Mourning The Loss Of A Genius

Pakistan is mourning the loss of one of its greatest bright-sparks, Arfa Karim. She died on the 14th January 2012 aged just 16. She has a list of accolades and awards to her name for her outstanding contributions to scientific development. The greatest achievement of her life was the fact that at the age of just 9, she was the World’s Youngest Microsoft Certified Professional and even got a personal invite from Bill Gates to Microsoft Headquarters in the USA.

Indeed, it is a great loss to lose such an individual: if she managed this at the age of nine, we can only imagine what she could have potentially achieved by the time she was in her thirties. However, we have to be inspired by her example: she is a great example for Muslims, a great example for youth and a great example for our daughters and Muslim women generally.

Imagine the potential that we Muslims can achieve: we are over one- fifth of the global population and yet, we do not achieve even half of our potential. Our minds are distracted by all sorts of goals that do not benefit us, nor do they benefit the rest of society. Arfa Karim is just one case of a Muslim genius that was out there: imagine if we put our minds into being productive, what amazing things could we not just individuals but as a community achieve?

We would be the same community that started discussing the idea of human flight just before 1000CE, by the likes of Abbas ben Firnas. We would be the same community that set up the first ever university in the world, such as what Fatima al-Fihri did in 859CE with the University of Qarawiyyin. Now we are a community famed for our kebab shops, corner shops and taxi ranks.

The question is: how long will it take for us to develop beyond our stereotype image and become the leaders and not the sheep of the world? How long will it be when non-Muslims want to benefit from the Muslims like Daniel of Morley and Mosche ben Maimon did?