مسلمانوں کا نیوٹن ۔ ڈاکٹر عبدالسلام — Page 409
399 "But the obscurantist forces in the college did not allow the function to be held there and we had to arrange it in the district council premises"۔She said۔The minister also recalled how Dr Salam struggled to arrange a hydrology centre for Jhang through foreign assistance۔“He felt very strong for Pakistan and I hope we must consider all our people as Pakistanis۔She also revealed that Islamabad was about to start a project with Egypt on the development of cottonseed and staple۔She regretted that for the 130 million population in Pakistan there were only 19,000 science teachers۔But it was heartening that more young women were opting for science subjects in colleges۔Dr۔Javed Iqbal Dr۔Javed Iqbal said Dr۔Salam symbolized the ideas of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Jamaluddin Afghani and Allama Iqbal who believed in reason and rationality because these qualities promoted tolerance and camaraderie and not confrontation and hatred that were the hallmark of emotions۔"All these personages were opposed by the conservative forces, which we now call fundamentalist, as is the case with Dr Abdus Salam", he said, adding the situation required developing bonds of understanding among religion, rationality and science۔Dr۔Iqbal asked the government to set up trusts in the name of people like Abdus Salam so as to attract new generation towards science and technology۔"We have tested our nuclear device but we still require to progress in the other fields of sciences," he said asking whether it was possible to locally develop resources for which ‘we look towards the West”۔Prof Hoodbhoy said conditions for the development of science were not very conducive۔"It develops in a tolerant society and not in an atmosphere of narrow mindedness۔If we want Pakistan to progress in science we must have to create society where varying ideas can sustain", he said۔Other speakers dilated upon the personality of Dr Salam as a human being, friend, teacher, and research scholar having no sympathy with mediocrity۔They said he was a kind-hearted person who used to financially support poor students from unknown areas in the sub-continent۔He led a simple life and kept his work above monetary considerations۔They said Dr Salam used to express his anger over the division of the world into the poor and the rich societies۔Many young scientists in the Third World benefited from his skill and experience۔Courtesy: Khalid Ameer, Lahore۔