e-Paper
Some people spend their whole life waiting for a miracle to happen. Soborno "Isaac" Bari was born with natural talent, which is not less than a miracle.
The eight-year-old's 70-page book The Love relates 10 stories which are a child's clarion call for communal harmony, religious tolerance and world peace.
"How can I solve maths problems when Taliban terrorists kill 130 school children in Peshawar? How can I solve physics problems when Islamic State militants kill 29 at the Holey Artisan bakery (in Dhaka)? How can I solve chemistry problems when Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists kill 40 Indian soldiers in Pulwama?" asked the Bangladeshi-American child prodigy during a talk at the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) in January last year.
The boy, who started talking in full sentences at six months, is already famous for his precocious ability to solve complex mathematics and physics problems.
The New York-based Soborno often speaks about his dream of trouncing terrorism by inspiring young people to fall in love with mathematics and science. "Let's unleash love to create a world without terrorism," said the wunderkind at the SPPU, reported The Hindu.
The son of Bangladeshi immigrants Rashidul and Shaheda Bari, Soborno, whose EQ is as formidably developed as his IQ, displays astonishing wit, sangfroid and humanism in his talks around the world that could give any eminent intellectual a run for his money.
His message to parents across the world is to stop giving children "Taliban training" and instead start training them to become scientists like Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein.
"On my second birthday in 2014, my father took me to Liberty Plaza, where he worked as a security guard between 2001 and 2014. There, he recounted to me the events of the most tragic morning in American history… the horrific events of 9/11 instilled a sense of patriotism in my blood," said Soborno.
To imbibe harmony and religious tolerance, he urges that children across the world must be allowed to celebrate whichever religious holidays they want, irrespective of their faith.
When two years old, Soborno's parents discovered that he could solve physics, maths and chemistry problems very quickly. In 2016, he received a letter of recognition from former US President Barack Obama for his precocity in solving PhD level maths, physics and chemistry problems. Two years later, more recognition came from Harvard University for his problem-solving abilities.
While the president of City College of New York gave Soborno the affectionate moniker "Einstein of our time", his father's friend called him the new "Isaac Newton", which explains the "Isaac" as his middle name.
What sets Soborno apart from other child prodigies is that, besides surmounting complex physics equations like Schrodinger's wave equation, he displays an astonishing awareness of the global political turmoil.
The boy often presents his views on politics, religious prejudice and intolerance in a way worthy of a celebrated liberal crusader fighting for world peace. His sweetness of manner and innocence belie his maturity, wisdom and astonishing grasp of current events.
"You all might be wondering why I am promoting The Love, a campaign based on creating enduring global peace throughout the world instead of solving maths problems," he said at SPPU. "It was the terror of the Taliban, the Islamic State, Al Qaeda and the Jaish-e-Mohammad that forced me on my campaign for world peace."
In his book, Soborno, already a mascot in Bangladesh against extremism and Islamic terrorism, relates 10 stories which are a child's clarion call for communal harmony, religious tolerance and world peace.
"Hate drove these people (terrorists) to chant 'Allahu Akbar' while shooting Malala! Hate motivated them to chant 'Allahu Akbar' while killing 130 schoolchildren in Peshawar. How can we remove hate from the minds of the people who commit such inhumane acts?" he asks in his book.
He even details a poignant episode of conflict with his mother when he questions why, being a Muslim, he can't celebrate Christmas.
When his mother says she doesn't know, Soborno's reply is: "I'm a Muslim and I love my religion. However, I'm also a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Jew, a Christian. I know we love Eid, but we should also love Yom Kippur, Saraswati Puja and Christmas."
According to his father, Soborno's goal is to secure admission to Harvard by age 10 and acquire multiple doctorate degrees.
"He also wants to explain five problems: Black hole, string theory, dark matter, quantum computing and making fusion a reality," said Mr Rashidul, a mathematician.
"Also, he wants to create Nazrul, the most advanced robot to colonise Mars, where he wants to create a world without terrorism. All of it is outlined in his book The Love."
Indo-Asian News Service
"I'm a Muslim and I love my religion. However, I'm also a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Jew, a Christian. I know we love Eid, but we should also love Yom Kippur, Saraswati Puja and Christmas."
- Soborno "Isaac" Bari (left)
