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July 28, 2008

The more things change

In 1280, the Jewish philosopher Ibn Kammuna criticized Islam in his book Examination of the Three Faiths, he concluded that people usually convert to Islam from ulterior motives. Life under Mongol rule surely concentrated the mind.

That is why, to this day we never see anyone converting to Islam unless in terror, or in quest of power, or to avoid heavy taxation, or to escape humiliation, or if taken prisoner, or because of infatuation with a Muslim woman, or for some similar reason. Nor do we see a respected, wealthy, and pious non-Muslim well versed in both his faith and that of Islam, going over to the Islamic faith without some of the aforementioned or similar motives.

Flea-readers may be shocked to learn his essay "caused" major rioting in Baghdad, forcing him to flee that city in secret. Just take care when citing his work or any other source in the linked criticism of Islam Wikipedia entry. We all know how quoting Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos led Pope Benedict to charges of intolerance from all the usual pirates and human rights commission fanatics.

For the record: I think most religious belief is stupid, founded in Bronze age science,* infantile emotional drives and naked self-interest. But there is only a handful of such stupidities whose exponents attack criticism with lawfare, mayhem and the edge of a knife. And only one such stupidity advanced by the West's new blasphemy laws and only one "prophet" whose mere depiction will trigger a fatwa from the "conservative" government of Alberta.

Related: Time for a retroactive fatwa against the Mongol emperor Timur for his memoirs lest his writing bring Islam into hatred and contempt. RTWT.

In a short space of time all the people in the Delhi fort were put to the sword, and in the course of one hour the heads of 10,000 infidels were cut off. The sword of Islam was washed in the blood of the infidels, and all the goods and effects, the treasure and the grain which for many a long year had been stored in the fort became the spoil of my soldiers. They set fire to the houses and reduced them to ashes, and they razed the buildings and the fort to the ground....All these infidel Hindus were slain, their women and children, and their property and goods became the spoil of the victors.

*Including, in some part, my own.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at July 28, 2008 06:44 AM

Comments

According to Ibm Warraq's new book "Defending the West", Muslims slaughtered about 80 million Hindus and Buddhist in their conquest of Northern India. (Not to mention the thousands of temples that they utterly destroyed.)

Posted by: pst314 [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 28, 2008 09:31 PM

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