Abdus Salam

Re: # 2

Correction. Shirin Ibadi of Iran women a peace Nobel prize. THough she is not from science of course.

Professor Salam was a boon from heaven to Pakistan. It is Pakistan`s misfortune that Salam`s contribution to fundamental physics is gauged by his religious faith by many Pakistanis. Since he did not belong to a mainstream religious group (Ahmadis will dispute it), his contribution has been denigrated, his personal integrity was doubted by many religious fanatics, and his sense of patriotism challenged. He is held in a much greater respect outside Pakistan world wide. It appears that the United Kingdom has adopted Salam as one of its own. English pride in Salam`s work oozes out in the appreciative writings of the British scientists.

I was in Nigeria when the Nobel Prize was conferred on Salam for his work on the unification of electro-magnetic and weak forces. The educated Nigerians were so proud of Salam`s contribution; in fact University of Maiduguri recognised Salam`s work by awarding him an honrary degree of Doctor of Science.

His work has been celebrated all over the world. Leon Lederman, another Nobel Laureate in Physics, wrote in his book, The God Particle, ``Einstein`s thirty years of fruitless efforts to find a unified theory was bested in the late 1960`s by Glashow, Weinberg, and Salam`s successful unification of the weak force and the electro-magnetic force.``

Times are changing even in Pakistan. When I was a teen ager, Manto`s ``Thanda Ghosht`` caused a great deal of stir in India and Pakistan and he was tried in a court of law for writing an obscene story. Now stories like thanda ghosht are routinely written and read in Pakistan without missing a heart beat. Many people, at least the educated

people, challenge religious faith and proclaim themselves to be agnostics without fear. The next generation of Pakistan will hopefully embrace Professor Salam as one of their heroes, probably the only one in modern science so far. He will be a source of ispiration to aspiring scientists in Pakistan.

Mah Allah bless his soul.



Mohammad A. Gill

Assistant General Superintendent of Engineering

Detroit Water & Sewerage Department

Detroit, USA

Pakistan did not benifit from such a noble person. I am supprised that there is no institute named after him. He is the ONLY MUSLIM Nobel Prize winner in the world!! Pakistan should be proud of thet!

Another excelent article on Prof salam. since I dont understandd much of the physics i am especialy glad for the other achievments and a glimpse into the man that was salam and not just the scientist.

This article/essay did just that.