Muslim Innovations? What have they got to do with Muslims or Islam?

Submitted by Romesh Chander (United States), Jun 4, 2009 at 18:45

You don't become suddenly innovative when you become a muslim. If there were innovations, they were for that era and for that region, no matter what religion would have prevailed in that region; they have nothing to do with muslims or Islam. After all, nobody became innovative by reading Koran. Look at Saudi Arabia, the land of origin of Islam. How innovative they have been over the last 1400 years? None at all. Did they ever publish a single scientific paper? Not one that one can think of. All that oil development was done by western innovation, western technology and western money. Without that, they will still be living in hot desert, not in airconditioned palaces.

How many scientific journals are published in the muslim world? Not one of any importance. Let us stop exaggerating their contributions. What have they contributed over the last 500 years? Nothing. Ottoman Empire even resisted the introduction of printing press; when it was finally introduced, it was limited to printing Koran only.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".