Islam and science [audio 30min]

A recent United Nations Report, written by Arab intellectuals, suggested that in the last thousand years the Arabs have published as many books as Spain publishes in one year. And yet, from the 8th to the 15th centuries, it was the Muslim world that took the lead in the development of scientific exploration. So what went wrong? Is the contemporary Muslim world really lagging behind the West in scientific research, or is there something inherent in Islam that is holding scientists back? Each week on the Sony Award-"winning series "Beyond Belief," Ernie Rea is joined by three guests who discuss how their particular religious tradition affects their values and way of looking at the world, often revealing hidden and contradictory truths. Throughout the series, panel guests listen to a personal story which challenges their point of view and forces them to place their faith and values within the context of real life experiences.