Book-in-Brief: Studies in Islamic Civilization: The Muslim Contribution to the Renaissance

Studies in Islamic Civilization draws upon the works of Western scholars to make the case that without the tremendous contribution of the Muslim world there would have been no Renaissance in Europe. For almost a thousand years Islam was arguably one of the leading civilizations of the world spanning a geographic area greater than any other. It eliminated social distinctions between classes and races, made clear that people should enjoy the bounties of the earth provided they did not ignore morals and ethics, and rescued knowledge that would have been lost, if not forever, then at least for centuries. The genius of its scholars triggered the intellectual tradition of Europe and for over seven hundred years its language, Arabic, was the international language of science. Strange then that its legacy lies largely ignored and buried in time. In the words of Aldous Huxley, Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view, is silence about truth. By simply not mentioning certain subjects... propagandists have influenced opinion much more effectively than they could have by the most eloquent denunciations. Studies in Islamic Civilization is a compelling attempt to redress this wrong and restore the historical truths of a golden age that ushered in the Islamic renaissance, and as a by-product that of the West. In doing so it gives a bird's eye view of the achievements of a culture that at its height was considered the model of human progress and development. (2010).

Ahmed Essa died on June 15, 2008 and Dr. Othman Ali helped to produce the final manuscript of his work Studies in Islamic Civilization. Dr. Essa was a professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, from 1967 to 1991, teaching multicultural literature and creative writing. He was known for his expertise in African and Middle Eastern literature. Born in India, he spent his early years in Pietermaritzburg and Durban, South Africa. His experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa gave him much of the inspiration for his creative writing. Dr. Essa was also the founder of the Northern Nevada Muslim Society, bringing the group from its early days of a few members in the 1960s to an organization that includes several thousand today. In 2003, he received the World Citizen Award from the Northern Nevada International Center for linking Nevada and its culturally diverse population with people nationally and internationally. Othman Ali is a Canadian professor of Middle Eastern Studies. He has written widely on Middle East history and politics. He holds a Ph.D from the University of Toronto and a Masters Degree in International Relations from the University of Guelph-Canada. He was Associate Professor at the Department of History and Civilization, University of Ryerson, Toronto, from 1994-98. He currently lectures at the Department of History, University of Salahaddin, Erbil, Iraq. Dr. Ali is also president of the Kurdish-Turkish Studies Center in the Erbil-Kurdistan region of Iraq, and his interest lies in Kurdish history and politics.