(Dr. Javed Jamil) Recently on the eve of Hiroshima Anniversary, President Obama of the United States uttered these words: “Science allows us to communicate across the seas and fly above the clouds, to cure disease and understand the cosmos, but those same discoveries can be turned into ever more efficient killing machines….The wars of the modern age teach us this truth. Hiroshima teaches this truth. Technological progress without an equivalent progress in human institutions can doom us. The scientific revolution that led to the splitting of an atom requires a moral revolution as well.”
The words attracted my attention especially because they came so close to what I wrote in my book, “Muslims Most Civilised, Yet Not Enough” and also in my 1999 book “The Devil of Economic Funadmentalism”.
I had written:
“Their claim emanates from the fact that humans can now boast of more worldly splendour than was the case at any other time in the past. Man has advanced technology providing him thousands of items of luxury; can communicate within seconds with any person living anywhere in the world; can watch with delight in his own bedroom events organised at the farthest places on the earth; is better acquainted with the secrets of life and of the universe; possesses thousands of medicines to treat illnesses; and can remove, with or without knife, malformations from inside the human body. They also claim that the world of today has the most developed political, economic and social systems. Big industries, lavish hotels, multi-storey stock exchanges, sprawling lush-green picnic spots, bars and casinos and busy beaches are presented as symbols of civilisation. To them, civilisation is synonymous with “development” and “prosperity”. The truth however is that this is an absolutely materialistic description of civilisation that has no place for moral and spiritual excellence….
“The net result is that peace eludes the modern civilisation; and it is not only peace at social or international level, which is non-existing; man has also become more devoid of peace at the individual level. He has all the luxuries at his disposal; still happiness has divorced his soul. He has numerous means of entertainment; still tension and anxiety terrorise his mind and heart. Socialism aimed at converting the world into a factory and humans into machines. Market economics has transformed the world into a market hemmed in on all sides by the jungles; it has converted humans into beasts that know only their rights, not duties, nor prohibitions. When the modern man feels the throngs of anxiety, he opts for either a tablet of a sedative or a peg of whisky. When he is sick with boredom, he finds solace in gambling, flirting with women and watching vulgarities on the big or small screen. When his problems become intolerable, he often decides to seek refuge in the valley of death.
“The ethical denudation turned science amoral if not totally immoral. Scientists started thinking that science was above religion and ethics. It had no role to play in the on-going course of social history except providing or striving to provide means of comfort or supremacy to those who seek them. They have continued their work despite the fact that self-seekers misuse their inventions and discoveries to rob common people of their hard-earned money, or to kill humans for political supremacy in the world. Scientists have incarcerated themselves in laboratories, computers, books and journals; the barons of economic fundamentalism roam free. Seldom do the beacons of science protest against the on-going desecration of nature and life. The few who display some determination and conviction to vent their feelings, like environmentalists or epidemiologists, are either diplomatically tackled or neutralised through lucrative offers.
“In short, there is little to doubt that the scientific spirit, which can also be called Scientific or Healthy Morality, does not govern the present world. It is the economic spirit, which can also be called Economic or Commercial Morality, which prevails and pervades everywhere. The question may here be put forward: what does the scientific morality actually mean? “
It is heartening to see that an in-oofice President of America has started realising the importance of morality and thinks that scientic revolution without morality is dangerous for society. Unfortunately however, Obama seems to have failed to recognise that it is not scientific but the Economic revolution of the New World Order, which is the root cause of the problem. This is where he and I differ. If he understands my theory of economic fundamentalism, his views on many issues will change.
Sciences in fact tell us that if they are formed the basis of morality, they will be standing almost where religion stands. Medical sciences tell that alcohol, gambling, drugs, promiscuity and homosexuality are all hugely dangerous for the survival of human being as well as the high standard of health that human beings desire for. And these all are the practices that the religion prohibits. Combined, these practices kill more than 70 million human beings, born and unborn, all over the world. What kill 70 millions cannot be moral. If these immoralities are still normalized, institutionalised, legalised and commercialised at the global level, it proves that the world is dominated not by Science but by Economics.
Had Obama understood this fact, he would not have supported the gay rights and right to abortion. While all criminals have their human rights, their crimes cannot be called human rights. Homosexuals have human rights like the murderers and rapists but homosexuality cannot and must not be accepted as human right. Out of all the sexual misdemeanours, homosexuality is the filthiest and most dangerous practice, from the medical point of view. While alcohol and drugs primarily threaten individuals indulging in them, homosexuality does not only endanger the larger population but also becomes a direct threat to the very survival of human species. If the whole world becomes homosexual, there will be no human life left on the earth within around 60-80 years. The life expectancy of homosexuals has been shown to be 20-30 years shorter than the normal people. In America itself, they are the most likely ones to die of AIDS. A report says:
“More than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection; Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSMa), particularly young black/African American MSM, are most seriously affected by HIV. CDC estimates that 1,218,400 persons aged 13 years and older are living with HIV infection, including 156,300 (12.8%) who are unaware of their infection. Over the past decade, the number of people living with HIV has increased, while the annual number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable. Still, the pace of new infections continues at far too high a level—particularly among certain groups. The estimated incidence of HIV has remained stable overall in recent years, at about 50,000 new HIV infections per year. Within the overall estimates, however, some groups are affected more than others. MSM continue to bear the greatest burden of HIV infection, and among races/ethnicities, … An estimated 13,712 people with an AIDS diagnosis died in 2012, and approximately 658,507 people in the United States with an AIDS diagnosis have died overall. (CDC)”
It can be seen that the numbers of people dying of AIDS is almost equal to the number of the people dying in homicides. And homosexuals are the biggest victims themselves. Why homosexuality should then not be considered as big a crime as homicide. In fact, if the deaths due to Hepatitis B and other sex-transmitted diseases are added, it would perhaps become a bigger killer than homicides. And in areas like Central Africa, it is certainly a bigger killer than any other practice. While there is no justification in hounding homosexuals and their human rights must be protected, homosexuality cannot be allowed as a human right, and they must be treated and deaddicted the way other abnormailities and addictions are treated. There can of course be no place for the legalisation and commercialisation of homosexuality in a civilised society. If society accepts it, it can be anything but civilised.
Abortion of course leaves everything far far behind in trms of lethality with more than 50 million human embryos aborted every years in the world. In America in 2012, 699,202 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC from 49 reporting areas. The abortion rate for 2012 was 13.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, and the abortion ratio was 210 abortions per 1,000 live births. If we take 700000 as the average annual figure, thanks to their “freedom of sex”, 10500000 Americans unborn children have been killed by their parents since the beginning of this century.
All these vices – from alcohol to gambling and from homosexuality to abortions are being accepted just because all of them are big money spoinners. When something brings money, nothing can stop it. Obama must have had sufficient understanding of this by now as despite all his efforts, guns continue to sell and kill the people in America.
If Obama can recognise the truth that economics must not be allowed to take the driver’s seat in the world affairs and that the survival of life and health must instead take the driver’s seat, he can at least leave a thought for the posterity.
Dr Javed Jamil is India based thinker and writer with over a dozen books including his latest, “Muslim Vision of Secular India: Destination & Road-map”, “Qur’anic Paradigms of Sciences & Society” (First Vol: Health), “Muslims Most Civilised, Yet Not Enough” and Other works include “The Devil of Economic Fundamentalism”, “The Essence of the Divine Verses”, “The Killer Sex”, “Islam means Peace” and “Rediscovering the Universe”. Read more about him at http://www.worldmuslimpedia.