The poor state of science in the Middle East, especially in Arab countries, has been widely documented. Muslim scientists cite several reasons for this lag, from corruption and cronyism under the region’s unelected leaders to religious objections to evolution or modern astronomical observations to determine the start of Ramadan.
But the winds of change coming from the Arab Spring have brought the first steps toward change. “There is no doubt in my mind that more freedom and democracy, and more ability to debate, are going to promote science and open new avenues to explore,” said Nidhal Guessoum, an Algerian astrophysicist who teaches at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. “In the long run, we’ll see significant improvements.” [Reuters Blogs - FaithWorld] Read more
