Realities of Muslim Civilization
As Professor Fuat Sezgin*, whose book entitled "The Place of the Islamic World of Culture in the History of Sciences" was published by the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) last year, was taking the [Turkish] culture minister and the delegation accompanying him around his extraordinary museum, he made incredible contributions to our conceptions.
This distinguished scientist was expelled from university during the 1960 coup. He, nevertheless, has succeeded in performing miraculous works by employing a child's enthusiasm and energy. Instead of our asking for forgiveness for expelling him, our country still places bureaucratic obstacles in front him. The incredible decrees that were promulgated, the way he struggled against laws, one listens to all these as an absurd movie scenario. Sezgin, who can use seven languages in his scientific works, complained about his works not being allowed into some libraries or not even accepted by others. Because some who claim to be smart believe that all orientalists are spies! What is worse, his article was published in Zaman's edition of October 1, 2005 under the headline, "Turkey didn’t Lose on its Path to the EU, It Gained a Lot," and he said that Celal Sengor, Turkey Sciences Academy Resident Member, called and asked him, "Why did you publish it in Zaman?" He replied, "They are the only ones who are interested in me. "I do not understand these ideological differences anyway." Sezgin, over 80 years old, has been working on Islamic culture and the history of sciences for 60 years. In 1980, he managed to establish today's institute with the help of Arab states. He opened the museum in 1982. This project, based on remanufacturing all the instruments made during the entire history of Muslim sciences and making them obvious, is breathtaking. Eight hundred instruments are being exhibited in this museum and they show that the roots Europeans link to their superiority, just by producing ideological sciences, passed through Muslim civilization. Three hundred of these are instruments which can be considered as inventions. Where are the story-telling scientists who claim that Muslims invented nothing? Or is it only about the story of the “murderous Turks?”
Sezgin quotes the words of a French philosopher, "Renaissance is a fabrication" and emphasizes that a black hole has been dug between us through an understanding that considers being a scientist as pledging loyalty to everything the West says, without making any inquiry and reducing it to a mere title. He tells how intellectuals obstructed the society with a completely fabricated history, as follows: "The feeling of European superiority over the Muslim world, which began to emerge in the 17th century, lies beneath this idea of the difference of the cultural world emphasized by the Europeans. This issue of superiority that has further developed over the last four centuries is a reality. Another reality is the feeling of an inferiority complex in many Muslims, especially Turkish scholars who experience this superiority." Sezgin who says, “When I showed the models of instruments made and used by Muslim scientists to some German and other European politicians at the museum of our institute in Frankfurt University, they asked me in astonishment the reasons behind the situation of Muslims today." The same question is being asked by the Turks as well.
Sezgin who says, "I used to think it was the Europeans who invented the map," states that he later found out that all the maps in the West are from the Islam world and began to research on other things he could use as yardsticks. The astrolabe in the West is a copy of the one made by Muslims. The clock displaying minutes had already been made by Muslims in the 11th century. Vasco de Gama wrote: "Muslims in Africa have wonderful instruments. Their ships are splendid. The ingenuity of Muslims is in their method of suspending the compass." The Muslims had measured the distance between Sumatra and Malaysia with a 10-km error margin. They begin the history of cartography with the Portuguese. This is a big lie.
The most interesting is the story of the instrument with which Takiyuddin discovered the power of steam. This is a doner kebap (gyro) cooking machine used in Istanbul. If you think about what happened to the scientific thought that sent men from Bagdat (Baghdad) to India to conduct researches on local languages in the 11th century, you can understand that you are dwelling upon a living civilization even if you just look at the area around you. However, both the Arabs and Turks suffer from memory loss. That's why we should open the way for Sezgin who wants to establish his library and museum in Istanbul. At least, let’s show this much willpower.
*Professor Fuat Sezgin is the director of the Institute for the History of Arabic-Islamic Science at Goethe University
November 1, 2005
URL: http://www.zaman.com/?bl=columnists&alt=&trh=20051112&hn=25988
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