BBC Indonesia Aggregation,
Tuesday 28 March 2023
Abdus Salam/Photo: BBC
JAKARTA – In 1979, a Pakistani scientist named Abdus Salam won the Nobel Prize in Physics. The biggest discovery of his life is the key to underlying the theory of particle physics which is still used today, and is also a milestone in the discovery of the Higgs Boson particle in 2012.
The Higgs Boson is a particle that is thought to give mass to matter, often called the God Particle.
Salam is the first Pakistani to win the Nobel Prize, this victory should be a historic moment for his country.
However, after tens of years, his story was forgotten in his homeland. Partly because of the beliefs he devoutly professed.
A Netflix documentary, “Salam – The First ****** Nobel Laureate”, attempts to bring Salam and his achievements back to the fore.
“Salam is the first Muslim to win the Nobel Prize in science,” said Zakir Thaver, one of the film’s producers, quoted by BBC Culture, Monday (27/3/2023).
“He is also very committed to his cultural roots. As a sign of fighting for the [Pakistan’s] people, he wore a turban when he received the award from the King of Sweden.”
During his speech on the eve of the Nobel Prize, Salam quoted verses from the Koran.
This documentary summarizes Salam’s dedication in facing three tests in his life: physics, his faith, and his nationality.
Greetings have been prominent since childhood. He was born in Jhang, a city in India which was still occupied by the British, in 1926. His father, who worked as a teacher, believed that Salam’s birth was God’s guidance that he received during Friday prayers.
He grew up with various privileges that his brothers and sisters did not get. Salam doesn’t have to do trivial jobs like milking cows and emptying latrines, so he has plenty of free time to study math.
Even so, his childhood was not luxurious. Salam left town after being accepted at the State College in Lahore, and it was the first time he saw electric light.
Categories: Ahmadis, Ahmadis And Pakistan, Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, Asia