Scientists are the Heirs of the Prophets

 What's your impression about Arabic and Islamic science and scientists?

Was there a role for the woman in this field or only she was at the service of man "as the western media announce"?

What was the influence of Islam on this civilization?

We let you recognize the answers by yourself through this synopsis about one of the most famous scientists who will never be repeated in her field.

Have you ever heard of?

Samira Moussa, did you hear about her before?

This unique pearl is an Egyptian fourth daughter for Hajj Moussa Ali. He thanked Allah (SWT) for the precious gift he had bestowed upon him. Against all odds, he vowed to provide his seven daughters with an education, as he later provided for his sons.  

Her Birth & Childhood:

Samira was born on March 3 1917, in Al-Gharbiyah governorate. Egypt

When she was six years old, she completed memorizing the Holy Qura'an.

Encouraged by family and friends, Samira's father brushed aside prevalent traditions that did not favor women’s education, and supported his daughter throughout her scholarly journey.

She was fond of reading newspapers, which were always available at home, and she was blessed with a good memory that enabled her to memorize texts after having read them only once.

Education and qualifications:

Samira was enrolled at:

ü     Qasr Ash-Showq Elementary School.

ü     Banat Al-Ashraf High School.

ü     She obtained:

ü     A Masters degree in Science, coming first in her class.

ü     PhD in radiology and the effect of X-ray radiation on various materials

Throughout her school years, Samira excelled and was awarded accolades of excellence.

She became the first female student to come out first place in the countrywide secondary school certificate examination in 1935 .This was an unprecedented achievement for a girl.

 She was later appointed as a lecturer at the Faculty.

She did her thesis on gas thermal convection, was sent by the Faculty to Britain to further her studies in nuclear radiation; she later obtained her PhD. Having completed her thesis within two years, she spent a third year doing extensive research, which equipped her to discover an important formula for the fragmentation of cheap metals (such as copper) and make a nuclear bomb from materials accessible to all nations. The possession of nuclear technology would have empowered poor nations to break the monopolization of this technology by richer nations.

Researches & Achievements:

   In grade 10, she rewrote the Algebra curriculum textbook, had it printed at her father’s expense and distributed it for free of charge among her classmates.  

Unfortunately, Samira’s research was not documented in any Arabic scientific literature, and we can only take a journey through her thoughts and ideas and attempt to benefit from them.

She hoped that Egypt and the Arab world would one day position themselves as contributors to the great scientific development. She believed that the possession of nuclear weapons would help nations contribute to world peace, for in order for any country to effectively advocate peace; it should be able to speak from a position of power. Samira lived in an era that witnessed woeful wars and the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

She noticed Israel's keenness to acquire weapons of mass destruction in its pursuit to become the only nuclear power in the region: three months after the declaration of the state of Israel in 1948, it founded the Atomic Energy Commission and made sure that students were sent abroad to specialize in nuclear science. Samira frequently referred to the importance of nuclear weapons and keeping abreast of the growing advancement in science and technology.

These observations disturbed Samira and motivated her efforts that resulted in the development of her formula, which was not well received in the West.

Samira worked towards the establishment of the Atomic Energy Commission in Egypt. She also organized the Atomic Energy for Peace conference, which was hosted by the Faculty of Science and attended by a large number of international scientists.

She hoped that atomic energy would be harnessed for the good of mankind, especially in the field of medical treatment, and said, "My wish is that through the use of atomic energy, cancer treatment would be within the reach of the masses just as aspirin is.” Samira volunteered to help treat cancer patients at various Qasr Al-Aini hospitals. 

Samira was a member in a variety of specialized science committees such as the Committee for Energy and Guarding against the Threats of Atomic Bombs, which was founded by the Ministry of Health in Egypt.

Hobbies:

*She was good and fond of reading and owned a large collection of books, in different fields.

*She had an ear for music; she played the lute and was good at reading musical note.

*She was also good at photography.

*She was fond of Knitting, especially tricot, and she designed and made her own clothes.

 Activities:

She took part in all student activities especially the Social ones:

 *She joined a student uprising in protest against statements made by British Lord Samuel.

'*She participated in the Al-Qirsh campaign for the establishment of a local factory to produce fezzes

*She was a member of the Student Society for Public Education.

*She joined the Social Renaissance Society, which raised funds for assisting poor families and homeless children.

Articles:

 Samira wrote many articles such as:

·        An article about Muhammad Al-Khawarizmi and his major role in laying the foundation for Algebra.

·        " The Structure of The Atom"

·        " Nuclear Fission and its Destructive Power"

·        "Radiation and its Biological Effects". 

·        " Our Responsibility Towards Science"

Samira traveled to Great Britain and then to the United States. She was not taken by its glitter and temptations. In a letter to her father, she wrote:

“In America there are no customs and traditions like those we know in Egypt. People here start everything haphazardly. Americans are a mixture of various peoples; many came here with nothing and behave like foreign visitors who think that no one would criticize them because they are strangers.”

Mysterious Death:

More than 60 years have passed since Samira’s demise, and

the incident that resulted in her death is still shrouded in mystery.

In 1951 Samira accepted an invitation to visit the United States and had an opportunity to do research at Saint Louis University in Missouri. She received various offers that required her to live in the United States, but she rejected them saying, “Egypt, my dear homeland, is waiting for me.”

A few days before her scheduled return to Egypt, she was invited to visit a nuclear plant in a Californian suburb, and a car was sent to fetch her. While travelling on a high cliff road en route to California on August 15, a truck suddenly appeared and hit the car, pushing it off the cliff. The driver of the car in which Samira was riding managed to get out of the vehicle and disappeared. Investigations showed that the driver was using a false identification and that the management of the nuclear plant had not sent anybody to fetch Samira.

In her last letter she wrote: “I have been able to visit nuclear plants in America, and when I come back to Egypt, I will be of great service to my country and will be able to serve the cause of peace.” 

Where is the truck that hit the car that Samira was driving? Why the U.S. police could not determine who orchestrated the incident? Why was the case dismissed and no one held responsible? Was it an accident or an assassination?

This is how the life of a great scholar ended on August 15, 1952. Amongst the items returned to Samira’s father was her small black diary. Her last entry read: “Then the sun set.”

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