Comments on: Arabia and the knowledge gap

By: Anubis

Anubis — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:36:03 +0000

Anonymous you are correct. Hate is a word expressing extreme emotion and feeling. It is a state of mind and heart well reserved for the oppressor. I can think of no other foe more deserving.

By: Anubis

Anubis — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:08:35 +0000

True that Michael Ham. It is lamentable that as our dollars go to the Middle East for oil and interest on investments made in the U.S. we cut our expenditures for education of our children. California first, next will be New York and Illinois. It should be no surprise and commended that the Arab Emirates are using their windfall to uplift themselves. Our government should act with such a vision of the future, unless of course they don’t see one.

By: Alexander

Alexander — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:17:25 +0000

Despite everyone bickering on here about who invented what and whom came up with what knowledge wise, the fact is that all the knowledge of man has been passed back and forth between all the different cultures for so many thousands of years so much so as to make a case for the original host of the idea a fun, silly game that has no basis in reality. However it was how the west used, applied and continued these ideas that allowed it to develop this perceived “education gap” between the middle east and the west. It matters none who invented them its how the ideas are applied and used that truly matter. The knowledge structure of the world today shows the middle east abandoned this principle long ago.

I thoroughly applaud the UAE for taking the first step in the right direction of using the power of human thought to better the lives of others, instead of ancient superstitions based on fear.

By: Larry G

Larry G — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:35:47 +0000

Oh, great! We have an American management professor teaching social darwinism to Emiratis! That ought to help!

For what it’s worth, by the way, most of the best-known “Arab” scientists and mathematicians of the medieval period were Persian, not Arab. They only wrote in Arabic. I refer to Jabir (chemist), al-Khwarismi (mathematician), Khayyam (astronomer and mathematician), and many others.

By: jason

jason — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:30:21 +0000

At some point everyone needs to bury the hatchet. Peace among all of us is the easiest, cheapest, and most green way to combat all of our problems. Accept the fact that we are all here and let’s live peaceably. There is nothing more true, efficient, and simple than love. Enough with hatred and selfishness. The change begins with you.

By: Aristo

Aristo — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:19:20 +0000

I am not a jew, I am not a christian, moslem, hindu etc.
I am a member of the human race and the world gets smaller and smaller. I live in the western hemispere and use the library, information for the lazy is the press, sorry media. From my reading the islamic countries have always welcomed scholars and the knowledge that they brought. Exluisionary religions and then the multinationals create the myth of conflict which quickly becomes reality. I.E. “Clash of Civilizations”, neocon shit. Where every I have travelled I have been treated graciously and well. The rules are simple. Hosts don’t adapt to you, you adapt to the host. If this is a problem, don’t go there.

By: Drewbie

Drewbie — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:28:30 +0000

“Education alone, especially Islam-centric, will never achieve any “turning point for the middle east”. What’s required is the change of attitude.”
-Posted by Anonymous

It’s my experience that education preceeds any change in attitude. Islam-centric (higher) education will inevitably lead to a general education, which will lead to the attitude change.

And again, I’m sure the rest of the world would’ve thought the same thing about Christianity during the dark ages as you seem to think about Islam now.

By: kertruth

kertruth — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:45:15 +0000

a well balanced article,
i see some negative remarks posted by ignorant people living in a false world reality, any person who bases his reality from what he absorbs from the corrupted and manipulated media, is living in a fabricated hell.

By: sim

sim — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:38:50 +0000

Dubai. What percentage of the Arab world lives in Dubai?
It seems to me that the overwhelming majority of the Arab world is under the influence of a bunch of Imams who are grounded in profound ignorance and deep hatred. These fools have no more idea of what is going on the modern world than they do what’s happening on the surface of Mars and so they will never enter the modern world–not in a 1000 years.

By: Michael Ham

Michael Ham — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:12:17 +0000

Anonymous, it’s purely based on them being probably our strongest ally and at minimum our strongest ally in the area.

I don’t like that we’re allied with the trash dictatorship of Saudi Arabia, the oppressive socialists in India and I don’t care what our government says they’re also big admirers of China which I’m also against. I can run through them all if you’d prefer.

I’d prefer we be allied with no country and treat them all the same, get out of the UN also.

If you’re fishing for something based on religion it’s not going to hold up.