The Islamist Attack on Intellectual Property- what does Islam offer?

[pro_universal]

I’m asking this because the talkshow host, Michael Medved mentioned on his show the other day that his father had seven patents to his name. He compared that with the whole of Pakistan which has had just 8 within the same amount of time.

Not many these days, but the wealth of patents seems to correlate much more with European development than it does with Christianity.

Places that are former colonies and poorly developed don’t produce much, be they christian, muslim, or buddhist.

Places that imperially expanded in the past to grab lots of resources and trade networks do produce much.

This is not really a religious issue, and I think the implication that muslim countries have a lack of patents because of their religion is a pretty big leap of the imagination.

 

[Eden]

So, the answer is not many these days.

 

[pro_universal]

No, the answer is, as per thread title: this isn’t really a “muslim vs. other religions” issue.

 

[Eden]

pro_universal:

No, the answer is, as per thread title: this isn’t really a “muslim vs. other religions” issue.

I asked “what are some of the inventions from the Muslim world?”
Your answer to my question as to how many inventions have come out of the Muslim world was “not many these days”, was it not?

 

[pro_universal]

Eden:

I asked “what are some of the inventions from the Muslim world?”
Your answer to my question as to how many inventions have come out of the Muslim world was “not many these days”, was it not?

That was half my answer. I answered in accord with the question posed by the thread (in order to keep the point on topic), which is “what does Islam offer”?

My critique is that this question puts the focus on a factor that isn’t really relevant to patents, since countries with similar economic conditions all have the same problem.

So while this thread is trying to level yet another charge against Islam by citing the low number of patents, I’m arguing that this is an unreasonable point to make because there’s no good reason to believe low patent output numbers have anything to do with religion.

 

[Eden]

You can qualify your answer as much as you like. But the answer to the question still remains “not many these days”.

I found this comment on a link from MugenOne’s original link:

I understand there were at least 16,615 Iranian Patents before the Shah left.

Compare that with the original article which states that:

“Iran in 2001 granted only one patent.”

 

[undeserving]

Posted by Eden
"You can qualify your answer as much as you like. But the answer to the question still remains “not many these days”.

I found this comment on a link from MugenOne’s original link:

I understand there were at least 16,615 Iranian Patents before the Shah left.

Compare that with the original article which states that:

“Iran in 2001 granted only one patent”

Again your not being fair. Iran has one of the most repressive regimes in the world. This should tell on private research and study surely. Could you Google “Wipro Infotec”, it is the biggest software and computer company in India. It was built from scratch by Azim Premji, who is an unashamed muslim and much admired in this country. India?

 

[Eden]

undeserving:

Posted by Eden
"You can qualify your answer as much as you like. But the answer to the question still remains “not many these days”.

I found this comment on a link from MugenOne’s original link:

I understand there were at least 16,615 Iranian Patents before the Shah left.

Compare that with the original article which states that:

“Iran in 2001 granted only one patent”

Again your not being fair. Iran has one of the most repressive regimes in the world. This should tell on private research and study surely. Could you Google “Wipro Infotec”, it is the biggest software and computer company in India. It was built from scratch by Azim Premji, who is an unashamed muslim and much admired in this country. India?

Repressive under a theocracy, i.e. Islamic state, right? So, that supports the original point of the thread.

 

[pro_universal]

Repressive under a theocracy, i.e. Islamic state, right? So, that supports the original point of the thread

No, it doesn’t. It doesn’t matter what kind of repression, economic development and political instability create these kinds of problems. I guarantee you that in 100 percent of Christian countries where similar economic problems obtain, there are also a small number of inventions appearing.

This has nothing to do with religion, and the only possible purpose of making it so is to spread a sinful level of “We’re better than all those savages” pride.

The thread is essentially trying to make a contest out of who gets the most patents. I remember about 70 years ago the Germans started pointing out that they had more inventions and philosophy and technology than anyone else too…that was one of the ways they convinced themselves they were “better” than everyone else. It’s a diseased mindset, and we should resist it, rather than embrace it out of self-pride.

 

[undeserving]

To Eden,
I guess… China is a repressive state as well but seems to be progressive economically and technologically. But China has NO religion of any kind. They are also one country capable of the most cruel acts against Humans and animals… it does not bare thinking of the kinds of cruelties they inflict on their own… I don’t know…

 

[pro_universal]

China is a repressive state as well but seems to be progressive economically and technologically. But China has NO religion of any kind.

Right, they have lots of factors working for them that other parts of the world don’t have. The conditions in China (very strong central government with a tight grip on society), and the economy fed by massive territory and natural resources are all things you won’t find in say, Saudi Arabia.

Ask yourself this: If China continues to grow and becomes the world leader in technology, will that prove that atheism is superior to Christianity, or that Christianity is somehow defective?