a
treatment that contrasted sharply with that in many parts of Europe at
the time.
Islam & the West continues along the line of Islamic history,
beginning with the early Ottoman Empire. Lewis alleges that presently
strained relations between Islam and the “West” began during this
period. The book then chronicles the present day predicament between the
two “opposing” civilizations. From the beginning of the book, the
author established a model that he later makes operational,
identifying the reasons for tensions which exist today. That is, Islam
was (and still is) considered the “barbaric threat to the world.” Thus
the lines are drawn in Islam and the West: “barbaric Islam” versus the
“civilized world.”
Lewis’
thesis is based on a narrow historical perspective. The fragmentation
in Europe during the early Ottoman Empire, and prior to that, during the
Crusades is not acknowledged. The author fails to mention the crucial
point that the Crusades were not only religious but also economic in
nature. This is supported by the fact that during the Third Crusade,
European annies attacked their own Christian brethren, the Byzantine
Empire. Throughout the development of his thesis, the author
conveniently casts aside any fact that would jeopardize his argument.
After
having established his thesis, Lewis portrays an Islamic history that
will terrify the modern Westerner. Emphasis is laid solely on the
military might of the Ottoman Empire, with total disregard to its
scientific achievements and the benefits reaped from it by European
civilization (eventually leading to the Renaissance). The author often
employs the word “infidel” when describing Islam’s view of Europe. This
term does not stop at the political sphere. French, German, and English
are all grouped together as “infidel” languages in the eyes of the
Muslims according to Lewis. The author describes Islam as a rigid
religion that considered everything in Europe or outside of Islam as
non-Islamic, and therefore invalid. This false view is given even
though the author must be fully aware of the Islamic Prophetic tradition
that says‘Seek knowledge (science) even though it be (as far away as)
China,” proving that Islam views science as a neutral territory,
transcending religious or ethnic borders.
Lewis
devotes a voluminous chapter in his book to attack Dr. Edward Sa’id, the
Arab scholar whose criticism of Orientalists has caused a good deal of
controversary in intellectual circles. Passages in the chapter titled
“The Question of Orientalism” (Orientalism being the title of
Sa’id’s book) contain highly personalized attacks. Dr. Lewis “takes off
the gloves” of calm scholarly discourse for which he is so well known
and proceeds to attack Dr. Sa’id to a point of near hysteria. For
example, he hypothesizes a situation in which “radical” Greeks (read:
radical” Muslims) attack all non-Greek scholars engaged in Hellenistic
scholarship labeling them unfit for such study. Without having to
compare a long refute to Dr. Lewis allegation, it is sufficient to say
that while not all scholars who have studied the Arab and Muslim world
have been unfit or subjective in their research, it is certain that many
of their works served European imperialist interests concerning
subjection of the Muslim world in the political, economic, and social
arena.
It is
said that there are three ways in which to fight one’s enemy: The first
entails brute military force, if one is endowed with superior military
prowess. The second is economic war, which entails technological
embargoes, exemplified by Pope Clement the Vii’s 1527 embargo against
those who traded with ~Turks and other enemies of the Christian name,
horses, weapons, iron, tin, copper, brass, sulfur... as also ropes and
timber and other nautical supplies and other prohibited wares.” (A more
recent example is the policy of “dual containment” by the United States
against Iran and Iraq, in which these countries are subjected to an
explicit blockade of technology used for civilian or military
application). The third method is socio-political, that is, to turn
one’s enemy, through mass propaganda, into an image of one’s self. If
that is achieved, then one’s enemy ceases to be an enemy and the need
for military or economic conflict is discarded. The attempted
“Europeanization” of Turkey may be seen as an example of the latter.
In
conclusion, Lewis portrays Westernization of the Muslim world as the
rightful response to the “Islamic invasion of Europe.” After Islam had
lost militarily to the West, the Western invasion was inevitable. It
should be noted that this invasion and all of the woes that it incurred
in the Muslim world is not entirely negative in the author’s eyes.
Indeed, addressing the hostility with which the Islamic world views
some Western governments, Lewis is quick to dismiss the damage brought
upon Muslims by the European (and, it may now be argued, the American)
occupation. He fails to note the serious repercussions of dividing the
Muslim world into numerous states and shaykhdoms,a process which was
similar to dissecting a human body into fragments. To Lewis, the
hostility stemming from such a process is inexplicable and mysterious.
The “third Invasion of Islam” in Europe, according to the author, was by
Immigration. Thus .... .capital and labor have succeeded where the
armies of the Moors and Turks both failed.” We may begin to ask
ourselves if Lewis is fanning the flames of Islamophobia and
antiimmigration. Muslims are portrayed as a peril to the non-Muslim
societies in which they live. The logical conclusion for the naive
reader would be complete opposition to immigration from Muslim
countries or the adoption of a “cultural” test (as in Germany where
immigrants pass a test before they will be accepted as citizens).
Lewis is
not satisfied with attacking Islam and Muslims as a whole, but chooses
to attack a particular school of thought of the religion. He makes
absurd accusation that the Sh’ia were responsible for the murder of
Uthman, the successor of Umar bin al-Khattab. This accusation is
slanderous and ridiculous and while many will realize its falsehood,
others will be persuaded by it, since Dr. Lewis is a reputable authority
on Near Eastern history. His false accusations could easily influence
future scholarly discourse on Islamic history.
Bernard
Lewis’s arguments, when examined within the framework of scholarly
criticism, does not hold. It contains many factual errors such as
Lewis’s statement that the adoption of Western dress was an early
example of the acculturation of the Muslim world. Western dress was
originally imported and gained wide appeal in that region due to its
relative cheapness in comparison with locally produced clothes due to
the effects of the industrial revolution in Europe on the textile
industry. The book is riddled with other factual
she is certain to manipulate the facts in order to prove the thesis
correct. Dr. Lewis has done more than that. He ha~ revised history,
creating another vehicle for anti-Islamic sentiment and neo-Cokl War
warriors. When seen in this light, it becomes clear that this book is
yet another diatribe written to steer American public opinion ~tgainst
the so-called “Islamic Peril”.
inaccuracies. When a genuine scholar researches a subject, he or she
must begin with an objective mind. After gathering all factual
information regarding his/her topic, the author may then draw certain
conclusions. However, if a scholar starts with a subjective framework,
then he or
she is certain to manipulate the facts in order to prove the thesis
correct. Dr. Lewis has done more than that. He has revised history,
creating another vehicle for anti-Islamic sentiment and neo-Cold War
warriors. When seen in this light, it becomes clear that this book is
yet another diatribe written to steer American public opinion ~tgainst
the so-called “Islamic Peril”.
BOSNIA:
The Agony of Sarajevo
At the Intercultural Center, Georgetown University, on Tuesday, December
7, 1993, agroup of academies and students gathered together to hear an
eye witness speak on the horrors of the war in Sarajevo. His name was
Zlatko Disdarevie, one of the editors of Sarajevo’s only surviving
newspaper, Olsobodenje. Here are excerpts from this remarkable story:
Currently there are about 120 journalists left working together in
Sarajevo. They comprise four different ethnic groupings, but they work
in harmony together in the basement of a dilapidated building almost
completely destroyed by shelling. After 800 years during which these
ethnic groups lived and worked together with occasional incidents of
turmoil, the question “Can they live together” (pondered by an ignorant
global public) seems silly for someone from Sarajevo. So why then all
the hatred, all the killing, raping, and pillage? The grossest falsehood
is presuming that at the root of this war is a burning fire of hatred
spurned by ethnic tension. On the contrary, the civil war exists and
wages on (although abetted in part by the kindled tension) because of
the corrupt politicians who like puppet masters, pull strings and
manipulate people and policy alike in order to serve their own personal
criminal interests. The war started with the occupation of the
television stations; the politicians used these stations as a tool to
create discord and foment enmity. And, itis a known fact that those who
control the media overpower all. This, then, is a war between
professional soldiers (the Serb army) and (mostly Muslim) civi]ians. In
such an
International Affairs
unbalanced and inequitable war, it comes as no surprise that 95% of all
victims are civilians, every day five children are killed, and the
onslaught of the destruction of every historical monument, memorial, and
museum continues--all without repercussion or assumed responsibility.
How can we accept ethnic cleansing by force, the violation of hundreds
of women and children daily, the concentration camps, and the changing
of borders by force?
In his recent meetings with highlevel officials, the United States, he
was told, has dismissed any likelihood of intervening; since only on
“moral grounds” would the endeavor prove worthy. What does this mean? A
country who claims to be the beacon of democracy world-wide turns its
head the other way to avoid seeing the destruction and the gross
violation of human rights. So, by their non-interventionist policy, they
set a bad example, let all infractions of international principles
slide, and contradict everything for which they supposedly stand. In an
economic sense, there might not be sufficient appeal to provoke a US
intervention. After all, the land is not oil-rich. However, if even only
on a geopolitical basis, there are grounds for intervention. We are
entering an era in which the seed of fascism burgeons with surprising
force and speed. Events in Italian politics, the violence and uprisings
in Austria and Germany, the random killing of minorities, etc., all
point to the increasing popularity of Neo-Fascism. Surely we are not
going to let history repeat itself! There seems to be no hope for former
Yugoslavia, so fractured and burnt by dissension. The world says that
there cannot exist a multi-national state, but what accounts for the 800
years prior to this war? And, if any country is an example of a
multi-national state, it is the United States! The answer is not to
ignore or dismiss the problem, but to go about remedying it in a
strategic way. That is to say, to cut the head of the problem would
force the body to fall.
Although any kind of favorable global attention to this civil war and
the atrocities within is desired and greatly needed, nothing can serve
to remove the psychological scars that run deep in the hearts of the
citizens of Sarajevo and other similar war-tom cities. War has pervaded
every aspect of life. The question a father now asks of his son is not
where to send him to university, but how he can get him a gun. The
future is black and grim for these people.
Saddam is back to the chemical game
It
seems that the only lesson Saddam has learned throughout the years is
that he can always get away with his acts when it comes to killing his
own people, mainly the Shia’ population in Iraq. While enjoying this
deliberate negligence by the West and the rest of the Arab world,
Saddam, in an effort to clean his image in the world, recently ordered
his troops to use chemical weapons against the Shia Muslim population
in the southern part of the country.
Human rights groups have quoted refugees fleeing Iraq to Iran as saying
Baghdad used chemical weapons in the marshes region during September and
October.
About 7,000 Iraqis have left the
country since July, saying their villages were shelled. The
government also is destroying their hiding places by draining marshes
and lakes near the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.
Rolph Ekeus, head of the U.N. special commission in charge of scrapping
Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, said that if the allegations were
true Baghdad was in serious violation of U.N. Security Council
resolutions.
Ekeus said his commission was gathering information from human rights
groups to pinpoint possible areas where the weapons might have been
used.
Saudis to stop Shia’s Oppression
After decades of repression the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia decided to stop
its brutal campaign against its Shia community in the eastern part of
the country. As a result of this campaign, hundreds of Shias were
jailed, executed, and exiled in the last few years. Sources in
Washington view the recent move as part of a new Saudi campaign aimed
at improving the image of Saudi Arabia in the West. The reconciliation
with Shia dissidents is also in the line with the rapprochement between
Riyadh and Tehran over the past three years.
In New York , human rights group Middle East Watch said that the Saudi
government released more than 30 Shias detainees and took a number of
dissidents off the travel black lists, allowing exiles to return. It
also removed travel bans that prevented some dissidents from leaving the
country.
In return, the Shia groups opposing the government stopped publishing
its Arabic-language newsletter
Arabian
Peninsula
and halted its attacks on the Riyadh government. It also agreed to stop
publishing another newsletter, the English-language
Arabian Monitor,
published in Washington.
mobilized to bring in wood to the city from the surrounding areas. But
there are too many consumers for too few carts and the black market
price has risen to about 100 German Marks for a small cart load.
Access
Problems Threaten Tuzla
Refugees
International President Lionel Rosenblatt visited Tuzla on November 17
and 18, 1993. His report on conditions there follows:
TUZLA. . .With a population of 750,000, the Tuzla region is the most
populous in Bosnia. There are substantial numbers of Serbs, Croats, and
individuals of mixed origin who have chosen to stay in Tuzla. But Tuzla
is at the end of the line— and the lines of communication are not
working. So, at the beginning of Bosnia’s second winter at war, the
situation there is desperate. Some Serbs and Croats are trying to leave,
though most remain committed to staying, in part because the leading
official in the region—Tuzla’s Mayor Selim Beslagic—is widely esteemed
for his dynamic leadership and promotion of inter-ethnic harmony.
The lights are going out all over Tuzla and northern Bosnia. Electricity
is on for only limited periods. It is immediately evident that there is
no fuel to be had in the city; virtually the only motorized traffic
consists of whit UN
and Red Cross vehicles. There is other traffic of a more primitive,
desperate sort. In this city which contains the largest power plant in
the former Yugoslavia, every available pony, some looking half-starved,
has been
Coal-powered electric central heat is off to about 70,000 apartment
dwellers. I talked to one young mother who spent the previous night
huddled with her two children in their kitchen, crying in fear that they
would freeze. Clearly, there is an immediate need to get these apartment
dwellers alternative means of heat. Local officials pleaded for more
diesel to fuel trucks that could bring in wood for the gerry-rigged
stoves that people are fashioning. There was some thought of also
bringing in metal sheeting from Zenicafor
construction of
additional stoves, but apparently there is no metal sheeting there
either.
For the first year of the war, Tuzla supported itself with its
commercial traffic going in and out of the region. But for the last six
months or more, commercial and humanitarian traffic from the Dalmatian
coast has been cut off by the HVO. Ironically, in recent weeks more
humanitarian aid has come via UNHCR convoys from the Serbian side than
from the Dalmatian coast.
Access through the Serbian and Croatian frontiers for humanitarian
convoys is absolutely vital. Sanctions should be invoked if the Croats
do not open the access. Currently, more Bosnians are in peril of dying
from the blockade by the Croats and HVO than from any single other
cause, except, of course, the continuing Serbian intransigence on
access.
One key bridge north of Mostar has been blown up, leaving a 150 meter
gap. The British military engineers say that it will take 90 days (after
equipment
and parts are in place) to repair it. Surely this time frame can be
shortened.
The Tuzla airport is a first-class airport capable of receiving C- 130
and larger aircraft; the field is in good condition and the Bosnians are
willing to vacate the airport in favor of a UN team. The Serbs
reiterated in Geneva last week that they are adamantly opposed to the
opening of the airport. If that is the case, the UN should obtain
immediate land access from the Serbs to the Tuzla region or open the
airfield unilaterally with a pledge of NATO air strikes should the Serbs
shell the airfield (which is deemed unlikely by most relief officials on
the ground provided there is a credible threat of air power to protect
the airfield).
In addition to the blockade on commercial traffic into the Tuzla region,
the economy has also been paralyzed by the lack of foreign exchange (as
there is no viable local currency). The UN should arrange to bring in
cash for the local banks which have ample deposits in Zagreb and
elsewhere, but no means of bringing in the currency.
Community Affairs
Following is the text of the speech delivered on October 27, 1993 by
the Prince of
Wales at the Oxford Center for Islamic
Studies.
The princes speech is seen as representing an attempt by the British
government to improve its image with the Muslim community both worldwide
and in Britain. Muslims constitute the largest minority religious group
in Britain, yet they are denied representation in the Parliament and
the establishment of political parties, cultural houses, etc.
Even the Muslim Parliament of Britain led by Kalim Saddiqi is looked
upon with scorn by the government and pressurized from different
government channels.
The following text of the princes
speech has been summarized for space considerations.
...Ladies
and gentlemen, I believe
wholeheartedly that the links between these two worlds matter more today
than ever before, because the degree of misunderstanding between the
Islamic and Western worlds remains dangerously high, and because the
need for the two to love and work together in our increasingly
interdependent world has never been greater. At the same time, Jam only
too well aware of the minefields which lie across the path of the
inexpert traveler who is bent on exploiting this difficult route.
The depressing fact is that, despite the advances in technology and
mass communication of the second half of the 20th Century, despite mass
travel, the intermingling of races, the ever-growing reduction or so we
believe
-
of the mysteries of our world, and misunderstandings between Islam and
the West continue.
There are one billion Muslims worldwide. Ten million or more live in the
West, and around one million here in Britain. Our own Islamic community
has been growing and flourishing for decades There are nearly too
mosques in Britain. Popular interest in Islamic culture in Britain is
growing fast.
In the Muslim world, we are seeing the unique way of life of the Marsh
Arabs ofSouthern Iraq, thousands ofyears old, being systematically
devastated and destroyed.
In Yugoslavia, the terrible sufferings of the Bosnian Muslims,
alongside that of other communities in that cruel war, help keep alive
many of the fears and prejudices which our two worlds retain of each
other. Conflict, of course, comes about because of the misuse of power
and the clash of ideals, not to mention the inflammatory activities of
unscrupulous and bigoted leaders.
To Western school children, the two hundred years of the Crusades are
traditionally seen as a series of heroic, chivalrous exploits in which
the kings, knights, princes —and children
—
of Europe tried to wrest Jerusalem from the wicked Muslim “infidel.” To
Muslims, the Crusades were an episode of great cruelty and terrible
plunder of Western infidel soldiers offortune and horrific atrocities
perhaps exemplified best by the massacres committed by the Crusaders,
when, in 1099 they took back Jerusalem, the third holiest city in Islam.
The corollary of how we in the West see our history has so often been to
regard Islam as a threat— in mediaeval times as a military conqueror,
and in more modern times as a source of intolerance,
extremism and terrorism. The history of the Balkans under Ottoman rule
provided examples of cruelty which sank deep into Western feelings. But
the threat has not been one way. With Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in
1798, followed by the invasions and conquests of the 19th century, the
pendulum swung and almost all the Arab world became occupied by the
Western powers. Those days of conquest are over. But even now, our
common attitude to Islam suffers because the way we understand it has
been hijacked by the extreme and the superficial. Our judgment of Islam
has been grossly distorted by taking the extremes to be the norm. That,
ladies and gentlemen, is a serious mistake. It is like judging the
quality of life in Britain by the existence of murder and rape, child
abuse, and drug addiction. The extremes exist; and they must be dealt
with. But when used as a basis to judge a society, they lead to
distortion and unfairness.
An obvious Western prejudice is to judge the position of women in
Islamic society by the extreme cases. Remember, if you will, that
Islamic countries like Turkey, Egypt and Syria gave women the vote as
early as Europe did its women— and much earlier than in Switzerland. In
those countries, women have long enjoyed equal pay, and the opportunity
to play a full working role in their societies. The rights of Muslim
women to property and inheritance, to some protection if divorced, and
to the conducting of business, were rights prescribed by the Qur’an
fourteen hundred years ago, even
if
they were not everywhere translated into practice. In Britain at least,
some of these rights were novel even to my
grandmother’s generation. BenazirBhutto and Be gum Khaleda Zia became
prime ministers in their own traditional societies when Britain had for
the first time ever in its history elected afemale prime minister. Islam
is part of our past and our present, in allfields of human endeavor. It
has helped to create modern Europe. It is part of our own inheritance,
not a thing apart. I am utterly convinced that the Islamic and the
Western worlds have much to learn from each other. Just, as the oil
engineer in the Persian Gulf may be European, so the heart transplant
surgeon in Britain may be Egyptian. Muslims are an asset to Britain.
They contribute to all parts of our economy, to industry, the public
services, the professions, and the private sector.
These two worlds, the Islamic and the Western, are at something of a
crossroads in their relations. We must not let them stand apart. I am
utterly convinced that our two worlds have much to offer each other. We
have much to do together.
Muslim World Day Parade
The Eighth United Muslim World Day Parade was held in New York on
September 19, 1993. The parade route covered from 36th Street to 23rd
Street on Madison Avenue. More than 50 Islamic centers, schools ad
mosques took
part
in an impressive show of
unity. The banners were in English, Urdu, Arabic, Chinese, Bengali, and
many other languages. Several thousand people marched in the parade.
They carried flags of many nations. The theme of the parade was the
contribution of Muslims to civilization. Many political leaders,
including Borough President of Manhattan and a representative of Mayor
Dinkins of New York City, addressed
January 1994
the parade. Christians and Jewish leaders were also present and
emphasized mutual respect and cooperation among all religions.
All speakers urged the Muslims in America to continue their contribution
to the cultural and political heritage of this country while upholding
their Islamic values. Many leaders emphasized the need for Muslims to
get involved in local politics such as the local Boards of Education
and Planning Commissions, etc. The real strength is in numbers that
vote. Every Muslim American citizen must register to vote and then get
out and vote in all elections.
There were many emotional moments especially when the Bosnian group
passed by the parade stand. There were calls for support for Bosnia and
for an end to the atrocities being committed against men, women, and
children in that country.
AI-Iman
School, Al-Khoei Foundation, Jamaica, NY
Field trips
The
students of pre-kindergarten and lower grade classes accompanied by
their parents were taken to the Green Meadow Farm. There, the children
enjoyed feeding the chickens, ducks and goats. All were given hay-rides
and got a pumpkin from the farmer.
Students from 3rd grade through 8th grade were taken to the American
Museum of Natural History. They saw the Museum’s famous collection and
also enjoyed an IMAX movie about “Antarctica” on a huge screen. Besides
the movie, highlights of the day were Islamic exhibits, a life size blue
whale, and American Indian crafts.
Fund-raising
dinner
A
large number of guests turned out from various walks of life and
cheerfully contributed $100.00 each. The guests showed a keen interest
in the collection of quite a few Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Gujrati and
English books, beautiful prayer rugs and cassettes of the Holy Qur’ an.
The program started with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. The
Principal, Brother Salim Mehdi, outlined the history and rapid growth of
Al Iman School which imparts religious and secular education through a
comprehensive curriculum. He exhibited slides fully depicting a typical
day at the school. A choir presented a recital of the school anthem and
affirmation of the Islamic Creed.
Dinner was served with dishes featuring Iranian, Arab, and Pakistani
delicacies arranged by Mr. Hakimzadeh and his catering committee.
After dinner, the Director of Imam Al-Khoei Islamic Center,
Hujjatul-Islam Sheikh Fadel Al-Sahlani, addressed the gathering
specifically referring to the paucity of funds. He explained that one
reason ~or the financial problem is that very low fees are charged so
the benefit of good education becomes available to the children of not
well-to-do parents. He appealed for support to this unique institution
that strives for the well being of the future generation. He also paid
tribute to the administration of the school and the dedicated teaching
staff. He extended his deep gratitude to the guests who contributed
generously. The program concluded
by the Ziarah which Brother Muhsin Alidena recited.
“Shia Islam; Faith, Experience, and Worldview”
Conference Held
An International conference entitled ‘Shia Islam; Faith, Experience, and
Worldview was held September 4-6, 1993 at Temple University in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Conference was planned by Dr. Mahmoud
Ayyoub, Professor of Islamic Studies at Temple University, under the
joint auspices of the Middle East Center, University of Pennsylvania,
and the Department of Religion at Temple University. The main
objective of the conference was to provide an international academic
forum for systematic and scholarly discussion of major issues in the
study of Shi’i history and thought. The conference opened with an
examination of the origins and development of Shi’ism and its
distinctive doctrines. The conference then continued with the issue of
Imamate that included issues such as the Shii viewpoint for the
necessity of the Imam that was well presented by Ayatullah Taghi Mesbah
from Imam Muhammad Baqir Institute in Qurn, Iran. Jurisprudence,
Philosophy, and Shii devotions were among other topics discussed during
the conference. The final day was devoted to the study of modern
developments in Shii Islam that included interesting topics such as
contemporary Shi’i political thought and the situation of the Shi’as in
the modern world.
Anjuman Wazifa Sadaat-o-Momineen of North America
The Mornineen brothers from India and Pakistan may be familiar with the
organizations called Anjuman Wazifa SadaatMomineen” which was
established decades ago and which independently exists in India and
Pakistan. Their function is to extend loans to needy students for
educational purposes. These loans are interest free and repayable as
soon as the student is established in life. These organizations are well
managed and broad based. For example, the Anjuman in Pakistan has
granted scholarships to students in the amount of 4.5 million rupees
during 1993.
The Anjuman Wazifa Sadaat-oMominee of North America has been
established with the same objective as that of its counterparts in
India and Pakistan. The Anjuman held a get-together on September 26,
1993 at 129 Broadmere Road, Stratford, Ct. to welcome Br. Syed Sibtain
Sadiq Naqvi, President ofAnjuman Wazifa Sadaat-o-Momineen Pakistan, who
was on a short visit to the United States. In his discourse, he
explained the activities conducted by the said Anjuman in Pakistan and
emphasized the need for education and the support that our community
must extend to this most important aspect of our society.
There are hundreds of Muslim scientists, engineers, and inventors
among the Islamic communities in North America and Western Europe who
remain unknown to their community members. Great names of Muslim
scientists and inventors who shall make our children proud of their
culture and heritage, will be briefly discussed in the following
issues of Islamic Monitor. In this issue, we would like to introduce the great
electrical and electronics research engineer, mathematician and
inventor Camil A. Sabbah (1895-1935).
He was born at Nabatieh, Lebanon, on August 16, 1895 and studied at the
American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon. During the first World
War (1916-1918) he commanded a Turkish military wireless station in
Gallipoli, Turkey, and after the war taught mathematics at the imperial
college ofDamascus, Syria, and the American University of Beirut. In
1921, he came to the United States, and for a short time studied at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology; then he joined the University of
Illinois and studied electrical engineering and engineering physics
courses. He got his B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the
University of Illinois in 1923. He joined the vacuum tube section of the
engineering laboratory of the General Electric Company at
Schenectady,N.Y., in 1923,wherehe was
engaged in mathematical and experimental research, principally
on rectifiers and inverters, receiving over 70 of United States and
foreign patents covering his work. He was engaged in work ontelevision
and motors as well, and originated circuits for use with rectifiers. He
wrote a series of articles on polyphase policyclic static converters
which were published in the General Electric Review, and his paper on
the effect of circuits on arc backs in mercury arc rectifiers was read
before the International Electric Congress at Paris in 1932. Hejoined
the Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers in 1929 as a
member,thenin 1933 hewaspromotedto the fellowship grade.
Camil A. Sabbah died on March
31, 1935 in an automobile accident at
Lewis, near Elizabethtowfl, N Y C G
Marcy, the personnel director of G E Co
described C. A. Sabbah in a letter dated
Aril 16, 1935 in the following words:
“...He was increasingly recognized as a clever thinker on mathematical
and engineering problems in America and his immediate superiors
predicted a successful future for him. It is indeed unfortunate that
his promising career should be brought to such an untimely end. His
death is a great loss for the world of invention...”
|
