A part of Barack Obama's Speech in Cairo, Egypt: Muslim Heritage in our World

From the the Speech of Barack Obama, President of the United States, 4th June 2009
Cairo, Egypt:
As a student of history, I also know civilisation's debt to Islam. It was Islam at places like Al-Azhar University that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe's Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality

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[HussainAA1]

he is telling the trough that many ppl hate and try to put these facts in the darkness of their dark ages. Greeks have done many things in science as well as islam IN EUROPE.

this is very short movie

watch?v=0pqYIjV7eXo&feature=re­lated

[hhn1000]

I think it's sad if youtube indulges in deleting posts that the don't agree with politically.  We need open dialog in this country or we endanger all our freedoms.

While Islam has no doubt made contributions, it's wrong to use "factual equivalence" which is the same as lying isn't it?

[hhn1000]

I think this is what made Jonah Goldberg write this:

Cultural Achievement...equivalence? Or as the late William Henry III put it , “It is scarcely the same thing to put a man on the moon as to put a bone in your nose.”

[pwiattitto]

wow ! ! ! ...just wow !

obama, wake up and smell the jihad. bloody politicians!

[corrigasm]

SORRY YOU'LL HAVE TO READ THIS BACKWARDS, BUT IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW....

stand toe to toe with the European Renaissance any day of the week in terms of science, literatue, art, and architecture.

[corrigasm]

age after Greek and Roman learning make their way back across the continent. Hello renaissance.

So yeah, he's right. Europeans rediscovered bits of their own lost heritage because the Muslims were wise enough to save it for us when we got a little crazy fighting vikings, not reading, and burning everything to the ground. But more than just save, they were fundamental in advancing all of the fields mentioned above. The Muslim golden ages between 700 - (probably about) 1600 can

[corrigasm]

the place. (A wonderful account of their meeting can be found in "The Alexiad," which was written by the emperor's daughter.) The crusades reintroduced Europeans to spices and silks and all that stuff, but the Muslims controlled the trade routes, preventing Europe from fully satisfying its demand for these things. So they started searching the oceans for an all-water route to Asia. Hello new world. At the same time, art, philosophy, literature, science, and architecture undergo a golden

[corrigasm]

some semblance of hygiene. While Europeans were painting themselves blue and playing Braveheart, the Muslims were building large cosmopolitan cities and enjoying a golden age; lightyears ahead of Europe. Interestingly, all the inhabitants of Central Asia viewed the Crusaders as invading barbarians (Malouf's "The Crusades Through Arab Eyes" offers a very interesting perspective). Emperor Alexius agrees to help them just so they'll get the hell away from Constantinople and stop trashing

[corrigasm]

knowledge of the Greeks and Romans, as well as their technology and that of their various subjects. Constantinople (now Istanbul) was a major trade center, and the Muslims controlled the overland trade routes, ensuring that knowledge was carried to distant lands and adapted by the people there. Most importantly, the knowledge was preserved, only rediscovered by Europeans during the Crusades. European crusaders clad in burlap and wool were shocked to see people wearing silk and practicing

[corrigasm]

knowledge of the Greeks and Romans, as well as their technology and that of their various subjects. Constantinople (now Istanbul) was a major trade center, and the Muslims controlled the overland trade routes, ensuring that knowledge was carried to distant lands and adapted by the people there. Most importantly, the knowledge was preserved, only rediscovered by Europeans during the Crusades. European crusaders clad in burlap and wool were shocked to see people wearing silk and practicing