Brochure #3 of 3
In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
IISTD/Institute of Islamic Sciences, Technology, and Development (USA)
TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAMIC
MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
THROUGH NORTH AMERICAN SECULAR UNIVERSITIES
( Such Institutions Have Been Utilized, But Should be More Intensively, for
Studies & Research in Islamic Medical and Health Sciences, and Similar Ones
Established in Colleges & Universities in Muslim-Majority and Muslim-Minority
Countries )
Prof. S. Waqar Ahmed Husaini, President, IISTD
Islamic Medical and Health Sciences, and Pseudo-Islamic
Views Concerning them:
Islam is submission to God's laws and principles of natural sciences like
physics, chemistry and biology, and the social and humanistic sciences like
philosophy ( i.e., metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and law, etc.), economics,
psychology and sociology. These are the creation ( khalq ), traditions or
customs ( sunnah ), and signs ( ayat ) of God. Ayat are
also the verses of the Quran. God Almighty does not make, or allow to be made,
any alteration ( tabdil ) and deviation ( tahwil ) in His khalq,
sunnah, or ayat. "... Indeed, no alteration will you find in the
sunnah of God” . “… Indeed, no deviation will you find in the sunnah
of God". ( Quran 35:43; also 17:77; 33:62; 35:43; 48:23 ). Thus physical and
psychological health and sickness are due to one's obedience or disobedience to
God's sunnah and ayat such as the "scientific laws" and properties
of materials that He has created. God does not allow any person or force to
change, avoid and suspend His ayat and sunnah, like His laws of
gravity and thermo-dynamics, or violate them with impunity. The causes of
sickness and health are also based on God's objective and unchangeable ayat
and sunnah in the realms of biology, chemistry, physics, ethics,
psychology, health, administration, etc. When the Quran was being revealed to
Prophet Muhammad and his Companions, they had a true fiqh or
"understanding" of such basic principles of Islam; the latter contradicted the
world-views of all existing religions and civilizations. Muslims of the early
generations, First-Second AH/ Seventh-Eighth AD century, acted upon this Islamic
belief-system and, therefore, they achieved "world intellectual supremacy" and
"hegemony" during 82-132 AH/ 700-750 AD, or about a hundred years after the
Quran had been revealed; this was first documented by George Sarton (
Introduction to History of Science, 3 vols. in 5, 1927-48 ). According to
Richard Bulliet ( Conversion to Islam in the Medieval Period
), by about 82 AH/ 700 AC, Muslims were only about 5% in Persia, 3% in Iraq,
2% in Syria and Egypt, and less than 1% in a few other countries except the
Arabian Peninsula. A small number of Muslims in the Peninsula, under the
leadership of Prophet Muhammad and his Companions, became the leaders in the
Islamic ideological culture and Arabicization of the non-Arabs in the
surrounding civilizations. Islamic ideological and technological cultures
triumphed for the benefit of all mankind, mostly the non-Muslims in the earlier
centuries, from the borders of China to West Africa and Southern Europe.
However, in recent centuries, Muslims around the world ceased to be believers ideologically, and practisers, of the true principles of the Quran, Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, and legacy of the two Islamic cultures. Muslims succumbed to many serious deviations ( tahrif ). For example, Muslims seek and expect from God that He exempt them from disease and sickness by only chanting the ayat/ verses of the Quran while they violate God's laws or ayat of natural and socio-humanistic sciences and technology which are the subject of those very verses! They want God, and their alleged intercessors with God, to use miraculous powers to exempt them from God's laws of causality through His ayat and sunnah of science and society. They want prayers/ du`a and intercession of the alleged "friends of God" to solve their problems of physical, mental and psychological health and sickness, without the need to know and apply God's ayat and sunnah concerning the sciences, policies, and management of medicine and health.
Islamization of Medical and Health Sciences through U.S. ( North American ) Secular Colleges and Universities. A Plan of Action: Islamization of all knowledge and its use, including medicine and the health sciences, are Islamic duties and pragmatic necessities. Muslims should undertake studies, research, and teaching in Islamic and comparative medicine and health sciences in North American educational and research institutions within their institutional constraints. They have great potentialities due to their belief in freedom through promotion of diversity, ethnicity, and multi-culturalism. The structure of academic programs has flexibility too. Islamic Medical Association of North America, IMA, and similar specialized associations should promote Islamization through discipline-oriented institutionalized studies and professional practice. ( IMA, 950 75th Street, Downers Grove, IL 60516. Tel: 630-852-2122. Fax: 630-435-1429. E-mail: imana@aol.com . Website: www.imana.org ). This must be done in cooperation with the experts in Islamic social and humanistic sciences through inter-disciplinary studies and research, and participation of non-Muslim scholars, students, and professionals.
This Plan is to guide and motivate
students and instructors to pursue Islamization through U.S. secular
universities:
1) They should offer courses and undertake studies and research through the over
60 Departments in US universities that have graduate programs in the philosophy,
sociology and history of science and technology; all other colleges and
universities have such undergraduate courses.
2) They should utilize the nearly 50 Programs on EVIST ( Ethics and Values in
Science and Technology ) given below, and others, concerning medical and health
sciences. This must be done for inter-disciplinary work through cooperation
between the professional schools, and the departments and centers dealing with
Islam and Muslims such as Islamic and Middle East studies and research. Research
can be conducted with funds available from the usual North American
sources.
3) Interested under-graduates should have a "double major", one in secularized
pre-medical studies, and the other in general and discipline-oriented Islamic
studies. The latter includes general Islamic studies, and concentration in a
subject like Islamic economics, Islamic psychology, Islamic law, etc. This
provides the Islamic ideological world-view for pursuit of both the rational or
`aqliyyah medical studies as well as Islamic medical philosophy, i.e.,
Islamic bio-medical ethics and values in general. The latter should lead to
specializations: Islamic medical psychology and psychiatry; Islamic medical
economics; Islamic medical sociology and anthropology; Islamic medical ethics
and law; etc. If such specializations, and Islamic science and civilization in
general, had "world intellectual supremacy" and "world intellectual hegemony"
for at least six centuries in the Middle Ages due to their demonstrated utility
and superiority, there is no reason why we should not usher in today the new
world order of Islamic medical and health sciences for human welfare.
A BIBLIOGRAPHY ON ISLAMIC MEDICAL & HEALTH SCIENCES:
AGHA, Zouhir M. Bibliography of Islamic Medicine and Pharmacy
(Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1983 ) HARAMNEH, Sami K. Health Sciences in
Early Islam ( San Antonio: Zahra
Publications,1983-84)
KAMAL, Hassan. Encyclopaedia of Islamic Medicine With a Greco-Roman
Background (Cairo: General Egyptian Book Organization, 1975) List
of Publications: June 1993 ( Frankfurt: Institut fur Geschichte der
Arabisch-Islamischen Wisenscaften an der Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Universitat
Frankfurt, 1993 ); and other publications before and since 1993. MEYERHOF, Max.
Studies in Medieval Arabic Medicine (London:
Variorum Reprints, 1984)
SARTON, George. An Introduction to History of Science; 3
vols in 5; (Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1927-48)
SHAHINE. Y.A. The Arab Contribution to Medicine
(London: Longman for Univ of Essex, 1976)
Journals:
J IMA/ Journal of the Islamic Medical Association of
North America.
(IMA of North America, 950- 75th Street, Downers Grove, IL 60516 ).
Hamdard Medicus ( Hamdard Foundation, Madinat al-Hikmah, Karachi
74700, Pakistan )
Isis: An International Review
Devoted to the History of_Science and its Cultural Influences.
( History of Science Society, Dept of History and Sociology of Science, Univ of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,_PA 19104 ).
Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran ( c/o National
Center for Scientific Research, 1188 Enghelab Ave, Tehran 13, Iran )
Institutions in USA with Graduate Study and
Research in Philosophy, History and Sociology of Medicine & Health Science (
List to be updated ):
These institutions have such undergraduate studies too; they may also have
courses and departments for traditional Islamic and related area-studies.
Financial aid, esp. for US minority students, can be used to develop
Islamic-Western comparative studies. Interested students and scholars must write
directly to these institutions, and NOT to IISTD.
A. Institutions with Specifically Named Programs:
1. Division of Medical History, Anatomy Dept., School of Medicine, Univ of
Calif. Los Angeles, CA 90024
2. Dept. of History & Philosophy of Health Sciences, Univ of California-San
Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
3. Section of History of Medicine, School of Medicine, Yale Univ, New Haven, CT
06510
4. Morris Fishbein Center for History of Science and Medicine, Univ of Chicago,
Chicago, IL 60637
5. History of Science & Medicine Program, Dept of History, Univ of Kansas,
Lawrence, KS 66045
6. History of Medicine and Science Committee, Univ of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
40506
7. Institute of History of Medicine, John Hopkins Univ, Baltimore, MD 21205
8. Section of Medical History, Uniformed Services, Univ of the Health
Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814
9. Dept of History of Medicine, Univ of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
10. History & Theory of Psychology Program, Psychology Dept., Univ of New
Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824
11. Program in History of Technology, Medicine & Science, History Dept, State
Univ of Rutgers, NJ 08903
12. History of Science, Technology & Medicine Program, History Dept., State Univ
of New York-Stony Brook, NY 11794
13. Duke-UNC Program in History of Science, Medicine and Technology, History
Dept, Duke Univ, Durham, NC 27706
14. Duke-UNC Program in History of Science, Medicine and Technology, History
Dept, Univ of N Carolina, NC 27514
15. Dept of Biomedical History, School of Medicine, Univ of Washington, Seattle,
Washington 98195
16. Dept of Hist of Medicine, Univ of Wisconsin, Madison, WN 53706
17. History of Pharmacy Program, School of Pharmacy, Univ of Wisconsin, Madison,
WN 53706
B. Broad-Based Institutions Interested also in
Medical-Health Sciences. Those Marked * have Stronger Interest and More
Faculty ( List to be updated ):
1) Program in History & Philosophy of Science, Philosophy Dept., Univ of
California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616
2. History Dept, Univ of California Los Angeles, CA 90024
3. Program in History of Science, Stanford Univ, Stanford, CA 94305
4. Hagley Program in History of Industrial America, History Dept., Univ of
Delaware, Newark, DE 19711
5. Committee on the Conceptual Foundations of Science, Univ of Chicago, Chicago,
IL 60637
6. Dept of History and Philosophy of Science, Indiana Univ, Bloomington, IN
47401
7. Program in History and Philosophy of Science, Univ of Notre Dame, Notre Dame,
IN 46556
8. Program in History of Technology & Science, History Dept., lowa State Univ, Ames,
lA 50011
9. Committee on History & Phil of Science, Univ of Maryland-College
Park, College Park, MD 20742
10. Center for Philosophy & History of Science, Boston Univ, Boston, MA 02215
11. Dept of History of Science, Harvard Univ, Cambridge, MA 02138
12. Program in Science, Technology and Society, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
13. History Dept, Univ of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
14. Program in History of Science, Princeton Univ, Princeton, NJ 08544
15.* Specialization in Hist of Science, City Univ of New York, New York, NY
10036
16.* Dept of Science & Technology Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute, Troy, NY 12180
17.* Program in History of Science & Technology, Case Western Reserve Univ, Cleveland,
OH 44106
18. History Dept, Ohio State Univ, Columbus, OH 43210
19.* Dept of History & Sociology of Science, Univ of Pennsylvania, Smith Hall,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
20. Dept of History & Philosophy of Science, Univ of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
15260
21.* History Dept, Univ of Houston, Houston, TX 77004
22. History Dept, Univ of Texas at Austin, TX 78712
23. Graduate Program in Sci & Tech Studies, Center for Study of Science in
Society, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State Univ, Blacksburg, VA 24061
24.* Dept of History of Science, Univ of Wisconsin, Madison, WN 53706
SOURCE: Guide to the History of Science, 1986: A Triennial Publication of the History of Science Society ( Dept of History & Sociology of Science, Univ of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA 19104 ). See also the recent issues of the Guide.
Institutions in U.S.A. with “EVIST” Programs in Medical and Health Sciences ( EVIST= Ethics and Values in Science and Technology ). The reader must consult current catalogs of universities for EVIST courses & programs added or removed.
1) Perspectives in Biology and
Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461
2) Institute of Bioethics, Athenaeum of Ohio, Norwood, OH 45212
3) Center for Study of Ethical-Legal Issues in Biomedical & Behavioral
Sciences, Baldwin-Wallace College, OH 44017
4) Program in Health Care Humanities, Medicine-Dentistry College, New Jersey
Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103
5) Health Sciences General Education Seminar on Ethics and Values in Health
Care, Columbia Univ, NY 10032
6) Humanities for Health Sciences, Creighton Univ, Omaha, Nebraska 68178
7) Faculty Seminar on Politics, Ethics & Economics of Health Care, Darmouth
College, Hanover, NH 03755
8) Human Genetics and Human Values Institute, Duchess Community College,
Poughkeepsie, NY
9) Bio-Medical Ethics, East Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23501
10) Bio-Medical Ethics, Fort Wright College, Spokane, WA 99204
11) Kennedy Institute, Center for Bioethics, Georgetown University, Washington,
D.C. 20057
12) Medicine & the Public, Indiana Univ, Bloomington, IN 47401
13) (a) Internships in Ethical Issues of Biology and Medicine (b) Institute of
Society, Ethics and the Life Sciences, Hastings on Hudson, NY 10706
14) Medical Ethics Lecture Series, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola Univ,
Maywood, IL 60153
15) Teaching Program in Human Values in Medicine, Medical College of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19129
16) Medical Ethics Sessions, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, W1 53233
17) Sage Center for Biomedical Ethics, Russell Sage College, Troy, NY 12180
18) Medical Education, Society & Humanities, Southern Illinois Univ School of
Medicine, Springfield IL 62708
19) Moral Issues in Health Care, Univ of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294
20) Division of Social Perspectives in Medicine, Univ of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ
85724
21) Medicine & Society Forum, School of Medicine, Univ of California-Los
Angeles, Los
Angeles, CA 90024
22) Joint Program in Bioethics (Bioethics Program/Health Policy), Univ of
California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
23) Arts and Sciences Basic to Human Biology and Medicine, Univ of
Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
24) Social And Ethical Issues in Medicine, Univ of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
25) Culture of Biomedicine, Univ of Delaware, Newark, DE 19711
26) Ethics for Health Professionals, Univ of Illinois at the Medical
Center, Chicago, IL 60680
27) Behavior, Law & Ethics, Univ of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
28) Humanities & Medicine, Univ of Louisville, KY 40201
29) Medical Ethics: Intro. to Clinical Practice, Univ of Maryland School
Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
30) Unit for Human Values in Medicine, Univ of Michigan Medical School, Ann
Arbor, MI 48109
31) Social Curriculum Project, Univ of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
32) Health Services Research Center, and Health Care Technology Center, Univ of
Missouri Medical Center, MO 65201
33) Program for Human Values in Health Care, Univ of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
15261
34) Graduate Study in Philosophy with Concentration in Medical Ethics, Univ of
Tennessee, Knoxville TN 37916
35) Human Values and Ethics, Univ of Tennessee, Memphis, TN 38163
36) 1. Medical/Ethical Grand Rounds 2. Medical Humanities 3. Legal Issues in
Biology and Medicine; Univ of Texas Health Science Ctr, San Antonio, TX 78284
37) Institute for the Medical Humanities, Univ of Texas Medical
Branch, Galveston, TX 77550
38) Medical Ethics, U of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
39) Medical Ethics, Virginia Commonwealth Univ, Richmond, VA 23298
40) Human Values in Health Care, Wayne State Univ, Detroit, MI 48202
41) Medical Ethics Study Group, Whittier College, Whittier, CA 90608
42) Ethical/Value Issues in Life Sciences, William Patterson College of New
Jersey, Wayne, NJ 07470
43) Bioethics Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609
44) Dept of Medicine in Society, Wright State Univ School of Medicine, Dayton,
OH 45401
45) Law, Science & Medicine, Yale Law School, New Haven, CT 06520
SOURCE: EVIST Resource Directory: A directory of programs and courses
in the field of Ethics & Values in Science and Technology. ( American
Association for Advancement of Science, Washington, D.C. 20036; 1978 ). The List
of such universities needs updating.
** * ***
IISTD Board of Directors, February 2003
Prof. S. Waqar Ahmed Husaini,
Chairman; and IlSTD President
(Visiting
Scholar, 1986-continuing, Stanford University, CA)
Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed,
Member
( General Secretary, Islamic Society of
North America, Plainfield, IN )
Dr. Hashim M. Mahdi,
Member
( Director, Islamic World League, Makkah, Saudi Arabia )
*** * ***
Members, IISTD Council of Advisors and Patrons,
February
2003
* Prof. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, (University Professor of Islamic Studies,
George Washington University, Washington, D.C.)
* Dr. Taha Jabir al-Alwani, (President, School of Islamic & Social
Sciences, Leesburg, VA)
* Prof. Abdulla Omar Naseef (President, Islamic World Congress,
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
*
Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Awadi, Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences,
Kuwait
* Imam Warith Deen
Muhammad, Mosque Project, Chicago, IL
* International Institute of Islamic Thought, Herndon, VA
* Islamic Society of North America, Plainfield, IN
* Islamic Circle of North America, New York, NY
* World Assembly of Muslim Youth, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
*** * ***