DURING a discussion with the writer, a diplomat friend raised some very interesting issues pertaining to the so-called “third wave of human civilisation.” The third wave is also referred to as the Biotechnology Age.
Whether we realise it or not, we are currently in the Age of Information. Doubtless, some parts of the world are still lagging behind in terms of coping with the rapid changes that the Information Age brings.For Malaysia at least, we are on the right track in endeavouring not to be left behind by establishing the ambitious and futuristic Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project.
It is hoped that with the platform provided under the MSC project, Malaysia would be able to keep up with the development brought about by information and communication technology (ICT).
It must be realised however that while the country is adapting itself into the Information Age, the next wave of change is already in the horizon. The 21st century has been extolled as the Biotech Century.
Vast advancements in the area of medical science, genetics and biology have been made throughout the world. These advancements will no doubt change the face of human civilisation as we know it.
Just like the printing press changed how information was transmitted several centuries ago and just as computers transformed the office environment, these developments in the area of biotechnology will recreate and redefine many facets of human life–for better or for worse.
Of late, we have been fed with much information on the development of biotechnology. Cloning is one of them. No longer is cloning regarded as a fiction, as the technology is very much real today.
The pros and cons of cloning are still being debated. There are therapeutic and medical advantages to cloning, but at the same time, ethical issues pertaining to cloning need to be scrutinised. The question posed by the writer’s diplomat friend was, “Where do we draw the line?”
The Human Genome Project is also another significant development in biotechnology. The project has been regarded as biology’s answer to physics’ moon walk.
Just like cloning, this project raised many an eyebrow as to the endless possibilities that mapping the human genome may bring. Again, an interesting question was raised by the diplomat friend, “Has mankind opened the Pandora’s Box of Biology?”The diplomat friend also mentioned to the writer that he had attended an interesting talk given by an American scholar who related a possible scenario for the future of mankind.
At first glance, the scenario may sound very much like science fiction. Then again, that was what people thought of Jules Verne’s tale of man walking on the moon during the turn of the last century.
Now, imagine a world where mankind could replace dysfunctional human organs with spare parts which are cloned. Imagine also that certain vital organs can be replaced with electronically-programmed or bionic spare parts. Then
try to picture mankind being able to prolong life as a result of these techniques.
What are its implications? Certainly one attribute of the development in biotechnology would be an increase in the quality of life. The demography of mankind would certainly be affected.
People would theoretically be able to live longer. Consequently the human population would increase. There will be an increasing demand for housing and food supply. In this scenario, would biotechnological advancements
provide a solution.
This is an interesting question to ponder upon. Where does Islam stand on this? How does Islam, as a religion for this world and the hereafter, address these pertinent issues? Naturally human civilisation will continue to progress with new tools and technologies. Each development will bring about its own ethical issues.As such, Muslims could not afford to stay by the sidelines and be left behind by rapid changes brought about by these developments. At the same time, Muslims have a responsibility to look at each of these issues in order to address them according to the revelations in the Quran and the Sunnah. But are Muslims aware of the impending third wave?
It is essential for Muslims to wake up and smell the biotech coffee. Even at this second, we note that Muslims are still very much behind in almost every sense of the word. How could Muslims address the third wave of human civilisation when many parts of the Muslim world are still trying to grapple with ICT? To move into the Biotech Century, Muslims must first shift gear into the Information Age. Much of the development in the area of biotechnology is made possible through the advancements of ICT.
As such, it is imperative that Muslim countries, as well as Muslim individuals, prepare themselves with knowledge that would enable them to adapt to the Information Age. We know for a fact that Muslim countries are already behind in this area.
The Internet penetration in Muslim countries, far instance, is still very low. Statistics have shown that the majority of Muslims do not have access to the information superhighway. Indonesia, a country with the biggest Muslim population in the world, has less than 1.5% Internet penetration.
Only certain Muslim countries, in particular the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, have a relatively high Internet penetration. Even then, this is still far lower than those of other developed nations. Concerted efforts must be taken in order to bring the Muslim ummah (community of believers) into the Information Age. The infrastructure must be there to facilitate this.
In order for this to be possible, Muslim countries must help one another. In this context, perhaps the smart partnership approach could be utilised by Muslim countries. More importantly however, the Muslims’ mindset must be changed. The unnecessary phobia towards computers and the Internet must be eliminated. It is an unavoidable fact that computers and the Internal have already become part and parcel of today’ s everyday life.
As such, every Muslim must labour seriously so as not to fear computers.
Muslims must realise that it does not just end with the Information Age. Instead Muslims must realise that the information Age is just the first step into a much more challenging era of human civilisation, that is the Biotech Age.
As mentioned earlier, the Biotech Age brings forth a barrage of ethical issues. These issues need to be looked at by Muslims in order to prepare the ummah for this era. While the developments in the area of biotechnology may still sound fictitious and farfetched to many of us, some of the advancements are in the here and now.
These advancements signal the coming of the third wave. As the writer’s diplomat friend aptly asked, “Are we ready for it?” One thing for certain is that the third wave will indeed arrive regardless.