Events that happened in the Medieval ages are having a significant impact on the public perception of Arab civilization. One of the major issues is that Arabs’ achievements in science and technology are marginalized and undermined. Also, Islam, which is the religion of the majority of members of the Arab community, is being heavily criticized in media and by some political leaders. This paper will discuss how these adverse perceptions may influence the future of Arab civilization and the further development of Arab-speaking countries. While oil has allowed some of these states to achieve wealth, in terms of scientific and technological progress, the future is not as bright.
The subject of the research was the Arab civilization and understanding why scientific discoveries made by Arabs are not known by the broader community and why technological progress is strictly associated with Western thought. To attain a detailed understanding, an analysis of the influence of the colonial era was conducted. Den Dulk and Oldmixon (2014) suggest that this controversial perception of religions other than Christianity may be partially connected to religious advocacy in the political context of the Western nations. Although European empires lost their influence as part of decolonization, some individuals believe that the effects of colonization will last much longer (Dülffer & Frey, 2011). Therefore, contemplating the future of Arab science is relevant in this context.
The research has hinted at several potential future trends relating to the Arab world and Islam. First, major states, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, may intentionally exploit the image of the Arab civilization and Islam in particular in order to achieve their geopolitical objectives. Second, such manipulations may lead to increased rates of terrorism in the world. However, there are also some optimistic predictions – the majority of Arab-speaking countries may achieve significant developments in the context of economics. Furthermore, recent attempts of the United Arab Emirates government to stimulate space exploration may catalyze Arab science.
The established image of Arab civilization and Islam can be summarized as Arabs’ incapacity to contribute to science and that Islam is fundamentally incompatible with the principles of democracy and freedom. Like Communism was perceived as if it was going to conquer the West and deprive people of their liberty, Islam can be exploited so that Western governments can achieve their geopolitical objectives. In the eyes of the people, Islam is almost equal to terrorism, which means any terrorist can be associated with this religion, and any terrorist attack can be used to undermine Arab countries in the political context.
When the whole world believes that Islam is terrorism, some individuals whose parents are Muslims may start thinking that the purpose of their religion is to bomb and disseminate terror. The number of terrorist acts around the world may rise significantly as a result. Furthermore, some terrorist groups may disguise themselves as Muslims only to disrupt the reputation of this religion further. Therefore, misinformation will have a significant impact on terrorism rates. In this context, the role of journalism is crucial – it must deliver objective facts and not a subjective opinion that may influence the perceptions of people.
Despite these unfavorable predictions, the Arab world may develop in terms of economics. Access to oil reserves has allowed some Arab-speaking countries to prosper, but skeptics have suggested that this economic progress will wane as the reserves deplete and the dependence on oil decreases. However, the United Arab Emirates, for instance, has managed to develop its real estate and tourism industries, which are driving the country’s business today. Arab countries are planning to switch to more sustainable initiatives instead of relying on oil. As history suggests, oil prices are subject to significant fluctuations and should not be considered an eternal source of income.
Arab contribution to science was significant during the times of the Golden Age. Arab scholars worked in medicine, math, astronomy, and other scientific areas (Falagas et al., 2006). Many people from Europe would come to visit the Middle East in order to learn from Muslim scientists (Falagas et al., 2006). Research suggests that Arabs continue to play a vital role even in contemporary science (Mahroom et al., 2017). For instance, Farouk El-Baz was an MIT scientist in the Apollo mission, and in 1999, Ahmed Zewail received the Nobel Prize for his contributions to chemistry (Mahroom et al., 2017). Furthermore, the United Arab Emirates is planning to launch its first rover to the moon by 2024. This date may mark the beginning of a new era of Arab science and astronomy.
This research has shown that Arab scientists are marginalized, and their contributions are neglected. Most people have little understanding of how the Arab world has contributed to modern science. Furthermore, Islam is perceived as a religion that favors terrorism and chaos. However, these perceptions are a result of the centuries-long impact that was left by colonization and the opinion that the West is superior and the East requires white man’s assistance. Although such perceptions may result in unfavorable outcomes for the Arab world in the future, recent economic progress in the Middle East suggests that Arab-speaking countries have the potential for achieving the needed scientific and technological progress.
References
Falagas, M. E., Zarkadoulia, E. A., & Samonis, G. (2006). Arab science in the golden age (750–1258 CE) and today.The FASEB Journal, 20(10), 1581-1586. Web.
den Dulk, K. R., & Oldmixon, E. (Eds.). (2014). Mediating religion and government: Political institutions and the policy process. Springer.
Dülffer, J., & Frey, M. (2011). Elites and decolonization in the twentieth century. Springer.
Mahroom, S., Zahradnik, G., & Dachs, B. (2017). Research: Arab inventors make the U.S. more innovative. Harvard Business Review. Web.