Sharjah Commemorates Arab Astronomers

In searching for an image from the Middle East which reflected the rich history and contributions to civilization from this embattled land, this triangular stamp from Sharjah captured the essence of what I was looking for. Sharjah is one of The United Arab Emirates. The Emirates were formed from tribally organized Arabian Peninsula sheikhdoms along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf and the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Oman. The area became Islamic in the 7th century. The Emirate of Sharjah is the third largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, and is the only one to have land on both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

This stamp commemorates the achievements of Arab Astronomers whose achievements include measuring the earth’s circumference, the determination of the solar year, advances in optics, lenses and mirrors, the position of planets at any given time and the prediction of solar and lunar eclipses. The achievements recognized on the stamp reflect the scientific inroads to modernity which began centuries ago in the Islamic world.

Yet, Sharjah mirrors the cultural conflict between modernity and tradition. Sharjah is the cultural capital of the UAE and yet is considered the most conservative of the emirates. Sharjah is the only Emirate in which the sale, possession and consumption of alcohol is banned. It also maintains the strictest decency laws in the UAE, introduced in 2001, with a conservative dress code required for both men and women. Mixing between unmarried men and women is illegal, and according to a Gulf News Article: "A man and a woman who are not in a legally acceptable relationship should not, according to the booklet, be alone in public places, or in suspicious times or circumstances."