About this user
The Historic Contributions of Islam
Can anyone name a single invention by a Middle Eastern Muslim in the last 500 years?
Quite a few Middle Eastern inventions can be found throughout "early" history (BC through about the 1300's). Since then however, I would have a tough time trying to name a single invention, or even a single contribution to society at large by Muslims. Unless you count the school bus bomb as a thoughtful gift to the world, there's really NOTHING that these folks have contributed for over 500 years.
I happen to have serious doubts about the Muslim attributions of many early inventions as well, but that is a topic for another essay.
My point is that Islam has stifled a culture, benighted a large region of the world, and quelled an entire people into a rerun of the dark ages. It has done this by successfully smothering freedom, repressing new thoughts and ideas and quelling all individuality. It has effectively prevented a large portion of the world from seeing any forward progress for over half a millennium.
This is reminiscent of the way in which the Catholic faith inhibited science during its early years. Rome has smartened up to a great extent. While the Vatican may not be overly welcoming to the scientific community, its days of burning heretics are long gone. As an example of their modernity, Catholicism is in full agreement with the 'Big Bang" theory (the pope blessed this concept back in the late 1980's). The Vatican does have its disagreements with the methods employed by some to make progress (stem cell research anyone?), but they no longer seem to shun the progress itself.
This religious acceptance of (or at least tolerance of) progress is definitely not the case with Islam. Islam is actively trying to burn, blow up, shoot, torture, maim and destroy "heretics" and "infidels" in 27 countries worldwide. It sees almost all progress, whether social or scientific, as evil. Islam is (by far) the least tolerant and least progressive religion in the world today. The entire rest of the world can plainly see the results.
I've asked quite a few Arab Muslims about this major discrepancy in progress, and the answer is always the same: "America, Israel, blah blah blah"!!
It never seems to occur to them that this can only account for the last 50 years or so. What happened to the other 450? I say, "ISLAM HAPPENED".
