Muslims and the Nobel Peace Prize

[Jabhad]

Muslims and the Nobel Peace Prize

 

By Minhaj Qidwai

 

Al-Jazeerah, October 10, 2005

 

Al-Jazeerah Editor's Comment:

 

If El-Baradei and the IAEA continue concentrating on Iran alone while ignoring Israel and its nuclear arsenal, then they are in fact helping Israel to continue its nuclear hegemony in the Middle East. This means that the Nobel Peace Prize would be nothing but rewarding them to do just that.

 

***

 

Muslim, and Nobel Prize for peace! The news of decision from the Norwegian Nobel Committee that, the Nobel Peace Prize for 2005 is to be shared, in three equal parts, between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), its Director General, Mohamed El-Baradei (Egyptian Muslim), and Former Bush speechwriter David Frum who coined the phrase “Axis of Evilâ€, was appreciated throughout the word. Under the current tide against Islam and Muslims, this was stirring news. It depicts that Muslims, who are the followers of Islam, can be the beacon of light for the rest of the world. Mr. El-Baradei was not the first Muslim to get the Noble Prize for Peace, before him Anwar Sadat, Yasser Arafat, and Iran's Shirin Ebadi had been the recipients.

 

The U.N. nuclear watchdog and its head Mohamed El-Baradei were informed of this news before hand, for their peace efforts, along with prize money of 1.3 million USD. Mr. El-Baradei has been especially honored for his battle to prevent states and terrorists from acquiring the atom bomb, and to ensure safe civilian use of nuclear energy. Mr. El-Baradei is a lawyer himself, and also son of a lawyer. Therefore justice is engraved in his soul. He was appointed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) secretary-general effective Dec. 1, 1997. Reappointed to second term in September 2001, third term, September 2005. Mr. El-Baradei is the second Egyptian to receive a Nobel Prize. The first one being slain Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

 

Nobel prize is awarded to people who have performed outstandingly in its various categories, following the will of its inceptor, Alfred Nobel, signed on November 27, 1895. He was born in 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. His family was descended from Olof Rudbeck, the best-known technical genius of Sweden's 17th century era as a great power in northern Europe. Nobel invented dynamite in 1866 and later built up companies and laboratories in more than 20 countries all over the world. He died of cerebral hemorrhage in his home in San Remo, Italy on December 10, 1896.

 

The Nobel Prize is the first international award given yearly since 1901 for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. In 1968, the Sveriges Riksbank (Bank of Sweden) instituted the Prize in Economic Sciences. Each prize consists of a medal, personal diploma, and prize amount. Recipients of the prize now carry a cash reward of nearly $1m. There are three categories for the award of the Nobel Prize. Although Alfred Nobel made much of his money, through his invention of dynamite. He had hoped that with the existence of dynamite, warmongers would have no choice but to seek peace with one another - or see their armies being blown instantly; therefore, the dynamite will be used only for peaceful purposes. This comprised his first group of individuals and organizations, which have sought to resolve wars or minimize the potential for conflict. One such example is US President Theodore Roosevelt, who took the prize in 1906 for drawing up a peace treaty between Russia and Japan; another is the shared joint award to Palestinian ! leader Yasser Arafat, former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the then foreign minister Shimon Peres for the now defunct Oslo peace accords in 1994.

 

The second category of recipients were those who have tried to bring humanitarian relief to others caught up in conflict. The founder of the Red Cross won the first peace prize in 1901, and the organization won it again on several occasions over the following 100 years.

 

Those who have sought to further the march of democracy and human rights have formed the key third category of recipients. Last year award in this category was awarded to the Kenyan Ms. Wangari Maathai and earlier Ms Shirin Ebadi from Iran, as does the 1991 winner - Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi - and rights group Amnesty International, which took the prize in 1977.

 

Weeping Masses of Demo (WMD):

 

The Noble prizewinners are the people who made difference in the life of people. Although Mr. El-Baradei has tremendous achievements under his belt, but another was foiled, when he was not listened to in 2003, for the absence of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Iraq. Ignoring his report has made the WMD to be renamed from a human perspective as Weeping Masses of Demo. The illegal occupation of Iraq has made the masses of people (Demo) weep in Iraq. If Mr. El-Baradei’s report would have been accepted in 2003, the devastation caused in Iraq could have been avoided, and a peaceful solution could have been the outcome. But the intentions were marred from the beginning. Mr. El-Baradei and his team reported before the start of the war the non-existence of weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. However, the United States (US) insisted their presence and! with a false pretext invaded Iraq claiming that it had the Weapons of Mass destruction. Even if it had, the reason to invade was not the weapons of Mass Destruction but the oil in its belly. Mr. El-Baradei faced a tough time from US due to difference of opinion, especially at the time of his reelection recently. However, US congratulated him on his attaining of this fete, while muted response from Iran and North Korea.

 

Challenges:

 

Founded in 1957, the IAEA carries out inspections of nuclear facilities and materials to make sure they are being out peaceful use only. But its work is sometimes hampered due to non-cooperation from some governments. In the current scenario we have Israel, Iran, and North Korea. Israel is an undeclared nuclear power, thanks to the support from Uncle Sam. However, when it comes to Iran and North Korea, Uncle Sam sees the world with a different perspective. The IAEA has although won this prize based on its efforts to ensure the peaceful use of the nuclear energy, but with regards to the fore mentioned three countries it faces serious challenges in the time to come. Israel will not accept that it is a nuclear power; neither IAEA can do much in this regard. Uncle Sam always comes to rescue Israel. In case of Iran, it has become an ego factor, same as that faced by Pakistan when India did the second round of nuclear tests in 1998, that was followed by the declaration from Pakistan. Therefore, Israel has its program that IAEA cannot do anything about. So, how to tackle Israel is a big challenge for IAEA. At the same time, Iran is also at the verge of becoming a nuclear power, however, its case is about to be recommended to the Security Council. While North Korea is just threatening to obtain as much economic gains as possible. It would be advisable for IAEA to facilitate North Korea in its quest of US market, negotiate and foster a good deal for this economically broke country.

 

Noble Prize- Muslims Vs Others

 

After a century of its commencement, only a handful of Muslim names appear in the list of Nobel Prize winners. So far only six people from Muslim countries have won the Nobel, with only two of them in science - Pakistan's Dr Abdus Salam (physics) and Egypt's Ahmad Zewail (chemistry). Four have won it for peace (Anwar Sadat, Yasser Arafat, Iran's Shirin Ebadi, and now Mr. El-Baradei), and Egypt's Naguib Mahfouz for literature. Most Nobel prizes are won by western countries.

 

This clearly depicts the status of Muslims in the current era, and teaches us some lessons. One is that America and West are progressing and the Muslims are lagging far behind. Bashing of West by Muslim scholars not only creates hatred for the West but also gives pseudo impression that Muslims are superior. The torch of knowledge that once used to be with the Muslims is now in the hands of West. Whatever may be the type of society the West is breeding, we have to learn lessons from them. Their reason of progress is openness of mind, free speech, and allowing the talent to grow, which is missing in today's Muslim world.

 

Europe liberated itself from the clutches of the darkness centuries ago, but one cannot say when a day will come when the Muslim people will begin to think for the! mselves.

 

The US may have its neo-conservative fanatics but it also has men and women dedicated to science, art, literature, charity and human rights. Many Muslim immigrants are in western institutions for learning and contribute to science and technology in the research-oriented atmosphere they find in the West.

 

It is a measure of the backwardness of the Muslim world that the Jewish world with a population of 12 million has won 163 Nobel prizes, 151 of them in science, while the Muslim world has produced only two Nobel laureates in science.

 

This was not always the case. During Europe's Dark Ages, the Muslim world flourished intellectually and produced men whose contribution to the sciences and arts is recognized till this day.

 

Spain's Averroes (Ibn Rushd) was the world's first freethinker, while Ibn Khaldun, with his monumental work Prolegomena, is considered the "father of historiography".

 

Others include Al Beiruni, who measured the radius of! the earth in the 11th century and was wrong by a margin of 15 kilometers, Avicenna (Ibn Sina) whose book on medicine, Al Qanoon, was taught in European universities until the 17th century. One of his students was a brilliant Jewish scholar, Ibn Gabirol.

 

The basic reason for flourishing of the intellect was the atmosphere of tolerance in the Muslim world. For that reason, Muslim Spain is recognized as intellectually Jewish history's best era.

 

The Jews from Spain included Maimanides, whose writings profoundly affected Jewish thought. He found himself in Egypt and was a physician at Saladin's court.

 

The Abbasid caliphs patronized learning, and encouraged the translation of Greek books on philosophy into Arabic, while Al Ghazali, in the Middle East, and Averroes in Spain were leading lights in polemics. Averroes' writings later gave rise to a school of thought in Europe called Latin Averroism.

 

The Mongol sacking of Baghdad not only destroyed Arab civilization; it also intellectually crippled the Muslims. Since then, Muslims have not recovered. The recent second ransacking of Baghdad, by the Mongols of current era, has further demoralized the Muslims. If Muslims have to blame someone, it is themselves. There is a misconception portrayed by the Western media about Jihad that it is with a weapon in hand to fight and kill any one and Muslims are terrorists. Jihad is a struggle; and this could be against any just cause. Jihad against illiteracy, poverty, hunger, for the freedom against the oppressor, and for the sake of religion.

 

Muslims have to learn lessons from the Jews. When the Jews can rise from the ashes of holocaust-a term coined and well marketed by them; then why not the Muslims can rise after September 11, and from the ashes of Baghdad and Afghanistan. The West and the Jews are an exemplary in terms of utilization of media, marketing, research and economic strength. Muslims have to follow the suit.

 

If the Muslims want to compete and rise in the present world, they need a Paradigm shift. Just waiting for the Messiah to come, is not the need of the hour. An august body of Muslim Think Tank under the banner of Organization of Islamic Conference is required immediately that can oversee the required change.

 

Change from hatred to tolerance; Jihad for literacy rather that portrayed by Western media; Open mindedness in terms of inquiry rather than tunneled vision; respecting time rather wasting it; smart, rather shabby work; economic growth rather than on a slippery slope of poverty; and to face the storm from its center, rather caving to it; are the desired changes. Only these measures can bring them strength, stability, and regaining their lost prestige in the world.

 

To conclude, Muslims have tremendous unearthed potential. They can be instrumental in bringing peace in the world. Every Muslim should be proud of Mr. El-Baradei who has shown that Muslims can stand on to their principles and overcome challenges they face due to their opposition, and still succeed. The will of Alfred Nobel for honoring the people with outstanding achievement must be praised. His dynamite, which brought him fame and wealth, was for peace, development, and scientific inventions, not for the warmongers of the current era. Mr. El-Baradei, who has won the prize in peace, has tough challenges ahead. He has to bring equity between the Israel’s nuclear program and that of Iran, and promote economic development of North Korea. If he succeeds in doing so, we may see him repeating his performance in the time to come.

 

Acknowledgement: This article has been written with the assistance from the information on: www.nobelprize.org

 

Dr. Qidwai, Minhaj A. is a medical doctor, with Masters in Health and Business Administration from USA. He is a medico-marketing consultant in North America.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Wax yar aan iskaga darsado, maadaama Nobel laga hadlaayo.

 

Nuurudiin Faarax will win this year, Eebe haduu idmo.

 

U ducee walaalkeena maxaa yeelay dhowr jeer ayaa la qadiye. Waa sanadkiis.

[Jabhad]

I hope Nuradin winns the Nobel peace price. With all the negative associated with Somalians,this will help send different picture, a more positive one.

[uchi]

Lets hope so...I guess its a positive step from somewhere.

[Jabhad]

Yes uchi its a positive step. Hopefully scientists and others will follow soon.

[Alle-ubaahne]

Nobel Xaala dhahaa horta? Mideeda kale, waa adinka iskugu duceenaayo Bilad/Abaalmarin xun uu gaal bixiyay, maad janada iskugu duceysaan. Xitaa Nuuradiin Faaraxa aad sheegeysaan, maad ugu duceysaan inuu ilaa xaqa waafajiyo, maadaama uu waqtigiisa kusoo qaatay qorida buugaag qayaali ah. Koley aniga waxay ila tahay hadii kun Nobel Prize la iila yimaado midhaa kaama aqristo!

 

Talloow ma qiyaamihii baa soo dhow, waata gaalada aqoonsiga laga sugayee!

[Animal Farm]

Nuradin’s work are catered towards western readers, many Somalis, don’t read his books, kind a sad, but he should write a book which is not too complex. As a writer I agree that he deserves respect and recognition.

[raula]

^^true-but I wont say complex(only when you compare that the average somali's literal capacity, then u might conclude that its a bit rigid work). But I enjoyed reading his books(links is my fav). Mind you, as a writer whose life is surrounded by all calamities (mind you one that hits close to home-somalia's problems-then for the average american/outsider it can be sad, but atleast gives a glimpse).

 

I hope he wins.

 

Great post Haruun.