Image by celinecelines via Flickr

The news from CERN was stunning: the European nuclear science laboratory had just discovered (September 2011) that particles known as neutrinos – called so because they are neutral and carry no charge – habitually travel a little bit faster than light. This threatened to shake the very foundations of Einstein’s theory of relativity, which had laid the basis for the atomic bomb, nuclear energy, and most of modern day physics. Relativity theory starts from the postulate that the speed of light is the
absolute maximum that anything can travel at.

Pakistanis are generally unmoved by developments in the world of science. But this time the excitement was palpable. A TV channel called me up, requesting an interview. Fine, I said, specifying the time when I would be available. The producer was profoundly apologetic: this was exactly when they would be interviewing Dr Zakir Naik, an Islamic scholar who frequently pontificates on issues of science and religion. Would I therefore please give another time? Since the good doctor’s claim to fame
is his understanding of religious texts rather than of physics, I declined and do not know what transpired subsequently.

Speed of light issues have often moved sections of religious people in rather strange ways. Way back in 1973, as a young physics lecturer at Quaid-i-Azam University, I had been fascinated by the calculation done by the head of our department. Seeking the grand synthesis of science and faith, this pious gentleman – who left on his final journey last month – had published calculations that proved Heaven (jannat) was running away from Earth at one centimeter per second less than the speed of light. His reasoning centred around a particular verse of the Holy Quran that states worship on the night of Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Revelation) is equivalent to a thousand nights of ordinary worship. Indeed, if you input the factor of 1,000 into Einstein’s famous formula for time dilatation, this yields a number: one centimeter per second less than the speed of light!

These days the internet groans under the weight of claims that the Holy Quran had specified the speed of light 1400 years ago. Dr Mansour Hassab El Naby, said to be a physicist from Egypt, announces that according to his Quranic calculations, this speed is 299,792.5 kilometres per second. He even gives error bars! Another video gives a still more precise figure of 299792.458 km/sec. Given the unrestrained leaps of logic made by the authors, it is not surprising that they all arrive at more or less the
same numbers.

Interested readers may also wish to visit an intricately-designed website that has clocked up over 750,000 visitors so far. Chockful of mathematical formulae, diagrams, and pictures, it starts from the premise that ? “angels are low density creatures” taking orders from a “Preserved Tablet” and says “the speed at which they commute to and from this Tablet turned out to be the known speed of light”. To enhance the visual impact, the website has a Java applet showing a white Caucasian scientist who moves his eyes up, down, and around in wondrous rapture. While doing so he sonorously pronounces – in what sounds like an Australian accent to me -
that the extra space-time dimensions demanded by the physics of string theory are exactly those predicted in the Quran. The final conclusion: “Einstein’s theory of General Relativity proves the Quran right”.

Well, there’s a huge problem here! No scientist is sure that General Relativity (GR) is absolutely correct. In fact, the phrase “absolutely correct” does not belong to the lexicon of any science, even one as well developed as physics. Excellent as GR is – with hundreds of careful tests – physicists are pretty sure that there are places, such as at the edge of
a black hole, where GR simply has to fail. Placing the absolute correctness of Allah’s Word on the knife-edge of an imperfect theory is
pretty dicey.

Certainly, no working scientist takes seriously any of stuff on Islamicscience websites. In spite of their wonderful graphics and scientific appearance, they are wholly unscientific. Science comes from persistentlyand patiently checking hypotheses, building upon earlier discoveries and knowledge, and systematically sifting out all which cannot pass stringent tests of logic and observation. For example, experiments at CERN consume the working lives of some of the most brilliant people on earth, require billions of dollars of equipment, and stretch human capacities and ingenuity to the limit. When real scientists eventually publish a result, it comes from solid evidence and not from uncontrolled spurts of imagination and strident assertions of faith.

Returning to neutrinos: today we do not know if the results from CERN on faster-than-light neutrinos are actually correct. Like most other particle physicists, I am sceptical. Explanations will surely be forthcoming once similar experiments are done in other laboratories; time will tell. But right or wrong, this is just another interesting puzzle for physicists to mull over. With deep foundations, the edifice of science has survived bigger earthquakes.

On the other hand, if the CERN results are right, “Islamic scientists” like Dr Naby would need to do much explaining. High above in the heavens, neutrinos would easily out-chase angels – the messengers of Allah – because, if Islamic websites are to be believed, angels are limited by the speed of light. So does that mean these naughty neutrinos are outside of God’s control? Using a holy text as a physics book makes little sense. But, sadly, it is all too common.

Worried by the cancerous growth of claptrap masquerading as science, the late Carl Sagan, one of my heroes, spoke to Bible Belt Americans with matchless eloquence:

“I worry that, especially as the Millennium edges nearer, pseudoscience
and superstition will seem year by year more tempting, the siren song of
unreason more sonorous and attractive. Where have we heard it before?
Whenever our ethnic or national prejudices are aroused, in times of
scarcity, during challenges to national self-esteem or nerve, when we
agonise about our diminished cosmic place and purpose, or when fanaticism
is bubbling up around us – then, habits of thought familiar from ages past
reach for the controls.”

Pakistanis need to listen again, and yet again to this. Sagan is also speaking to us.

Published: January 8, 2012 in Express Tribune. If you would like to be
removed from this list of occasional mailings, please send me a note **
http://tribune.com.pk/story/318468/on-neutrinos-and-angels/On Neutrinos
and Angels

© 2012, Pervez Hoodbhoy. This article may not be reproduced in any form without providing an active attribution link/ reference to The Pakistan Forum. All attribution links within the article must also be retained.

Revered for being a symbol of courage and dignity; cherished for being a role model for people suffering from any form of disability; and adored for being an exceptional human being which this world was so badly in need of, Saima Ammar — the chief executive officer of the Pakistan Foundation Fighting Blindness (PFFB)-breathed her last at the age of 41 here early Thursday morning.

Having lost her eyesight to a typhoid attack at the tender age of two-and-a-half years, Saima accepted her impairment without any regrets and never permitted her disability to stand in way of her resolve to transform the lives of disabled people who were not fortunate enough to have been brought up, groomed and educated like her. Saima converted her disability into a mental and spiritual strength, and accomplished in her short lifetime, what people blessed with all senses seldom do.

In August last year, Saima was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a nervous disorder which paralysed her body, neck-down. With her family member and husband Ammar Masood by her side, Saima braved three months of hospitalisation on a ventilator before stabilizing enough to be shifted home. At home, a mini-ICU laced with all necessary equipment was installed to keep her going in an infection-free environment. Saima struggled with the disease for almost a year. “She was a lovely child. Not once did she utter a word of complaint. She remained as peaceful and calm throughout the period of her illness, as she appears today,” sobbed her father Brigadier (r) Niaz Ahmed, as he caressed her lifeless being.

Talking to this scribe over the last few days, Ammar shared that Saima was always thankful for not having any reminiscences of vision because she always said that she doesn’t know what to miss. “I am yet to come across someone with as much resilience and willpower as Saima,” said Ammar who, throughout the period of her illness, maintained constant liaison with leading doctors worldwide, updating them with her condition in the hope that they would find a cure.

Saima’s first meeting with Ammar took place at Audio World, a PFFB project which records books of all genres for visually impaired people. An avid radio listener, Saima was particularly fond of a late night ‘Ghazal Time’ show, which Ammar used to host. They met each other through a mutual friend; just like Saima was impressed by his voice, so too was he impressed with her work and persona. Ammar offered voluntary services to Audio World and started recording cassettes for it. Their bond gained strength with time, and eventually on October 30, 1997, they entered into wedlock.

Saima travelled to numerous countries, attending international conferences on disability issues. She attended the UN Women Conference in Beijing, the Retina International Conference in Japan, and the13th World Congress of Retina International in Netherlands. She was also instrumental in organizing the first International Seminar on Retinitis Pigmentosa and Allied Retinal Dystrophies by PFFB in June 2006. In 2008, she became the first blind person from Pakistan to have been nominated to attend the International Visitor Program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, USA. Her last trip was to Italy where she addressed an International Retina Conference. She was so pained by the plight of visually impaired persons in Pakistan that she broke into tears.

Saima was chosen CEO of PFFB three years ago, following the death of Dr. Salma Maqbool, who was another beacon of hope for the disabled. She worked on five different projects for the blind namely, Audio World, Darakhshan (resource training centre for disabled women), medical research project, first internet café for the blind, and data collection of blind persons.

“Unlike Saima, most people with disabilities are not fortunate enough to have led a ‘pampered life,’ as she used to describe it,” Ammar said. When she lost her eyesight, her parents knew that she would have no future in Pakistan so they sent her to London, where she studied up to A-levels. On return, she completed her Masters in International Relations from Quaid-i-Azam University and was hoping to appear for the CSS exam until her eligibility was challenged on medical grounds. Disheartened, she dedicated her life in the service of blind people.

Saima’s life is an example of courage, hope and determination. Hers was an amazing struggle, which inspired the young and old, and the able and disabled alike. (May Allah rest her soul in peace).

Courtesy: The News

Karachi University is one of the biggest University of Pakistan. According to HEC Ranking University of Karachi stands third with a total rank of 42.01, followed by Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad and University of Punjab bearing total score rank of 58.16 and 45.92 respectively  in the category of “General Universities”. Whereas, According to Times Higher Education-Quacquarelli Symonds, the University of Karachi holds 138th position among the top 425 universities of Asia, said Proff. Siddiqui while speaking to the annual convocation,2011

Even with the high ranking scale, UoK puts its students in the dilemma of considering themselves lucky or unlucky.The students of UoK pursue their degrees under the shadow of guns and in an aura of fear. Regular inside strikes, riots and bomb blasts have become routine visitors of KU for every two-three months. These instabilities affect student’s mental health negatively and may harm their personalities. Even in such unfavorable circumstances teachers and students together work hard to achieve good results with combined efforts. However, I don’t know that whether being a student of KU is a blessing for me or curse. KU lacks proper management and appropriate planning. Imposing new educational policies without foreseeing the future and its effects is not less than a crime.KU abolished its M.A program few years back. Therefore, graduated students of colleges were forcefully given admission to UoK B.S programe. Students had no other option but to follow the newly imposed policies. You should keep in mind that B.S is a semester program whereas Masters program is annual. B.S being the international mode of studying is not only difficult than Masters but also bears high standards. Students having B.S degrees should be welcomed for jobs, but the attitude of Madre Ilmi is like that of a step mother to B.S students.

I got second position in Mass Communication,2011- but no appreciation for me!

It was a sad moment for me when I acknowledged that due to lack of sponsorships no gold medals will be awarded to deserving students. While browsing on net, I realized that even University of Sindh, Jamshoro that has a total ranking score of 29.00 awards not only gold medal but silver medals too to its graduates. Collecting sponsors and funds is something which should be done by the University itself. When smaller universities are meeting such challenges then why not UoK?

The convocation arranged was the most mismanaged event i ever attended. Students were not called one by one, not even the position holders on stage. UoK didnot even bother to award degrees in the convocation.Degrees are still awaiting to be dispatched via registry.

I on the behalf of B.S students plea  to the Vice Chancellor PirZada Qasim and Peer Mazharul Haq-Provincial minister of Education to award B.S students real recognition. They are in no way inferior than Masters students. Look into the matter and provide funds to compensate the emotional suffering of students by conferring them atleast gold and silver medals. My sincere suggestion, that stop corruption and learn something from Punjab government Free Laptop Scheme.Otherwise, we reject this convocation and consider it a mere DRAMA, that was only arranged to fulfil your own hidden agenda!

Please note, the names on the signatories list will be updated as more endorsements are coming in.

PRESS RELEASE

Civil society terms “memogate” scandal an attempt to thwart democracy; Says threatening the representative system tantamount to attack on sovereignty of people.

December 17, 2011

We, the representatives of the Civil Society including non-governmental organisations, labour organisations, academia, women’s rights bodies, and media persons express deep concern over the current political situation in the country where a crisis is being manufactured on frivolous grounds, and is being referred as the so-called “memogate”. This has the potential of subverting democratically elected Parliament and the Constitution.

It is time all conspirators against democracy and the sovereignty of the people be called to account. Sovereignty belongs to the people who have agreed to exercise it through their representatives in a federal, parliamentary, and a democratic system. Any attempt at arbitrarily altering this arrangement is tantamount to an attack on the sovereignty of the people. Various institutions of the state are supposed to function within their defined constitutional parameters and complement each other but they seem to be working at cross-purposes, to the determent of public interest.

We emphasise that the role of political parties and political leaders is to represent their constituents’ interests and arrive at negotiated agreements to differences in agreed political forums.

The role of state’s security organizations is to serve the people through stipulated constitutional arrangements, under the command of the executive, and not to define what is or is not in the national interest.

The role of the judiciary is to protect the rights of the citizens from arbitrary abuse of executive power, and not to itself become a source of arbitrary executive power.

The role of the mass media is to help citizens hold powerful interests groups within and outside the state to promote their legitimate interests and hold violators of rights accountable, and not to itself act as an unaccountable interest group.

In our opinion, parliament is the appropriate forum to discuss and investigate this issue and come up with findings.

We believe that any attack on the sovereignty of the people will be unjust. It will necessarily lead to conflict and must be resisted.

We appeal to the people of Pakistan to stand united and firm in support of democracy and to resist all attempts aimed at its subversion. The people of Pakistan have made great many sacrifices for the cause of democracy and they should not let any vested interests trample their right to have a democratic and an elected representative system run the country.

Undersigned (in alphabetical order by first name)

1. Abdulrahman Rafiq, Founder & Operations Coordinator http://SARelief.com
2. Abrar Qazi, Awami President Awami Jamhori Party
3. Adam Malik, Human Rights Activist
4. Adnan Rehmat, Executive Director Intermedia
5. Aisha Gazdar, documentary filmmaker
6. Ali Asghar Khan, Aman Ittehad Pakistan
7. Ali Raza, Shirkat Gah
8. Amir Aziz Syed, businessman
9. Anis Haroon, Women Action Forum
10. Arif Hasan, Architect, Urban Planner,
11. Arshad Mehmood, Executive Director Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child
12. Arshid Mirza, Baidarie Sialkot
13. Asad Mufty columnist daily Jang.
14. Asad Rahman, Sungi Foundation
15. Asad Sayeed, Director, Collective for Social Science Research, Karachi
16. Ayesha Tammy Haq, Journalist
17. Aziz Abbasi, President Watan Dost mazdoor feder
18. B. M Kutty, Secretary, Pakistan Peace Coalition
19. Babar Ayaz, journalist
20. Beena Sarwar, Independent Journalist
21. Bushra Khaliq,
22. Danial Noorani, social worker
23. Dr Haroon Ahmed, President Pakistan Mental Health Association
24. Dr. Abid Qayoum Suleri, Executive Director Sustainable Development Policy Institute
25. Dr. Aly Ercelan, Senior Development Economist
26. Dr. Arif Azad, Development Consultant and Campaigner
27. Dr. Badar Siddiqui, Ex-President, Pakistan Medical Association,
28. Dr. Jaffar Ahmed, Irtiqa Institute of Social Science,
29. Dr. Kaisar Bengali, Senior Economist
30. Dr. Manzoor Ahmed AwanDirector Program OperationsSungi Development Foundation
31. Dr. Mohammad Taqi, Columnist/Physician
32. Dr. Pervez Tahir, Economist
33. Dr. Taimur Rahman, Laal
34. Faiza Haswary, Lecturer, Hameed Law College, Karachi
35. Farooq Tariq, Spokesperson, Labor Party Pakistan
36. Fatima Zafar, National Focal Point, Youth Peer Education Network Multan
37. Fauzia Viqar, Shirkat Gah
38. Ghulam Fatima, Executive Member BLLF,
39. Haider Nizamani, Human Rights Activist
40. Haris Gazdar, Independent Economist
41. Harris Khalique, Development Consultant,
42. Hassam Qadir Shah, Lawyer
43. Hoori Noorani, Publisher
44. Human Fouladi, Aman Ittehad Balochistan
45. Ibrahim Malick, Technologist, Social Entrepreneur
46. Idrees Kamal, Idrees Kamal Coordinator Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network
47. Iqbal Alavi and Friends of Irtiqa and National Council of Academics
48. Iqbal Tareen
49. Irfan Ali, Aman Ittehad, Balochistan
50. Irfan Mufti, South Asia Partnership -Pakistan
51. Ishaq Mangrio, Independent Journalist,
52. Jaffar Memon, We Journalists,
53. Jami Chandio, Executive Director, Centre for Peace and Civil Society,
54. Jugnu Mohsin, The Friday Times
55. Kamran Noorani, Businessman
56. Kamran Shafi, Columnist
57. Karamat Ali, Executive Director, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research,
58. Kausar S. Khan, Women Action Forum
59. Khawar Mumtaz, Shirkat Gah,
60. Lala Hassan, Co-convener Asian Muslims Lawyers Human Rights Network for South
61. Lateef Mughal, General Secretary, Peoples Workers Union KESC
62. Mansoor Ahmed, SAP-Pakistan
63. Maqbool Dal, President, Village Community Development Organization Mirpur Khas
64. Marvi Sirmed, Columnist Daily Times
65. Masood Punjabi, trade union activist Sweden
66. Mehnaz Rehman, Regional Director Aurat Foundation,
67. Mirza Abdul Shakoor, Executive Director, Community Development Concern, Sialkot
68. Mirza Yusuf Agha
69. Mohammad Ali Shah, Chairperson Pakistan Fisher folk Forum (PFF)
70. Mohammad Tahseen, Executive Director, South Asia Partnership Pakistan,
71. Mohammad Waseem, IRC Lahore
72. Mohsin Sayeed, journalist
73. Mola Bux Leghari, Executive Director, SPEACH Development org, Dadu, Sindh
74. Mumtaz Mughal, Aman Ittehad Punjab
75. Naeem Mirza, Aurat Foundation
76. Naeema Malik, South Asia Partnership -Pakistan
77. Najam Sethi, anchor, Geo TV
78. Najma Sadeque, Women Action Forum
79. Naseer Memon, Chief Executive, Strengthening Participatory Organization, SPO,
80. Nasir Iqbal, Lahore Social Forum
81. Nasir Mumtaz, Kashf Foundation
82. Nasreen Azhar, Women Action Forum
83. Nausheen Ahmad, Advocate
84. Naziha Syed Ali, journalist
85. Nazim F Haji, industrialist, Former Chief Citizens Police Liaison Committee,
86. Nazir Ghazi, Godh Lahore
87. Nazish Brohi, Women Action Forum
88. Nighat Saeed Khan, ASR Resource Centre and Women Action Forum
89. Noman Quadri, student, Karachi
90. Omar Ali, Columnist and Moderator Asia Space
91. Peter Jacob, National Commission for Peace and Justice
92. Prof. Arfana Mallah, President Sindh University Teachers Association,
93. Prof. Dr. Ijaz Khan, Chairman, Department of International Relations, University of Peshawar
94. Punhal Saryo, President Sindh Hari Porhiat Council,
95. Qamar Hayat, Executive Director Sahara Development Foundation,
96. Rabia Khan, Women Rights Activist, Karachi
97. Raja Abbas, ANCE Lahore
98. Rana Bilal, Youth Parliament Pakistan
99. Rana Riaz Saeed, Development Activist and Lobbyist
100. Rashida Dohad, Omar Asghar Khan Foundation
101. Raza Rumi, writer/columnist
102. Raziq Fahim, Director College of Youth Activism and Development
103. Rehana Shaikh, Institute of Social Policy
104. Rubina Jamil, NTUF
105. Sabahat Ashraf, “iFaqeer” Communicator, Citizen
106. Sabiha Shaheen, Bargad Foundation Gujranwala
107. Saeed Ahmed Rid, Commonwealth Scholar, Peace Studies, University of Bradford, UK & Lecturer, National Institute of Pakistan Studies (NIPS), Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
108. Saeeda Diep, Institute for Peace and Secular Studies
109. Salima Hashmi, Artist and Academician
110. Samina Khan, Executive Director Sungi Development Foundation
111. Samina Khan, Sungi Foundation
112. Sayed Masud-ul Hassan
113. Shahzad Ahmad, Country Coordinator, Bytes for All, Pakistan
114. Shaikh Tanveer Ahmed, Chief Executive HANDS Pakistan
115. Sheema Kermani, Tahreek –e- Niswan,
116. Sheen Farrukh, Inter Press Communications,
117. Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi, Chair & Founder Pakistan Youth Alliance, Central Executive Committee, Khudi Pakistan
118. Tasneem Ahmed Siddiqui, Chairman, Saiban, Former Chief Secretary Sindh,
119. Ume Laila, Home Net Pakistan
120. Uzma Noorani, Council Member HRCP
121. Waseem Akram, SAP-Pakistan
122. Zahid Islam, Director, SANGAT-Lahore
123. Zia Banday
124. Zia Rehaman, AWAZ CDS Multan
125. Zubaida Noor, Noor Education Trust, Peshawar
126. Zubair Faisal Abbasi, Development Consultant
127. Zubair Malik, STEP, Khushab
128. Zulfiqar Halepoto, Sindh Democratic Forum,
129. Zulfiqar Shah, Institute for Social Movements Pakistan