Abdus Salam

Pakistan's first Nobel laureate in Physics, advocating science in the Islamic world despite religious persecution

Abdus Salam (1926–1996), a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, revolutionized particle physics by unifying electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces. Born in Jhang, British India (now Pakistan), he co-founded the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy, to support scientists from developing nations.

A devout Ahmadi Muslim, Salam faced state-sanctioned discrimination in Pakistan after 1974 when his sect was declared non-Muslim. Despite this, he advised Pakistan's nuclear program and mentored scientists like Pervez Hoodbhoy. His ICTP legacy continues to bridge global scientific divides.

Salam’s advocacy for ‘science as a universal human endeavor’ clashed with political-religious orthodoxy. His 1979 Nobel acceptance speech quoted the Quran: Thou seest not in the creation of the Merciful any incongruity, merging faith with rational inquiry. Today, Pakistan’s Abdus Salam University honors his vision.