Arab and Islamic Revolutions - Research Paper Example

Arab and Islamic Revolutions The Arab nations in Africa have been on the international map for various reasons. Recently, there have been uprisings against dictatorial regimes. These uprisings have seen dictators fall under the people of the land. It is something that has captured the international community’s attention (Ramadan 79). However, there have not been uprisings that only fight for the rights and civil liberties of the people that rock these nations. Arab nations have a reputation of having revolutions that fall under scientific brilliance. They are responsible for leading scientific and intellectual breakthroughs in history. The world, in general, owes the Islam community a debt. In terms of industrialisation, the Islam played an intricate role in the process. They also had a central position to play in the evolution of the philosophical enterprise in the world. This paper will explain how these revolutions shaped the world. In the past, it was easy for scholars, mathematicians, economists, and researchers to draw their inspiration from Islam (Huff 73). Islam worked to open up the minds and hearts of everyone in the world. In thought and study, many scholars can attribute their success to the Islam faith and its growth and spread. It is believed that the Islam community in the late seventeenth century drew their philosophical strength from the Greek. This means that, the introduction of many inventions, for example, the telescope led to the growth of the Western curiosity on the influence of Greco-Islam revolutions. The West had a number of inventions and scientific breakthroughs. However, they did not draw their inspiration from anywhere as many civilisations did. Many individuals around the world believe that there was no scientific or intellectual breakthrough in the Islamic world. This is because, most of them believe that all that is Islam developed as a result of the Greek heritage. Without it, many believe that Islam would not have an avenue to exist on its own. Others also believe that, the Arabs cold not identify what the ancient hieroglyphics in their presence meant. This is not until the coming of a European who explored the ancient language and drew conclusions from his research (Abu-Rabi 145). The introduction of foreigners makes the issue of Muslims being intellectually capable of making strides in the world debatable. What these critics do not seem to comprehend is the fact that, every civilisation brings forth diverse worldviews on diverse matters. In the field of optics, the Muslim and Arab community have made significant strides (Huff 79). The most revered thing about the Muslim faith is the belief they exhibit the necessary aspects of knowledge and wisdom in life. This makes them refuse the influence brought on by many education and religious influences from around the world. The fear of foreign influences pushes them to create their own understanding on issues, which pertain to many aspects of life. Islam focuses on regulating the philosophical attitude of the world. This is by overarching the philosophy of embracing mankind regardless of their faith and cultural background. No faith in the world claims that taking another life in the name of religion is justified, and Islam is not the first. Islam embraced the power of science, even when Christianity shunned and condemned the likes of Galileo for the assumptions he made about the earth. This laid the basis for the growth and development of philosophy and science among the Islam community (Huff 81). In Africa, intellectual revolution opened doors for the much needed economic change. Islam can be the perfect ground to lay this intellectual foundation. With the political changes, it is possible to have many channels created by the Western world in the third world countries. In Africa, for instance, the introduction of madrasa ensured that children learned the importance of the different fields in the world. The European and African enlightenment was brought on by the light that Islam shone through time. Islam was at the forefront in the fight to help humans be civilised. Through the merchant trades back in the day of Arab trades with the African people, there was the potential of having Africans attain a lot more. The introduction of madrasa was seen as the beginning of sciences among the African people (Abu-Rabi 185). Their education was seen as the avenue by which these sciences would be transmitted. All the disciplines that were present in the Muslim faith prepared the foundation on which other disciplines would grow and flourish. They, however, restricted the inclusion of post-mortem and medical sciences in these madrasas. To many, this may have been among the principal issues that restricted the advancement in anatomical studies among the faith. Unlike their European counterparts, there are still some inhibitions among many African communities about the conducting of post-mortem. Through innovations such as the use of paper, the Muslim helped the African trading influence grow (Abu-Rabi 187). Their influence moved much faster than that of other faiths and religions in the region, which made them more popular. This meant that whenever they traded in these regions, they brought with them new inventions, which helped shape the African continent. The merchants could now invest in the region, in textile and the plantations that were abundant in the country sides. It was also during this period that a significant number of polymath scholars graced the region. These scholars were many and offered diversified knowledge than any scholar who specialized in one field. They offered secular learning techniques to the people which meant that they were diversifying the region. Different fields were now coming up, and many individuals seemed interested in the diversification process. Intellectually, the people of the region were growing. This promoted globalisation in the region as many regions were interested in the growing opportunities that were being brought forth. In the agricultural field, the Arab revolution ensured many societies witnessed a transformation. It is through this Arab revolution that the diffusion of indigenous crops was made possible (Abu-Rabi 193). Different farming techniques were being passed on, and this meant that diverse crops could now be grown. This is in places that could not previously sustain their growth. There was a time when sugar refinement was commercialised and industrialised. This activity was turned into a large-scale industry that served to bring capital into the region. They further established sugar and cash crop plantations. They based a scientific methodology to agriculture using key elements in their immediate surroundings. These included the crop systems, which were on rotation, the irrigation techniques they employed, and the introduction of a diverse array of crop. All these factors were studied, and conditions improved to suit the immediate need of crops and yield. As far as the Arab and Muslim intellectual revolutions are concerned, they are among the pioneers of agricultural inventions and revolutions in Africa (Abu-Rabi 196). Intellectually, the Muslim had an upper hand even by the seventh century. This was in terms of the industrial revolution that started as a result of their ingenuity. Different forms of power were used to power the mills that were present at the time. This included the use of tidal power, hydropower, and wind energy to produce energy for their plants. In time, there were mills operating in many parts of the world that went through many parts of Africa. Through engineering of turbines and crankshafts, there was the reduction of labour needed to carry out tasks in the industrial sector. It was through such ingenuity that the Industrial Revolution in Europe began. This ingenuity had a critical role to play in the transfer of technologies to Europe, thus; promoting the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in other parts of the world (Abu-Rabi 201). Recently, the breakthroughs came in the form of nuclear fusion and fission. Many of the Islam communities are under pressure to stop the tests they are conducting on nuclear material. Their reason is that; this research is solely for the purposes of energy sustenance around the world, and its conservation. They believe that the breakthrough will assist the world sustain the little energy it has if they can switch to the use of nuclear power. They are under pressure from the international community on the hazards of having the power to test nuclear material (Ramadan 87). Stereotypes about the Muslim community believe that the nuclear experiments are for the purposes of creating nuclear weapons. These weapons will then be used to declare war against the Western world. This led to the invasion of a nation that had no idea about the Western world’s agenda, and what they aim to achieve. The animosity for the West spreads among all Arab nations, regardless of their geographical location (Ramadan 89). This means that whatever is done in Middle Eastern nations, the same is likely to be reciprocated in the African continent. The Arab community is bringing competition to the Chinese and American market through the projects they are starting in Africa. The splendid Arab culture spread through North Africa and had an impact in most of the regions surrounding these countries. Even in East Africa, their splendid minds are responsible for the architecture that is seen in many parts of the Coastal region. This was during their days as merchants as they assisted in developing the region. The science and technology that is currently associated with the Western world came about as a result of different cultures and civilisations, for example, Islam (Ramadan 95). Architecture in their own regions can explain the extent to which the Islam culture values their traditions. The Arab community shocked the world by building the tallest building in the world (Ramadan 98). In Egypt, the communities are responsible for creating channels that advocate for the need for developing countries to reach the West in terms of science and technology. They will, however, be forgiven for not having the right policies in place to adopt scientific methods in the region. In conclusion, the Islam faith and the Arab revolutions in terms of science and technology started in medieval times. This spread through many regions and ensured that individuals reaped the benefits of the intellectual revolution. There are reasons why the Arab world lagged behind the West in terms of revolutions. These reasons still inhibit most of the communities from attaining their full potential. The Islam community has not fully considered the idea of reconciling with the aspect of science and technology. They are still stuck in medieval times and the theologies that were produced during that era. This continues to pull them down, and may be the leading reason why they cannot move forward. A lot depends on the intellectual ingenuity of the Arab community. However, this ingenuity lacks Muslim intellects capable of taking responsibility for the entire scientific enquiry that is happening at the moment. Realising this might be the difference between remaining stagnant, and bringing in new scientific revolutions the world has seen in decades (Abu-Rabi 231). Works Cited Abu-Rabi, Ibrahim M. Intellectual Origins of Islamic Resurgence in the Modern Arab World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. Print. Huff, Toby E. Intellectual Curiosity and the Scientific Revolution: A Global Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print. Ramadan, Tariq. Islam and the Arab Awakening. New York: Prentice Hall, 2012. Print. Read More