The western scholars and intellectuals have not been able to negate the role Islam played in shaping up modern civilization despite having their prejudices and biases against the Holy Prophet (saw) and Islam. They had to admit that the Muslims not only brought the Western Civilization out of the abyss of darkness into light but also laid sound foundations for the development of human personality and character.

These views were expressed by Ms Fatima Mash'hadi, central president of Minhaj-ul-Quran Women League, in her speech at a seminar organized on the subject of “Rise and Fall of Muslim Umma…A Critique” the other day. She said that Islamic culture enlightened the modern humanity about new forces of consciousness and light and paved the way for the establishment of civilized societies on the face of earth, which is still a feather in the cap of history. Modern science and technology owes it to the massive contributions made by the Muslims in the said discipline of knowledge. They lighted those candles of enlightenment, which are burning even today.

Addressing the moot, Miss Sumaira Rafaqat Advocate, central secretary general of Women League, said that the golden principles of Islam ignited the creative energies of man enabling him to conquer the phenomenon of nature instead of submitting himself to it. Following the fall of Muslims in the field of knowledge and research, they have considered stagnation as their destiny. They held their national honour hostage to the foreign powers by turning their back on splendid cultural values with the result that they have got bogged down in the abyss of degradation. She said that life was all about continuous struggle. “Our situation could still be reversed if we revived our association with knowledge and research,” she concluded. Ms Ayesha Shabbir, president MWL Lahore chapter, also spoke on the occasion.