The government of Iran has imposed new restrictions on several branches of the social sciences at the university level deemed by them to be based on Western thought and therefore not compatible with Islamic teachings. The list includes philosophy, management, psychology, political science, women’s studies and human rights. At a time when many in the West are trying to build ties with Islam and draw out the compatibilities with those cultures, the move appears more politically motivated than having basis in truth. In that the government of Iran does seem like any other political group who bend facts to suit their agenda. It may be that most social sciences are not as quantifiable as hard sciences and therefore subject to more debate. But too in an era of globalization, social sciences, as any other academic subjects, need to cross the boundaries of countries, cultures, sectarian interpretations so as to make whatever is true in one setting able to hold up in another. That would also be so for religions— unless of course they are defined by the fundamentalists among them, as they are in Iran.
Somewhere in all this, as we allow political and religious fundamentalism to increasingly define us, there’s a lesson for us.
October 2010
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A Lesson?
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More Expensive…
According to a study at Iowa State University a single murder costs the society $17.25 million, each rape $445,532, each robbery $335,733. The costs are calculated based on criminal justice costs, lost productivity estimates for both victim and criminal, as well as the estimated costs of measures to prevent future violence such as extra security or insurance. When one multiplies these figures by the number of homicides or rapes or robberies the numbers are high indeed. For example the 18,000 murders recorded in 2007 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would add up to some $300 billion.
Law and order is still a popular slogan often espoused by political candidates. It may be time to rethink our response and beliefs, and realize that our current laws and justice system do seem more expensive than we can afford—financially and morally. -
A German Example
When it comes to Islam, Germans are not any friendlier to the religion than are Americans. The issue of Muslim integration, or rather the said lack of it, is big on the German Agenda and immigration is not an easier subject there either. That is why reading that Onasbruck University has started seminars for imams is an amazing piece of news. Many of the some 2000 imams in Germany do not speak German. They come from countries like Turkey, spend some time in Germany and then go home. Now with this program imams can be trained in state institutions and be part of the fabric of the culture of which they become a part. Almost 100 imams have expressed interest in this pilot program which is aimed at facilitating integration and assimilation. So far there is only room for thirty. Those interested which include some women come from Bosnia, Turkey and several Arabic Countries.
It’s such a simple idea with such potential to build crucial bridges between cultures and religions. Perhaps other countries, including the U.S., will feel free to copy it.