ABU DHABI, 28 September 2007 — Muslims should lend greater attention and support for scientific research and for culture respecting and promoting it if they want to revive the golden era of Islamic civilization like the one that prevailed in Baghdad, according to Egypt’s Grand Mufti Dr. Sheikh Ali Juma.

Speaking at a high-profile Ramadan Majlis hosted on Wednesday night by Crown Prince Gen. Mohammed ibn Zayed Al-Nahayan, who is also deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Juma appealed to scholars, intellectuals, thinkers and researchers as well as think-tanks to review international reports to draw lessons from them and to keep abreast of current issues on all specializations.

Admitting the high percentage of illiteracy (40 percent) in the Arab world, Sheikh Juma stressed the urgent need for revival of the vital role of Islamic Auqaf (Endowment) in financing scientific research.

“There should be a strong determination for work and change ... We should set our priorities as the scientific supremacy and progress has become a matter of survival in the modern time,” he said, citing the huge amount of funds channeled by Israel into scientific research.

He maintained that a human being should be built culturally and exposed to culture. He blamed some satellite TV channels for promoting shallow programs.

“Today we are living the crisis of man,” he said, referring to the words of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) “Start with yourself and then your dependents.”

Outlining the path to scientific culture, Sheikh Juma said: “We need to create a fertile ground for research-oriented education and a viable media to promote this approach.”

He called for establishing scientific cities and incubators to lure back Arab-Muslim scientists, thinkers and researchers working overseas.