Test of Faith: Harmonizing Science and Religion in Today’s Muslim Communities

A scientist at CERN is working with a team on the design for the Large Hadron Colider. She and her team are in search of the so called 'God Particle.' At sunset she stops to pray. Another scientist on her team no longer prays; his copy of the Qur'an is covered in dust. Everyday Muslims grapple with how to reconcile scientific advancements within the context of their faith. So many Muslims put science in one hand and prayers in the other. For a generation of young Muslim Americans, the dichotomy between science and religion is not enough. They want to explore Islam's impact on science, its harmonization and divergence. There is no road map, no forum, and very little research to start this conversation. The American Islamic Congress will explore how scientific knowledge influences faith in diverse Muslim communities. AIC proposes a series of 6 public dialogues led by panelists from the scientific community at six universities across the U.S. and Canada. Scientists whose careers have both enforced and disproved their faith will debate the question 'Do Muslims keep their faith and science separate or is there a god centered approach to science?' The dialogues will be open to audience participation: young Muslim students, other scientists, and the general public who will participate in these dialogues either in person or online. Over the course of the project, these Dialogues, arguably the first of their kind, will raise awareness of the impact of Islam on modern science and how they intersect or diverge for 30,000 people in the U.S. and around the globe. Evaluations will be conducted before and after each debate. AIC will comparatively analyze the debates and publish the outcomes online. The resulting report will review the attitudes toward religion and science among Muslims.