The Role of the Media in Erasing Arab Contributions to Science, Medicine, and Culture

Maria Ward

​When we think of the Arab world, we too often imagine a battleground between colonizers and the colonized, forgetting a culture that has endured for millennia and laid the foundations of modern civilization. Long before “Arab” became an ethnic marker, it denoted membership in the Arabic‑speaking world: a world that produced groundbreaking discoveries in the sciences, medicine, architecture, philosophy, and the humanities. Yet in today’s media landscape, Arab contributions are frequently minimized or appropriated under Western narratives, leaving many unaware of the true origins of everyday practices and ideas.

Islamic scholars of the 8th to 14th centuries preserved and expanded upon Greek, Roman, Persian, and Indian knowledge. Al‑Khwarizmi’s work on the Hindu numerals introduced the decimal positional system and the concept of “al‑juml” (the algorithm), which remains central to mathematics and computer science today. The very term "algorithm" derives from the Latinized form of his name. Meanwhile, Ibn al‑Haytham’s pioneering studies on optics laid the foundation for modern physics and the scientific method, centuries before similar developments in Europe.

Perhaps one of the most surprising Arab contributions to the modern world comes in the field of medicine. Around the year 1,000 CE, the celebrated doctor “Al Zahrawi” published a comprehensive 1,500-page illustrated encyclopedia of surgery that served as Europe's primary medical reference for the following five centuries. Among his groundbreaking innovations, was a revolutionary technique that eliminated the need for a second surgery to remove stitches. Before this invention, patients had to undergo additional procedures simply to remove the stitches from previous operations. Al Zahrawi is also credited with creating the first pair of surgical forceps and reportedly performing the first caesarean operation, establishing fundamentals of surgical practice that continue to influence modern medicine today.

Many culinary delights trace their roots to the Arab world. Sorbet-like frozen treats were enjoyed in medieval Islamic courts, adapted from Persian ice‑house traditions. Coffee, though native to Ethiopia, found its commercial home in Yemen, where beans were cultivated, roasted, and brewed as early as the 15th century. Yemeni coffee’s reputation spread through Ottoman trade routes into Europe, sparking the café culture that remains vibrant today. As we already know, the Arab world introduced Europeans to several kinds of foods that are now part of global cuisine. This includes rice, sugar cane, eggplants, artichokes, asparagus, oranges, lemons, melons, pistachios, wheat, and apricots. One surprising Arab invention would be caramel. Women in the harem originally used it to remove unwanted hair, which represents an early form of cosmetic innovation. This change from beauty product to a sweet treat exemplifies how Arab innovations evolved across different cultures and in different contexts.

The fashion world contains several contributions with Arab Origins. For instance, “cotton” comes from the Arabic word “qutn”, and it entered English through old French in the 13th century. The fabric was very rare in Europe until it was imported from the Arab world, which shows the material influence of Arab trade in European contexts. Moving forward, the familiar cap and gown worn at graduations around the globe descends from the scholarly robes of medieval Islamic universities. Called “abad” or “al‑thawb”, these garments were both practical and symbolic, signifying a graduate’s mastery of knowledge. Over time, Western universities adopted this attire, often obscuring its true origin in Islamic scholastic tradition.

North African Argan oil, originating from the Argan tree in Morocco, has become a desirable ingredient in global beauty products. Yet Moroccan farmers historically received only a fraction of the profits. Today’s media praise it as a luxury export, while often ignoring the need for fair trade practices that honor its producers. Similarly, traditional Levantine dishes like hummus have been rebranded in some contexts as national specialties of newer states, concealing shared regional origins documented in medieval Arab cookbooks.

To sum up, the erasure and appropriation of Arab contributions are not merely historical inaccuracies; they shape contemporary power dynamics and cultural memory. By reclaiming and celebrating these innovations such as mathematical concepts, scholarly traditions, culinary practices, and artisanal products, we resist reductive narratives and restore the rightful place of Arab civilization at the heart of global heritage.

About the Author
Maria Ward was an intern in IFI's Communications Unit.