Muslims and education in Sri Lanka: part two 2

-by DR RIFAI-

It is a natural law of this world, which law has been prescribed by Allah that whoever works hard he or she will get a good result. I think that compared to other communities we have been little bit of heedless in the fled of education. Of course Muslim community has been hard working in the field of business and trading. Yet, now their business style has been outdated. In the field of education, we should accept that Muslims people have been neglectful throughout our recent history not only in Sri Lanka but also all over the world. If any community works hard it is the physical law of this universe that community enjoys the fruits of their hard works. Tamil community is working hard in the field of education and they are rewarded for their hard works. I know a lot of Tamil friends who completed their postgraduate studies while working full time at the same time. I know many Tamil doctors while working as medical professionals they have completed their PhDs in Heath care areas. Tamil parents also play a key role in the education of their children. They have a habits of teaching their children at home. I think that Muslim parents do not have that habit except some Muslim teachers.  Tamil community has got that competing sprit in their blood in the field of Education. Our community all over the world do not have such hardworking habit in the field of Education not only in Sri Lanka but also all over the world.

One Maths teacher told me that in 20 years’ time London Tamil community will produce a large numbers of doctors and engineers from Tamils. He said Tamil parents are working hard to fulfil the dreams of their children in the field of Education. It may be a realistic given the fact that more than 2000 Tamil doctors are working in the UK according to some reports. It was reported that when Moratuwa University was initially opened 90% of engineering faculty students were from Tamil community. This forced the Sri Lankan government to amend the University admission system and introduced standardisation of university admission. Yet, compare this to Muslim student admission into Sri Lankan universities. We are nearly 9% of Sri Lankan population and yet, percentage of Muslim admission has been less than 4% for a long time in Sri Lankan Muslim history. It may have improved little bit now.  If we do not work hard our placement in university admission will be given to other community student in accordance the grade they have attained in their A/L.  We are living in a completive world specially, in the field of education there is a strong competition for a limited placements in our university systems. It is very much fair to say that most talented and most studious get the chances to go forward in the field of education.  We need to create a hard working culture among Muslim community in the field of education.  

Sinhalese community is catching up with Tamil community in the field of education. Sinhalese community know well what happened to them during colonial period.  They know well how Tamil community was able to get most of government jobs during pre-independence period in Sri Lanka. Sinhalese and Tamil community today look down at Muslim community saying that Muslims are uneducated. Muslim community is very often labelled as a business community or farming community. This is the perception of Tamil and Sinhalese people about Muslim community today. Yet, Muslim community is not really business community today in Sri Lanka most of the big companies are owned and run by Tamil and Sinhalese today. Muslims do only small scale business today.  Today, even to do big small business we need to have high level of education in business studies. In this modern world of technology and science enriching human skills is very much important for the development of any community in the modern world.

What are the main causes or reasons for the backwardness of Muslims in Education in Sri Lanka? Educationalists and scholars in Muslim community should seriously consider this problems. It is duty of Muslim scholarship to guide Muslim community in Sri Lanka in the field of education.

Our Quran is the first text book for Muslim community and our prophet is the first teacher for Muslim community. The Quran made educational revolution in human history. It is through Muslim Spain that Europe got science and technology and yet, today we become most uneducated community in the world. Arab brothers with Oil money become consumer society of the west world today. Whatever invention is made in Europe. Arab nations become the first market to sell their items. This is the pathetic situation of Muslim world. Once Muslims were inventors, master teachers of science and technology and yet, today Muslims are compelled   to learn science and technology from others. 

 I shall give some examples to illustrate this point. According to some international reports the state of Israel produces more than hundreds of PhDs per year with its five million population and yet, Pakistan with its 170 million population produces less five PhDs annually. That is the pathetic comparison between these two nations. One more reports tells us that Spain alone publishes and translates  thousands of books annually and yet, the entire Arab world does not publish more than a few hundreds books annually. This tells us how far we are behind in education. One more example, A Somali friend of mine who works with me told that although Somali is a poor country it is very much in natural resources and yet, they do not have educated people to develop the country. He said that costal area is more than one thousand mile wide. The sea is rich in special fishes and yet, Somalia does not have technology and equipment to benefit from this natural resource of the country. Japanese and Chinese fishing companies exploit our weakness and benefit from our natural sea resources.

Moreover, he said Somalia is one of the best countries in Africa for cattle farming and yet, they do not have facility and knowledge to modernise it.  He said we were very much backward in education that is why poor people are dying out of starvation. UN Human development reports tell us that more than 70% Muslim women are illiterate in some Muslim countries such as Afghanistan, Turkey and some other Muslim countries.  Today education is backbone of any nation on earth. Otherwise, crafty and shrewd minded non-Muslim nations will exploit Muslim nations. Today that is what we have been seeing in the Muslim world. Uneducated and ineptitude Arab and Muslim leadership has been conned by western leadership in for long time in modern history.

This is the overall educational status of Muslim world today and yet, we are proud to say that the first verse of the Holy Quran speaks about reading “Read in the name of your Lord” yet, most illiterate people on earth are Muslims.  Comparatively with all other communities Muslims are mot uneducated people in the world today.  Most of poor people are Muslims today. Most of refugees are Muslims today, Most of homeless are Muslims today. Most of unemployed are Muslims today. All these go back to lack of education in Muslim community in the world today. Despite oil resources given by Almighty Allah, Arab rulers spend their money in luxuries of this world. They do not invest money enough for education of Muslim Ummah. Most of oil money is deposited in American banks for the benefits of their masters in the western countries. That money should be invested for the benefit of millions of poor Muslims all over the world.  

Learning is a collective endeavours of many stakeholders. It is a shared initiative between children, teachers, parents and school administration.

We will Inshallah continue this next week.