MY UNFORGETTABLE CAMBRIDGE EXPERIENCE

 

In 2008, I won the prestigious Cambridge University Award for journalists writing at the intersection of science and religion. It had been 2 years I was a columnist with leadership writing on Quran and science when I got the award. My first amazement was, Cambridge University in UK, being the second oldest university in the English speaking world, was initially funded by a Christian King, Henry the III in 1209. Yet here they are offering a Muslim, from third world a full paid expense to travel to UK and attend a special course with eminent scholars from around the world. That was just the beginning of many surprises I am going to have for the duration of my visit.

As soon as I arrived Cambridge, I went straight to St Edmunds College, where our course is going to hold and I learnt I was one of the two people that won the special bursary to attend that course among the 42 participant from 18 countries around the world. I think eleven out of that number were the professors that will deliver lectures for the duration of the course. After registering and collected my card, something like an ATM machine, I was told it was my key to everything in the college include my apartment, library, dining hall, Wi-Fi and also serve as identification. The next day we began with breakfast and to my surprise, being a buffet, everyone including participants and lecturers queued casually in a first come first serve basis.  People go round the tables picking whatever they wish to take and the Chef standing and guiding people about the cuisine. One of the greatest surprises throughout the duration of my stay was the way that Chef singled me out and come over to me and whispers “I learnt that you are the only Muslim on the program and you should know there are non-halal foods, which I will be guiding you during every meal”. Religiously, three time a day, the man never fails to indicate to me any food that contain pork and for a particular day he wasn’t available he made sure his assistant had guided me as he used to me. I very much like meat spring rose and when I saw it among the buffet I was eager to take it but my chef shakes a warning finger, saying it was made with bacon, thus I cannot eat. For several days after that whenever I see the spring rose he will caution me. To my surprise one day he said I could take the spring rose if I want but should ask him to show me because he made the cooks prepare one that is free of pork. One day as we head to lunch, the Chef beaming with smiles as always approached me and said “Mr Sadiq, I have a surprise for you today” he led me to a table and I saw one giant fish cooked and displayed on the table with a placard saying “Fresh from the River Niger”. He burst out laughing saying “Today you will enjoy native cuisine”. To amazement I learnt the guy was Jewish.

Attending that program had been the most engaging intellectual and scholarly activity of my life. I met eminent people that I used to read their books and have long personal conversation with them. People like John Polkinghorne, the recipient of the highest monetary award on the planet, the Templeton Prize. I met and get acquainted with Late Ernan McMullin, Simon Conway Moris, Denis Alexander, Edward Larson , John Hedley Brooks, Peter Harrison and Micheal Ruse. These are all eminent scientist that contributed to the development of science on our planet. Google any of them and see what I mean.

Being the only black and Muslim, you would expect I would be shunned away, right? I became the hottest guy in town as everyone want to engage in conversation with me to hear my views. There was never a time during break that I was lonely. Thank God for my knowledge on science and Quran many confessed to learn that there was so much knowledge of science in the Quran.

On the eve of our departure, the Director of the program, Denis Alexander told me that I would be conducted around the library to pick 20 books of my choice as a souvenir attached to the award. I thought that was the last surprise I am going to get but on the farewell dinner hosted by the college for us, halfway into the event the director said he has an announcement to make. He stood up and raised his glasses and happily announced that after three years of painstaking research, as the head of the team, he is announcing they have made a major breakthrough in a particular research they are doing in the area of molecular Biology. Phew! Could my trip ever culminate in a higher note than this?

 

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