“Nasa’s work is concrete yet it is also based on dreams, ambitions and doing what has never been done. In that sense, Nasa’s work is not entirely different from that of all scientists and researchers, including philosophers, who also ask questions,” said a participant of a ceremony held to launch Muzaffar Mumtaz’s new philosophical book, Knowledge and Beyond.

Having adopted Norway as his new homeland, Muzaffar appreciated the presence of Norwegian Ambassador Cecilie Landsverk at the event.

Muzaffar explained “the difference between what we know and what we do not (yet) know, the ‘beyond’, the un-explored and un-experienced.

“About this realm, humanity has been making the most fantastical suppositions which resulted in myths, ideologies, religions and dogmas,” Muzaffar said at the book launch before reading a short essay from the book A Modern Predicament which is about the lack of peace in the world.

— Text and photo: Atle Hetland and Shahbaz Chaudhry

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2014