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Activities and Announcements (Muslim Heritage Newsletter, Issue 5 - Vol. 2)
 | Discover the Scientific and Technological Muslim Heritage in Our World | A Quarterly Publication issued by the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC), Manchester, UK Issue 5 - Vol. 2 * Rabi' al-Awwal 1431 / March 2010 | Read Previous Newsletters:
Issue 1: November 2007; Issue 2: March 2008 ; Issue 3: July 2008 ; Issue 4: December 2008. | |
| Activities and Announcements | | 1. The Exhibition "1001 Inventions" Opens at the Science Museum |  | The Exhibition "1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World" opened at the Science Museum in London on 21st January 2010 and was greeted with great interest by the world's media, keen to cover the exhibition and comment on its various elements. The exhibition, which runs until 30 June 2010, looks at the social, scientific and technical achievements that are credited to the Muslim world, whilst celebrating the shared scientific heritage of other cultures. The exhibition is a British based project, produced in association with the Jameel Foundation.
Click here and here to read more about this ground breaking event. | | 2. The new 1001 Inventions website went live on 21st January 2010 |  | The redesigned website of the 1001 Inventions Global Initiative was and launched on 21st January 2010, the day of the inauguration of the 1001 Inventions Exhibition at The Science Museum in London. In addition to its attractive look, the new design of the website offers easy navigation, more facilities, information and news.
The general menu of the website comprises the following sections, which are full of information: Home, Exhibition, Latest News, Events, Media, Gift Shop, 1001 INVENTIONS. It includes all the zones of the exhibition: Home, School, Market, Hospital, Town, World and Universe.Other facilities provided include special pages created on social media: Online Social Networking
The 1001 Inventions Project focuses on building social relations between people who share an interest in cultural heritage. It promotes social cohesion and cultural understanding through online social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Muxlim. | | 3. MHAG Meetings During 2009, several meetings of the Muslim Heritage Awareness Group (MHAG), a think tank and consultation network of the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC), were organised. A different format for the meeting was tried and found to be very successful. Three or four presentations are made by specialists, and they are followed by a short FSTC advisory meeting. This format has proved successful and has been welcomed by all participants. It is our intention to continue with this format for the foreseeable future until an improved structure is put forward. |  | 3.1. MHAG Meeting on 24th March 2009 (Royal Society, London)
In addition to the usual business discussion, the debates were centred around the selected theme of Muslim Heritage and Social Media.
Bettany Hughes and Peter Raymond chaired the sessions. The presentations by Professor Peter Kawalek, Lee Bryant, and Professor Jim Al-Khalili on "Social Media and Muslim Heritage" were brilliant, and sparked stimulating discussions. Dr Charles Savage from Munich and Dr Munim al-Rawi from Dublin attended the meeting.
The four presentations on Social Media, were:- Professor Peter Kawalek of MBS, University of Manchester - "What is Social Media and Why?".
- Lee Bryant, MD of Headshift Ltd and also a Trustee of FSTC) - "Social Media Strategies as Applied to Muslim Heritage Awareness".
- Professor Jim al-Khalili, University of Surrey - "Science Communication and Muslim Heritage in Science".
- Professor Salim Al-Hassani, Chairman of FSTC – "1001Games: Sports in Muslim Heritage"
For more information click here; for photos of the meeting click here. |  | 3.2. MHAG Meeting on 14th July 2009 (Royal Society, London)
Following the previous format, the first session of proceedings comprised presentations from experts on the theme selected for the meeting - Environment and Muslim Heritage. This was followed by a wide ranging discussion.
The session was chaired by Dr Anne Maria Brennan, London South Bank University. Speakers were:- Sir Crispin Tickell, an eminent career diplomat and expert on climate change
- Martin Palmer, Secretary General of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation
- Dr. David Browning: Oxford University
- Dr. Paul Berkman, Head, Arctic Ocean Geopolitics Programme, Scott Polar Research Institute, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge and Fulbright Distinguished Scholar and Research Professor at Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California.
The last hour was spent on the MHAG business of promoting Muslim heritage awareness for social cohesion and world peace and to discussing funding opportunities. Click here for more information. |  | 3.3. MHAG Meeting on 30th September 2009 (Royal Society, London)
The theme selected was Curriculum Enrichment for the Common Era (CE4CE). The session was chaired by Ian Fenn, Principal of Burnage Media Arts College, Manchester. This meeting marked the formation the new FSTC company, Curriculum Enrichment Limited which aims to undertake a range of curriculum projects designed to develop curriculum materials for all key stages and all schools, nationally and internationally. These materials will be based upon 1001 Inventions and other related Muslim heritage issues.
The speakers were:
- Professor Mick Waters, formerly Director of Curriculum at the QCA and now Chairman of the Curriculum Foundation and Professor of Education at Wolverhampton University: "The Big Curriculum Picture"
- Maurice Coles, CEO, Curriculum Enrichment Ltd: "Curriculum Enrichment in the Common Era and how it relates to the work of FSTC and the 1001 Inventions project"
- Marianne Cutler, Association of Science Education, and Jamie Byron, History adviser from Devon: "How Ideas Travel" the latest curriculum project from FSTC.
The discussion that followed included contributions from members and guests from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the USA.
Click here to see all photos of the MHAG meeting. | | 4. Conferences and Lectures |  | 4.1. 29th International conference on The History of Arabic Science, IHAS, University of Aleppo, 3-5 November 2009
The Institute for the History of Arabic Science in the University of Aleppo organised the 29th International Conference on the History of Arabic Science in Aleppo. This symposium was held in the Institute for the History of Arabic Science at the University of Aleppo from the 2nd – 5th November 2009. The conference was attended by delegates from FSTC who presented lectures on various aspects of the ongoing activities of the Foundation and the topics currently being examined by its researchers:
- Professor Salim Al-Hassani: "Cultural Roots of Science for Cultural Cohesion"
- Dr. Salim Ayduz: "The routes of Gunpowder to Europe".
|  | 4.2. Lecture by Dr. Salim Ayduz on "Muslim Contributions to Modern Civilisation"
On 9th February 2010, Dr. Salim Ayduz, Senior Research Fellow at FSTC and lecturer at Fatih University in Istanbul gave a lecture on "Muslim Contributions to Modern Civilisation" at Lancaster University. The conference was organised by Lancaster University Islamic Society during Islam Awareness Week.
In his lecture, Dr Ayduz outlined the achievements of Muslim scholars and focused on their significant contributions to science and technology during several centuries. During a 1000 year period, the Muslims established many scientific institutions such as observatories, libraries, madrasas, and hospitals, and contributed new scientific and technological innovations to the progress of scientific knowledge. Click here for photos. | 4.3. Dana Centre Conferences
Inspired by the exhibition 1001 Inventions launched in London on 21st January 2010, the Science Museum's Dana Centre ran a programme of free adults-only evening events. Two directly related to topics in the exhibition were:
|  | 4.3.1. Lecture by Dr Subhi Al-Azzawi: Two-Houses-In-One Climatically And Environmentally: A Summer House and a Winter House, The passive solar design of indigenous courtyard houses of Baghdad
This lecture, presented on Tuesday 26th January 2010, from 19:00 to 20:30 hours by a panel of two speakers covered material in the Global "1001 Inventions: Discover the Muslim Heritage" Exhibition, Science Museum, London.
The Muslim architects and master-builders did not invent either the courtyard, or courtyard houses. These were developed in Mesopotamia over 4,500 years ago (between about 2,750 and 2500 BCE). Islam simply adopted, adapted and improved upon this form of domestic architecture because it also met its religious demands and social customs for absolute privacy for the family (especially the female inhabitants) from being overlooked by neighbours and passers-by.
However, by the middle of the 19th century, the existing, naturally conditioned, indigenous courtyard houses of Baghdad (and those of other cities in Iraq) had achieved the same thermal comfort conditions at least 75 years before American researchers achieved them but under laboratory conditions using mechanical and electrical devices to control air temperature, relative humidity and air speed. The master-builders of Baghdad were also ahead of British researchers by at least 90 years. |  | 4.3.2. Professor Jim Al-Khalili and Dr. Rim Turkmani's talk on "The Arabic Roots of Modern Astronomy"
A lecture presented on Thursday 21st January 2010 at The Dana Centre. It is part of ‘The Big Questions', a series by Imperial College Astrophysics Department.Arab astronomers profoundly changed our concept of the night sky, from a fearful realm with unpredictable powers over our lives, to an object of scientific curiosity. The lecture described how Arab science spearheaded this scientific revolution. | | 5. Announcements |  | Remembering the Language of History and Science: When the World Spoke Arabic
Two shows were broadcast on BBC Four in January 2009: "An Islamic History of Europe" by Rageh Omaar and "Science and Islam" by Jim Al-Khalili. As a gift for the Hijri 1430 and Gregorian 2009 New Years, and to celebrate this event, we published a short announcement of these programmes to alert our readers to the wealth of research published on www.MuslimHeritage.com on Muslim science, technology, history and culture. |  | It's Time to Herald the Arabic Science That Prefigured Darwin and Newton
In this era of intolerance and cultural tension, Professor Al-Khalili launched a heartfelt plea in The Guardian in January 2008 to appreciate the fertile scholarship that flowered with Islam. The tradition of Islamic science contributed greatly to the burgeoning of modern science in Western Europe by providing it with scientific texts, concepts, discoveries and inventions that paved the way for the great discoveries made during the fertile period from the 16th to the 19th centuries, from Copernicus to Darwin. It is always instructive to be reminded that science is universal and that before the brilliance of Western science, science attained high achievements in the world of Islam. | | 6. Events |
 | Ancient Wisdom Exhibition at Qatar Science and Technology Park 16th March 2009 in Doha
FSTC took part in the high profile opening of the Qatar Science and Technology Park on March 16th 2009. The opening night celebrations were attended by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and Her Highness Sheikha Mozah accompanied by over 1,400 VIPs from around the world including leading scientists, industrialists, and entrepreneurs. |  | Muslim Heritage Shines at Qatar through Ancient Wisdom Exhibition
The participation by the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC) and Muslim Heritage Consulting (MHC) in the opening of the Qatar Science and Technology Park on 16 March 2009 took two forms: an exhibition, and a live performance entitled "Ancient Wisdom" designed to highlight the legacy of scientific achievement in Muslim Civilisation. |  | 1001 Inventions vs. 1001 nights: Thoughts on the Renaissance of Science in the Modern Arab World
Professor Rafid Al-Khaddar, Head of Construction and Civil Engineering Department at John Moores University, Liverpool, and Key Associate and Fellow of FSTC on Environment in Muslim Heritage, presented a lecture in the symposium hosted by the Cambridge University Arab Society (CUAS) on "Science and Research in the Arab World: Obstacles, Challenges and Future Perspectives" (14th March 2009). |  | 1001 Inventions Book Continues its Way in the Media: Two Recent Reviews
Two reviews which gave high praise to the book 1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World published by FSTC in 2006 (Editor-in-Chief Salim al-Hassani) were published by Carl Kessler in his blog carlsbooks on 9th July 2009 and by Kerim Balci in the Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman on 14th June 2009. They show that the message of the book continues to filter smoothly through the media, resulting in support from various circles, and from individuals, all seeking more mutual respect and understanding. |  | FSTC in the British Science Festival in Surrey (10th September 2009)
FSTC participated in The British Science Festival hosted in 2009 by the University of Surrey from 5th – 10th September 2009, with events taking place in Guildford and various venues across Surrey. Organised by the British Science Association, the festival is one of Europe's largest science festivals, taking place each September. FSTC organised three sessions: Copernicus and the Astronomy of Medieval Islam, Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Celebrating Muslim Heritage in our World and Giant Shoes to Fill. |  | The History of Islamic Science in the 23rd International Congress of History of Science
The International Union of History and Philosophy of Science organised the 23rd International Congress of History of Science and Technology on 28th July - 2nd August 2009 in Budapest, Hungary. The theme of the congress was "Ideas and Instruments in Social Context". Several sessions and symposia were devoted to Arabic and Islamic sciences. This note presents to our readers a short report on the congress, with a special focus on the lectures on the scientific tradition of Islamic civilisation. |  | "Science for All" Report Released
The British Science Association (BSA) published a new report ‘Science for All' on 9th February 2010, as part of the UK Science and Society strategy commissioned by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS). FSTC Chairman, Professor Salim Al-Hassani was a member of the consultative group which produced the report, which recommended that science-based organisations and the government need to make greater efforts to engage the public with the sciences. | | 7. Awards |  | Prof. Salim Al-Hassani received a fellowship of the British Science Association
Prof. Salim Al-Hassani has been granted a Fellowship of the British Science Association for his work to promote the scientific and technological achievements within Muslim cultures. Lord May, President of the Association, said: "Honorary Fellowship of the British Science Association is a distinguished honour, conferred to date on just 81 people. Professor Al-Hassani's interest in the history of science and technology, and specifically within Muslim cultures, has earned him a worldwide reputation. He was instrumental in the development of the ‘1001 Inventions' Exhibition and educational materials about the contributions of scientists and technologists working within Muslim cultures." Click here to see photos of the ceremony. |  | Dr Ian Griffin Receives a NOYCE Fellowship in 2009
The British Science Association (BSA) published a new report ‘Science for All' on 9th February 2010, as part of the UK Science and Society strategy commissioned by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS). FSTC Chairman, Professor Salim Al-Hassani was a member of the consultative group which produced the report, which recommended that science-based organisations and the government need to make greater efforts to engage the public with the sciences. |  | 1001 Inventions Distinguished in London by the AMSS (UK)
At a meeting organised in London on 5th June, 2009, The Association of Muslim Social Scientists in the United Kingdom (AMSS - UK) honoured the Global Initiative 1001 Inventions by granting it the prestigious Building Bridges Award for 2009. The Award was presented by Dr Anas Al-Shaikh-Ali, Chair of AMSS UK, to Professor Salim Al-Hassani, who received it on behalf of 1001 Inventions - Muslim Heritage in Our World. |  | The Ninth Annual Ceremony Recognises the Very Best of British Muslim Achievements
The ninth Annual Ceremony for The Muslim News Awards for Excellence took place on 30th March 2009 in London. Over 800 people celebrated the ninth Annual Ceremony of The Muslim News Awards for Excellence - Britain's longest standing Muslim awards event. The coveted award ceremony recognised the very best of Muslim contribution to British society. On this occasion, Professor Mohamed El-Gomati, Deputy Chairman of the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC), was awarded the Fazlur Rahman Khan Award for Excellence in Engineering, Science and Technology. |  | Homage to Professor Salim Al-Hassani in Al-Ithinainiya Literary Forum in Jeddah
On 2nd February 2009 Professor Salim Al-Hassani, Chairman of the Board of FSTC Trustees, was honoured by Sheikh Abdul Maqsood Khoja at the Al-Ithnainiya Literary Forum in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The keynote address was entitled "Milestone on the Road of 1001inventions". The event was attended by scholars, leading Saudi citizens, and Diplomatic missions. This award has been running for the last 25 years. Previous leading scholars honoured include: Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Sheikh Muhammed Ali Al-Sabouni, Sheikh Abul Hasan Al-Nadawi, Sheikh Dr. Yousef Al-Qardawi, Sheikha Fatima Naseef, Sheikh Dr. Ayidh Al-Qarni, and Dr. Abel Hadi Al-Tazi. Click here for more information. | Published by FSTC - All rights reserved.
http://www.MuslimHeritage.com http://www.1001inventions.com |
by: FSTC Limited, Fri 05 March, 2010
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