In my life, the two moments which contributed most dramatically to this condition were the fall of the British and French colonial empires after World War II - and then the disintegration of the Soviet Union and its Eastern European empire two decades ago

Some may ask if preserving the material evidence of our past influences the future positively, helps us live together in peace, and improve the quality of life. I believe the answer is a confident yes. But there is a paradox.

In Islam, the Holy Koran says that man is God’s noblest creation to whom he has entrusted the stewardship of all that is on earth. Each generation must leave for its successors a wholesome and sustainable social and physical environment

Not only can we transport ourselves in a few hours to any spot on the planet, we can also transport our words and our values, our songs and our dreams, our newspapers and our films, our money and our credit, our books and even our libraries to any part of the world — in a fraction of a second