Eighth to the Sixteenth Century - Rashid Islamic Center

184 • The Making of Islamic Scienceworks on Darwinism were mostly written by Christians who, in turn,became the immediate sources for works by Muslim writers in Syria,Lebanon, and Egypt.At the time of Darwin’s arrival in the Muslim world, Westernstyleeducation was only available in institutions established bymissionaries. Often various groups of missionaries fought forinfluence in the Muslim world. In mid–nineteenth-century Syria,for instance, the American Protestants and French Jesuits werefierce rivals; both established educational institutions. The SyrianProtestant College (SPC) and St. Joseph’s College (establishedby the Jesuits), both in Beirut, became the two most importantcenters of Western education in the region. These were not merelyeducational institutions; the missionaries understood their vocationas the spreading of the gospel and enlightenment, and scientificeducation was, thus, part of the larger package. The situation inIndia was similar. Many colleges established by missionaries duringthe nineteenth century became the sources of Western influenceon education and science. These institutions also became centers oftranslation out of practical need. In order to teach, these collegesneeded material unavailable in local languages. The staff had tocreate it; these teachers had proficiency in languages and they optedfor the easiest way out by translating existing French or English textsinto local languages. This gave birth to secondary scientific works inlanguages spoken in the Muslim world. Books on various branchesof science that appeared in Arabic, Hindi, or Urdu as a result ofmissionary effort were at best of modest standard, but they served thepurpose of spreading European scientific ideas in the Muslim world.This is how Darwinism first arrived in the Muslim world.Let us note that what eventually became known as Darwinism(along with its modified versions, such as neo-Darwinism andevolution) arrived in the Muslim world in installments. It was seenas a phenomenon, something novel, current, and interesting, butnevertheless not close to home. For all practical purposes, the “realevent” was never in full view of most nineteenth-century Muslimwriters on Darwinism. Many based their views and responses on priorphilosophical or faith commitments rather than on Darwin’s ideas.Often they recycled what was being said in Europe for or against