Muslims do not shun scientific progress

In an Environmental Ethics class last Thursday, a USF professor performed quite a trick: He managed to put his entire foot in his mouth before the eyes of roughly 100 students. He did so by inferring that the lack of technological advancement in the Middle East was a direct result of “Arabs (being) too busy reading the Quran” (the Holy book of Islam). His statement implied that the Quran was somehow incompatible with science. Not only did he put his foot in his mouth, he seemed to have swallowed it whole.

There is no irreconcilability between the Quran and modern science. I challenge the professor to find inconsistencies between the Quran and observable natural phenomena.

Scientists have yet to outdate the information in the Quran, unlike Christianity, where Copernicus and De Vinci discovered of the arrangement of the heavenly bodies and undermined the authority of the Church. Though revealed in the 7th century A.D., the Quran has numerous examples of scientific accuracies within its pages.

For example, The Big Bang Theory is told of in the Quran: “Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece, then We (I) parted them? And We have made from water every living thing.” (21:30)

Also, 23:12-14 in the Quran describe the process of creation of humans: “And indeed we created man from an extract of clay (water and earth). Thereafter We made him as a Nutfah (combined egg and sperm, zygote) in a safe lodging (the womb of a woman). Then we made the Nutfah into a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood), then We made the clot into a little lump of flesh, and from that lump of flesh We made bones, and then we covered the bones with flesh, and then We brought it forth as another creation. So blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators.”

There are many more scientific evidences in the Quran. The Quran encourages contemplation and investigation of the world. God has not forbidden man to question. In fact, He seems to want us to do so.

Professors should be more responsible with the minds they mold. Adhering to propaganda and perpetuating misconceptions and falsehoods is detrimental to the knowledge base at our university. I think this professor was too busy not reading the Quran to get his facts straight.

Aliyah O’Keeffe is a junior majoring in international studies.

Cars legally required to to stop at crosswalks

Attention incompetent drivers who do not understand that a crosswalk means pedestrians have the right of way. This letter especially concerns the driver of the two-door silver BMW that almost hit me on Wednesday, while I was in the crosswalk by the Sun Dome toward the business building. It amazes me to no extent how rude people are, especially to other students. I should not have to live in fear of walking to my class and getting hit by a fellow student because you are in a “hurry.” Believe it or not, waiting a few seconds for a person to cross will not mean you will be late to class. To the driver in the BMW, what you did was wrong and illegal, (you can get a ticket) and I hope one day your actions are punished.

Kelly O’Brien is a junior majoring in pre-nursing.

Weapons of mass desttruction still missing

When I look at the news every day, I always read the same topic — some Muslim country is trying to “produce” weapons of mass destruction. Well, wasn’t Iraq supposed to have those weapons? I don’t remember seeing any nukes after tens of thousands of troops poured into Iraq (I personally don’t think hiding a nuclear weapon is that simple of a task).

And as soon as the search for these weapons in Iraq turned out to be unsuccessful, the United States accused Iran of the same, and now it’s moving on to Syria. While all of this is happening, North Korea has probably already developed nukes with the capability to wipe out most of the United States. If you ask me, I think North Korea is a bigger threat than Iraq (which never even posed a threat to the United States in the first place). And of course the United States always has to add in the fact that Syria and other Arab states are “harboring and aiding” terrorist organizations.

Even after Israel’s bombing deep inside Syria (which was a blatant violation of international law), the United States still hasn’t condemned Israel for its wrongdoing. Israel has many nuclear and biological weapons and proves to be a bigger threat to peace in the Middle East than any other nation in that area. Israel is the only country with a nuclear arsenal that refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and refused international weapons inspectors. What I’m trying to reach here is that I want an answer to why the United States hasn’t stepped into Israel and stopped them from producing these weapons of mass destruction? Why has Bush become such an arrogant bully in world politics and decided to run the whole world on what he sees as right and wrong? Just because we have the biggest nuclear arsenal in the world, does that mean we get to marginalize the United Nations and be the judge and policeman of the world? Someone just please tell me why. Why has the United States put itself in such an immoral and biased position?

Hamzah Mubarak is a sophomore with a double major in political science and history