Geoscientists bridge gap

Can geologists bridge the gap between Islamic countries and the West?

Osman Shinaishin, a National Science Foundation senior officer who funds geoscience projects, thinks so. A native of Egypt who came to the U.S. in the late 1950s to attend graduate school, Shinaishin believes geoscientists have a unique opportunity to improve understanding across cultures, because of the nature of their science. He presented his views at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Denver, Colo., last fall.

Emphasizing that his opinions are his own and not those of the National Science Foundation, Shinaishin said there are valid reasons for the difficulties experienced between Western and Islamic cultures but that geoscientists, especially those who work in the field, have a unique opportunity to learn about both the land and the people who live on it when working in other countries. According to Shinaishin, geoscientists have a keen respect for nature and a strong desire to learn from it. “They study its interaction with the people who live and depend on it regardless of how technologically advanced they are,” he said.

It is their interaction with land and people that makes geoscientists great ambassadors. Most of the people in Islamic countries live in rural areas and have a strong dependency on the land they inhabit. As Western geoscientists work in Islamic countries — often with Islamic scientists — they can help increase understanding and break down preconceived notions.

Shinaishin pointed out that modern science and technology have profoundly shaped the evolution and development of the Western World. Religious ideology and tradition have given way to freedom of thinking and the right to experiment. This is not always the case in modern Islamic cultures, where scientific thinking and analysis are frequently misunderstood, and scientific knowledge is often cast in a religious context.

At the same time, Islamic countries cannot be dismissed as inherently anti-science, said Shinaishin. “Muslims in countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Iran, India, Spain and Turkey have a heritage of scientific work from the seventh to the 14th centuries. Their scientists bridged the flow of scientific knowledge between the Greco-Roman era and the Renaissance. They paved the way for the explosion in scientific knowledge that followed and that continues today. And they feel they can contribute to human development and participate in the civilized world on equal footing with other countries.”

There is ample opportunity to pursue geoscience in this geographically large and well- populated part of the world. Hydrogeology, petroleum geology, geochemistry, and mineralogy are enormously important in Islamic countries. Western scientists also have considerable interest in topics ranging from tectonics of the Himalayas to the geophysics of the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea.

Shinaishin said geologists are eager to collaborate with scientists in the region. “The enthusiasm of geologists who have worked with colleagues from these countries has been inspiring to me, and I am sure much more inspiring to their foreign collaborators. I am convinced that the interaction between these scientists and the help they provide to these countries is of great benefit both to science and diplomacy.”

Shinainshin would like to see scientists, particularly geologists who know the land and people promote the concept of unity. In his view, “their strength is their knowledge of the Earth, its resources and its limitations. I have little doubt their message will be well-received in the Islamic countries. They can help promote a sense of confidence and mutual respect among researchers and leaders.”

— The preceding is from an information bulletin published by the Boulder, Colo.-based Geological Society of America.