While Christianity continues to be physically erased from the Middle East, lesser known is that its historical role and presence is also being expunged from memory.
Last month a video emerged showing Islamic State members tossing hundreds of Christian textbooks, many of them emblazoned with crosses, into a large bonfire. As one report put it, ISIS was “burning Christian textbooks in an attempt to erase all traces of” Christianity from the ancient region of Mosul, where Christianity once thrived for centuries before the rise of Islam.
As usual, ISIS is ultimately an extreme example of Islam’s normative approach. This was confirmed during a recent conference in Amman, Jordan hosted by the Jerusalem Center for Political Studies. While presenting, Dr. Hena al-Kaldani, a Christian, said that “there is a complete cancelation of Arab Christian history in the pre-Islamic era,” “many historical mistakes,” and “unjustifiable historic leaps in our Jordanian curriculum.” “Tenth grade textbooks omit any mention of any Christian or church history in the region.” Wherever Christianity is mentioned, omissions and mischaracterizations proliferate, including the portrayal of Christianity as a Western (that is, “foreign”) source of colonization, said al-Kaldani.
Of course, Christian minorities throughout the Middle East—not just in Jordan—have long maintained that the history taught in public classrooms habitually suppresses the region’s Christian heritage while magnifying (including by lying about) Islam.
“It sounds absurd, but Muslims more or less know nothing about Christians, even though they make up a large part of the population and are in fact the original Egyptians,” said Kamal Mougheeth, a retired teacher in Egypt: “Egypt was Christian for six or seven centuries [before the Muslim invasion around 640]. The sad thing is that for many years the history books skipped from Cleopatra to the Muslim conquest of Egypt. The Christian era was gone. Disappeared. An enormous black whole.”[i]
This agrees perfectly with what I recall my parents, Christians from Egypt, telling me of their classroom experiences from more than half a century ago: there was virtually no mention of Hellenism, Christianity, or the Coptic Church—one thousand years of Egypt’s pre-Islamic history. History began with the pharaohs before jumping to the seventh century when Arabian Muslims “opened” Egypt to Islam. (Wherever Muslims conquer non-Muslim territories, Islamic hagiography euphemistically refers to it as an “opening,” fath, never a “conquest.”)
Sharara Yousif Zara, an influential politician involved in the Iraqi Ministry of Education agrees: “It’s the same situation in Iraq. There’s almost nothing about us [Christians] in our history books, and what there is, is totally wrong. There’s nothing about us being here before Islam. The only Christians mentioned are from the West. Many Iraqis believe we moved here. From the West. That we are guests in this country.”[ii]
Zara might be surprised to learn that similar ignorance and historical revisionism predominates in the West. Although Christians are in fact the most indigenous inhabitants of most of the Arab world, I am often asked, by educated people, why Christians “choose” to go and live in the Middle East among Muslims, if the latter treat them badly.
At any rate, the Mideast’s pseudo historical approach to Christianity has for generations successfully indoctrinated Muslim students to suspect and hate Christianity, which is regularly seen as a non-organic parasitic remnant left by Western colonialists (though as mentioned, Christianity precedes Islam in the region by some six centuries).
This also explains one of Islam’s bitterest ironies: a great many of today’s Middle East Christians are being persecuted by Muslims — including of the ISIS variety — whose own ancestors were persecuted Christians who converted to Islam to end their suffering. In other words, Muslim descendants of persecuted Christians are today slaughtering their Christian cousins. Christians are seen as “foreign traitors” in part because many Muslims do not know of their own Christian ancestry.
Due to such entrenched revisionism, Muslim “scholars” are able to disseminate highly dubious and ahistorical theses, as seen in Dr. Fadel Soliman’s 2011 book, Copts: Muslims Before Muhammad. It claims that, at the time of the Muslim conquest of Egypt, the vast majority of Egyptians were not, as Muslim and Western history has long taught, Christians, but rather prototypical Muslims, or muwahidin, who were being oppressed by European Christians: hence, the Islamic invasion of Egypt was really about “liberating” fellow Muslims.
Needless to say, no historian has ever suggested that Muslims invaded Egypt to liberate “proto-Muslims.” Rather, the Muslim chroniclers who wrote our primary sources on Islam, candidly and refreshingly present the “openings” as they were—conquests, replete with massacres, enslavement, and displacement of Christians and the destruction of thousands of churches.
In the end, of course, the Muslim world’s historical approach to Christianity should be familiar. After all, doesn’t the West engage in the same chicanery? In both instances, Christianity is demonized and its history distorted by its usurping enemies: in the West, by a host of “isms”—including leftism, moral relativism, and multiculturalism—and in the Middle East, by Islam.
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[i] Quote from The Last Supper: The Plight of Christians in Arab Lands by Klaus Wivel.
[ii] Ibid.
The Germans did this also, “man who burns books will burn people” Obama is that man! now in the EU, recruiting help to start ww3 with the Russians, because Precedent Putin destroyed his Muslim Army Isis. He is insane, like Hillary Clinton.
So you also claim that USA created ISIS.Almost every Muslim will agree with you.
He claims Obama created ISIS…to some effect true in that the Benghazi thing was about gun running to ISIS. ISIS is a Reformation of Islam to Muhammad’s times, a Muhammad copy job in rape murder and pillage. Petrol dollar flow into the area is the reason for the resurgence. The devil keeps coming back…has done so for 1400 years.
There is an irony here. The Islamic State and Islamic countries, while always adulating Islam, its Prophet and Adherents, ignore Christianity and Christians if not completely eradicate both from history. And what they do not ignore, they grossly distort in order to disgrace. After all Christianity and Christians are all JAHILIAYYA, right? But you know what? That’s very similar to a rising tide of the educational materials used in the multicultural, politically correct USA for the last 10 or 15 years. To the degree Christianity and Christians are discussed at all, not much if anything positive is said about either. While these same materials obsequiously laud and exaggerate the contributions of the Religion Of Peace and its adherents and are deferential to its Prophet. A well-known elected US official holding a very prestigious national office has done and continues to do much the same thing. After all, Christianity and Christians are all well, JAHILIAYYA, to the Church of Progressivism.
Islam and India – Forgotten Genocide
Muslim historian Firishta [full name Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah, born in 1560 and died in 1620], the author of the Tarikh-i Firishta and the Gulshan-i Ibrahim, was the first to give an idea to the medieval bloodbath that was India during Muslim rule, when he declared that over 400 million Hindus got slaughtered during Muslim invasion and occupation of India. Survivors got enslaved and castrated. India’s population is said to have been around 600 million at the time of Muslim invasion. By the
mid 1500’s the Hindu population was 200 million.
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True Muslims believe in martyrdom and death. They believe this life is only a test and all that counts is to lay their lives in the path of Allah. To do so they must hate the non-Muslims and kill them in jihad until they are killed. The Quran says, “the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.” [57:20]
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We often hear Muslim jihadis say, “we love death as you love life.” This formulation is originated at the Battle of Qadesiyya in the year 636, when the commander of the Muslims, Khalid ibn Al-Walid, sent an emissary with a message from Caliph Abu Bakr to the Persian commander, Khosro stating: “You [Persians] should convert to Islam, and then you will be safe, for if you don’t, you should know that I have come to you with an army of men that love death, as you love life.” Muslims consider the
love for death as the proof of faith.
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The Quran says: “…then seek for death, if you are sincere.”(Q.2:94) In another place Muhammad
challenged the Jews to desire death in order to prove that they are truthful. Say: “O ye that stand on Judaism! If ye think that ye are friends to Allah, to the exclusion of (other) men, then express your desire for Death, if ye are truthful.” (Q.62:6)
Kill those against Islam: (Quran 5:33) “The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter,”.
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If you study the similarities within the history and the spread of the Islamic religion, the religion is a fundamental copy and a mix of the Jewish and Christian religion. The conquest elements are similar to Genghis Kahn. They have not official documented history that can stand up to a real analysis. They have fabricated it as they go along. The Islamic rulers began to conquer the lands for wealth and control, just like any other conquest did before. They did not stop just at Medina. They
continued until the 16th century.
Islam & India in late 1800,s Muslim shoulders in the British Army revolted because of a false notion that their bullets were greeced with pig fat- the British tied them to the mouth of canons & blew them to their death — same thing happened in the Phillipnes
With warring Moros — our general Black Jack Pershing took Moros prisoners 50 had the bullets on pig fat shot 49 Lethe remaking Moro go- until ww2 there was no rebellion .
Why ? Muslim fighters. Want to kill Christians for the last 1400 yrs this Hate machine has to be crushed— period
It is the same in Pakistan;history is written by Mullahs for whom nothing exists beyond Muslims or Islam.Other religions are demonized( especially Hinduism,and Ahmadis-who still insist on their being Muslims).None of the heroes of sub-continent is taught about(Unless he be a Muslim,even if a Murderer)..Pakistani children are taught that Pakistan was created when first marauders come into India(though term Pakistan did not appear until 1930s),and that it expanded into whole India under Mughals,and that because of the conspiracy of English and Indians/Hindus,it has been chopped to its present size. Anything bad happens in Pakistan,and it is blamed on Jews, Americans and Hindus-even when obvious.It is no wonder that Pakistani grow up with so much hatred,and a false sense of superiority.
There is little or no TRUTH in Islam. It is Satanically revealed and Satan is the “father of all lies.” Have to take comfort in Christ’s statement that the “…gates of Hell will not prevail against His Church.
For more information about Islam see http://www.thereligionofpeace.com
Thanks, I’ve been to that site before but then went to the tab “Life of Muhammad” and the “Quran Verses of Violence” tab. I myself put together a violent verse excel spreadsheet from the Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation so I was aware of most on the verses, but the explanations were very good and the section on the Hadiths and further notes should be read by all…especially those Christian pastors who think we all worship the “same God” and by all politicians. We really cannot bring this evil, cursed, Satanic death cult religion into America. I hope Trump will get this understanding…maybe he does but is avoiding being blunt about it. As far as Hillary, she has sold her soul to the Saudis. With Hillary (and Obama) we will all be praying to Mecca or lose our heads. Hillary in a burka would be the only satisfaction I would get from that. 🙂
The same is being done to Jewish History and is not new. Jews even did it to others who disagreed with their ideas.
This has started in the US too. In attempting to take a master’s level course at AMU on the Middle East, the narrative starts just a little before the birth of Mohammed and focuses on history exclusively from a Muslim perspective. I changed the focus of my history degree from global history to American history to avoid this course. I really liked the goal of getting a degree in global history. I looked at another university, but what they offered was world history. I like world history, but it has a mindset I do not feel is viable. If a valid criticism of my approach to history is that I have some tendency to view it as a world historian, that is not a good thing.
Vann, as a professional swindler of the young–oops, high school social studies teacher–my advice is to read voraciously, whether a professor endorses what you read or not. There’s information on the Christian and Jewish history of the Middle East for anyone who cares to look. There’s information which negates the Communist narrative of post-war modern history, too. The truth is out there–and it isn’t space aliens.
Start by obtaining some of the British explorer’s accounts of Arab expansion into Africa from the late 1800’s. They left no survivors and burned the villages and fields. It was obvious where they had been, because horrible, impenetrable vines took over the burnt land.
I blame it all on polygamy, and the words of Mohammed to satisfy/sanctify the lust & violence of too many bachelors. And look who is streaming into Europe now.
Arab were master slave traders, although all the fault has been laid on Europeans. African tribal kings also grew rich on African slave trade.
After the Battle of Lepanto Christian slaves were found in the galleys of the moslem ships. They captured and enslaved these Christians then forced them to row in chains in a battle against their own people.
ISIS enslaves Christians and Yazidis to this day, right now. This is how Islam ‘expands’ or as the Muslim history books explain- ‘opens’ places Islam.. The sex slaves are the young girls, the boys are brainwashed and trained to become ISIS soldiers, older women are killed or used as household slaves. They are threatened & tortured to convert. Even when they do it helps them very little.
The Christians in the Middle East, and the Jews while we’re at it, were there before Islam. We have a full blown Christian genocide in Syria & Iraq & Nigeria.
Christians in the West don’t know their own history especially about the Crusades.
I will definitely take your suggestion….
“Christians in the West don’t know their own history” — I’m Christian (catholic) and I know it damn well, be sure
Christine posted
(…Christians in the West don’t know their own history…)
Exactly! And even Western governments and the majority of Western societies hate Christianity but love and support muslims, including muslim jihadists.
I noticed that A&M got big dollars from the Saudis…buying what is taught about Islam. As a former student, I wrote a letter to the head of the department and got no answer. I guess even Texas A&M will sell its soul to the devil and his religion, Islam. Satan is the father of all lies…per Jesus Christ.
On 17 Apr 2016 07:00:08 I wrote an e-mail to “THE CONVERSATION — Academic rigour, journalistic flair”, referring to:
“[…] Big surprise for everyone (?), Dr. MacEoin thus ‘was dismissed from his functions at the university because his ideas didn’t please the Saudis who finance the islamic department’ [‘Die Entstehung einer Weltreligion I’, pp. 420 sq]. ‘8 British universities amongst which Oxford and Cambridge’: such manifestly manipulated sources are eminently suspect and anyhow, of no use at all in a scientific perspective.”
[This item is further developed in https://www.raymondibrahim.com/2016/04/10/isis-or-islam-which-breeds-terrorism/ ]
My e-mail continued as follows:
“In my comment to R. Ibrahim’s article, I didn’t ask the question (because it already was very long) why the education minister — or rather the entire government — was not put in jail. Indeed, ‘liberty of research’ and ‘liberty of expression’ are fundamental and unalienable democratic rights. Please explain why the Saudis have trampled MY democratic rights without, apparently, being punished.”
No reply yet.
Of course.
I am not familiar with Dr. MacEoin at Texas A&M. When was he dismissed?
Much of my study has been Robert Spencer’s books, “The Truth About Muhammad” and “Politically Incorrect Guide (PIG) to Islam” plus many books by apostates. When Spencer put out his book on “Did Muhammad Exist”, I personally questioned him about it in an event in Dallas, and he questioned me “have you read it” I said “No.” It really does not matter as over 1 billion Muslims believe he did exist and emulate the character he is described as, so to me non existence can never be proved or disproved. Islam is either a LIE concocted by Satan through Muhammad, or by Muhammad himself, or by later powers as you (and Spencer) insinuate. Since Jesus Christ says that “Satan is the father of all lies” in the Gospels, it appears that Satan is the instigator which ever alternative is true…and the fact it has lasted 1400 years, to me, makes it supernatural Satanic evil.
My readings indicate that Hitler admired Islam as a warrior religion. Islam may have influenced some of his actions. Like the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Final Solution.
Are you German or of German descent?
I am a Luxembourger with Irish roots (going back to some O’Neill fleeing English aggression around 1500) and grand-parents from Hollerich/Luxembourg (hence my nationality), Trier (Germany), Osterode/Hannover (Germany) and Strasbourg (France).
— “Dr. MacEoin at Texas A&M”: my reply pertained to the Saudi finance that now perverts our Universities. MacEoin is from Newcastle University, as you can read in my first comment to https://www.raymondibrahim.com/2016/04/10/isis-or-islam-which-breeds-terrorism/ – – – excerpt:
Furthermore, the “two folios (with text corresponding to chapters 18-20 in the modern Qur’an)” mentioned in THE CONVERSATION — Academic rigour, journalistic flair http://theconversation.com/dis… only are proof of the fact – and of nothing else – that the old-testament story of Moses is narrated in the “lectionnaire” generally in use at that time in the Middle East [this “lectionnaire” begging for the remark that “this constatation is the real and specific discovery demonstrating that there pre-existed a document written in Syriac (the so-called Garshouni/Karshouni) from which the ‘Ur-Koran’ was recopied” [“Der frühe Islam”, pp. 380 sq]. Here it must also be emphasized that “Anthony Glees has stated that 8 British universities amongst which Oxford and Cambridge, have received a total of GBP 233,5 millions from Saudi Arabia (…).
Because of the said “two folios” mentioned by THE CONVERSATION, I decided to ask them whether they find it normal that MY democratic rights are trampled upon by the Saudis.
— “(…) over 1 billion Muslims believe he did exist”: in a reply to reyol (see hereunder) I wrote: “it is not the number of believers that makes for the accuracy of a scientific claim”. History is a science [with many auxiliary sciences such as the study of written documents, archaeology, inscriptions, numismatics, comparative linguistics and so on], and the question whether or not someone existed is a historical one.
— “non existence can never be proved” – it HAS been proved. Conclusively. I am confident that an english translation of the “Inârah”-series is underway.
— “the fact it has lasted 1400 years” doesn’t need “Satan” as explanation, the “normal” human behaviour is quite sufficient
PS the link http://theconversation.com/dis… no longer functions. What the f… – … ???
“(…) view it as a world historian, that is -”
“…the only appropriate manner to do”, Goethe, von Chamisso, Hegel and Nietzsche would say.
Examine current UN activity. Most recently UNESCO denies Jewish connection to its holiest sites, including the Temple Mount, which has been an ancestral holy site for the Jewish people/religion for over 3,000 years.
Throughout history Islam has consistently built over others’ sites. Hagia Sofia is an apt example. Indeed the Dome of the Rock is built atop the Jewish Temple Mount. All an attempt to erase older civilization and religions.
Egypt was a Hellenized, majority Christian nation until Muslim invasion of 664 CE. Egypt’s Coptic Christian church, founded by apostle Mark, is genocided and persecuted into a shadow. Today’s Egyptians don’t know that their ancestors either invaded Egypt, or were forced to convert from Christianity to Islam by invaders.
Before Islamic invasion, the region we now know as Turkey has the seat of the Eastern Christian civilization of Byzantium – a/k/a the land of a thousand churches. Muslims have chocked down Christian population into single percentage digits, and it continues to dwindle. Just earlier this month the Turkish government confiscated yet more Christian churches. The government didn’t take over these property to protect them; they did so to acquire them.
All this is Islam.
It is similar to Kashmir . Most Kashmiris have no idea about their pre-Muslim history. They were Zoroastrians. Then peaceful Buddhism arrived and Kashmir became a very important Buddhist center. That ended abruptly when the marauding Muslims arrived and began killing the Buddhist monks who fled to China and other countries. The Muslims also chased out the peaceful Sufi orders which still to a certain degree influence Kashmir.
There are so many examples….
“Kashmir became a very important Buddhist center” – …Bamiyan! When I was a little boy, I read in “Das Neue Universum” about the gigantic statues there. Now, everybody knows what the taliban did with them
Unfortunately, a lot of young people today don’t know, because they haven’t learnt anything about history – except perhaps, about how bad the Nazis were and how Germany must never allow this to happen again. Though that was over 70 years ago and the Taliban were only 15 years ago or so…
Then they get very confused when marauding young Afghanis, who grew up under Taliban violence, don’t seem to be the nice people they wanted to help.
Pakistan itself is not unlike that…its rich Buddhist and Hindu heritage is now all but forgotten by its people.
When a people forget their past they loose their roots.
“the Dome of the Rock” is not a mosque but a church built around 710 AD, at a time “islam” did not yet exist.
Ah, yes. An important detail. One consistent with Islamic cannibalism.
This church was built by the members of
“[…] – nach der dargelegten philologischen Analyse der Inschrift vom Felsendom – eine vornizenische, christlich-orientalische, syrisch-arabische Form des Christentums. Dieses Christentum wird vermutlich bis Ende der Omayyadendynastie (ca. 750), vielleicht auch länger, im syrisch-mesopotamischen Raum bestanden haben // — given the said philological analysis of the inscription in the Dome of the Rock — a pre-nicaean, christian-oriental, syriac-arabic form of christianity. That christianity probably existed until the end of the Omayyad dynasty (ca 750), perhaps a bit longer, in the syrian-mesopotamic realm”, in: “Die dunklen Anfänge”, op. cit., p. 142-146
Note to Liberals, you will feel pain when you read this as “Truth Hurts”! On the other hand “A little pain has never hurt anybody”!
I have often seen the contrast between western civilised destruction of christianty and the eastern uncultivated more uncivilised destruction of christianty. In the east christian hate is the destruction of the physical. The body.
In the west at the moment it is the moral more spiritual or psychological destruction.
Compare this to the Nazis hate for Jews.This Was destroying them in body off the face of the earth.
The Nazis within the church wanted to paganise christianty change it completely.
Infiltrate it…such as putting in place sympathisers and taking control of the Christian Church administration.I see this happening in the west.A paganisation of christisn faith.
As the west blended paganism in with the Christian faith. Such as separating it from its origins of times and dates and festivals .
So I see christian Administration blending pagan Islam in with christianty for peace of the Empire as what Constantine did with such blending.
How will the church cope with the Trinity will have to be seen… But the pope has already denied the trinity by recognising Islam as a road to God.
Seems to be a physical and spiritual destruction
of all origins of Judean people and faith.
And a constant desire to wipe out and hide this truth and history and replace it with a false one.
To replace the people and faith with a false one.
To take the place of the true christianty and Historty .
Jews in academia that write the books of history also get revenge on Christians by blaming Christianity for everything evil and wrong. How many times have we heard anti-christians talk about the crusades, inquisition, and colonization?
Like Obama the Muslim?
Like Obama the moron.
I am in possession of David Freddoso, “Gangster Government”, Regnery Publishing, Inc., Washington D.C. 2011 –
…and that’s it, folks
“about the crusades”: http://www.crisismagazine.com/2013/the-real-significance-of-the-crusades#at_pco=smlwn-1.0&at_si=570b6a2fd1bdc21c&at_ab=-&at_pos=0&at_tot=1
“(…) the crusades”: http://www.crisismagazine.com/2016/the-crusades-response-islamic-jihad
“– “inquisition”: a shame for us catholics. Simple.”
Nope. Not a shame at all to remove spies and saboteurs. Getting rid of both Muslims and Jews and making sure the worst of them were caught was simply prudent Statecraft
I’ve read with interest your comments below regarding the Massacre at Mamilla; they’re accurate, but let’s not forget that the said “powerful Arab ruler” of that time was not an enemy but a friend of Herakleios, and that he was by no means a “muslim” — indeed, at that time, the building who eventually became the “Ka’aba” in Mecca still was an Ethiopian church, cf. “Schlaglichter”, Schiler Verlag Berlin , Erstauflage 2008, p. 77
Oh, I agree with Robert Spencer, Mohammad was cobbled together to create Islam
“simply prudent Statecraft”
Jews opened the gates to the first Arab/Berber armies. Jews were also noted for garrisoning towns for the invaders. For 800 years thereafter Jews sided with Muslims against Christians. Of course, that’s never mentioned these days when the Spanish Inquisition is brought up. So I bring it up. Who needs a 5th column working on the inside trying to effect another invasion by Muslims?
“(…) the Spanish Inquisition” — the inquisition was not an exclusively Spanish phenomenon. But you’re right, of course, for what concerns nowadays’ political correctness. Which for instance, still talks of Giordano Bruno as having been executed for his scientific insights; nothing is less true, of course (he was condemned for his negation of the Holy Trinity)
“the inquisition was not an exclusively Spanish phenomenon”
for example, when a King of France demanded the Templar Knights fund his Crusade. They would not lend him money. So the King of France tortured and killed every Templar he could find.
“Philip wanted the Templars arrested and their possessions confiscated to incorporate their wealth into the Royal Treasury and to be free of the enormous debt he owed the Templar Order.”
wikipedia org/wiki/Jacques_de_Molay#Arrest_and_charges
Yes. And shame on a POPE, in casu Bertrand de Got aka Clement V
“…history books skipped from Cleopatra to the Muslim conquest of Egypt.”
Something similar is happening here. Our history emphasizes pagan Rome and skips to the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Everything in between is dismissed as the Dark Ages barely worthy of study. Within this period is much of our Church history. Many churches today scarcely know of the Church Fathers because they lived during the “Dark Ages”. This period, too, is regarded as an age of ignorance by the dominant secular culture.
“Within this period is much of our Church history” —
…and lies the very foundation of modern science: in short, Tempier’s edict from 1277 (“Quod prima causa posset producere effectum sibi aequalem nisi temperaret potentiam suam”, Chartularium Universitatis Parisiensis, n. 26), the Occamism, the “platonic reaction” beginning with Petrarca i.e. the florentine Renaissance.
Before that: Augustine’s “incarnation” (as J. Burkhardt once famously said, the middle ages began with the universal acceptation of Augustine’s “incarnation” and ended with its negation by Giordano Bruno), the importance of which cannot be overstated according to Blumenberg. I’ll quote him in German before translating, because it is rather difficult: « …der Inkarnationsgedanke war – gleichgültig dass das nicht intendiert sein konnte – eine unendliche Bestärkung der menschlichen Selbstachtung / the idea of incarnation was — indifferent that this could not have been intended — an infinite reinforcement of human self-respect”, (“Die Legitimität der Neuzeit”, suhrkamp taschenbuch wissenschaft 1268, Frankfurt/Main 1999, p. 699). Blumenberg then draws our attention onto a dynamic which is very specific to that “Inkarnationsgedanke”: “(…) vielmehr hatte die theologische Spekulation selbst sowohl die Notwendigkeit herbeigeführt als auch die Systemverbindung geliefert, um die in der Gottesspekulation gewonnenen Kategorien mit der Vorstellung vom Menschen in Kommunikation zu setzen / rather it was the theological speculation itself that lead to the necessity as well as it provided the systemic connection, to make possible the communication between the categories acquired in the theological speculation, and the representation of the human being” (“Die Legitimität der Neuzeit”, op. cit., fourth part, “Aspekte der Epochenschwelle”).
Then came Nicolaus Cusanus who, in “De leek over de geest” (Damon, Budel/NL 2001; lat. original “Idiota de mente”) shattered the aristotelian ideal of exactitide: his definition of “mens/esprit”, via the etymology (true or false, this is not the subject of debate) “mensurare = measure”, aims the fundamental difference between godly spirit and human spirit. The “aristotelic ideal of exactitude” had to correspond metaphysically with the godly spirit – what, according to Cusanus, is not necessarily so for the human spirit.
All this means that none of all the human beings currently on earth would even exist without the catholic church. Indeed, without the contribution of the said theologians, the scientific advancement from 1500 onward [which guarantees our daily life to an extent most of us do not care about] would simply have been impossible.
The aforementioned details stem from a long erudition paper of mine, which has been published in the German quarterly (paper edition only) “DIE BRÜCKE – Forum für antirassistische Politik und Kultur” nrs 161 to 166. Then, some time after that publication, I came across an internet site dedicated to Stanley L. Jaki http://www.sljaki.com/, who develops similar views — although now, I no longer remember in which one of the sub-links
“Muslim conquest of Egypt”, there never was such a conquest. Quote in German first, then my translation.
“[…] Die Witwe des Herakleios, Martina, führte die Politik des Ausgleichs mit dem byzantinischen Orient fort und gab daher dem Patriarchen von Alexandria Anweisung, einen Vertrag mit den arabischen Feldhauptleuten zu schliessen, welcher den Byzantinern einen geregelten Abzug ermöglichen sollte. ‘In Ausführung der Bestimmungen jenes Vertrages, den der Patriarch Kyros von Alexandreia auf Anweisung Martinas mit den Arabern abgeschlossen hatte und der für die Räumung des Landes eine bestimmte Frist vorsah, verliessen die byzantinischen Truppen am 12. September 642 Alexandreia und schifften sich nach Rhodos ein, worauf…’ (G. Ostrogorsky, ‘Geschichte des byzantinischen Staates’, op.cit., S. 93).” [Volker Popp, in: “Die dunklen Anfänge”, K.-H. Ohlig, V. Popp et al., Verlag Hans Schiler, Berlin 2005, S. 26-29]
“Herakleios’ widow, Martina, continued the politics of balanced compensation with the Byzantine Orient and thus ordered the patriarch of Alexandria to conclude a convention with the arab chiefs, according to which the Byzantine army would leave in good order. ‘In execution of the stipulations of that convention, which was concluded by the patriarch Kyros of Alexandria in accordance with Martina’s wish, and which earmarked a given deadline for the evacuation of the country, the Byzantine troops quit Alexandreia on September 12, 642 and sailed towards Rhodos, after …’ (G. Ostrogorsky, ‘Geschichte des byzantinischen Staates // History of the Byzantine State’, op.cit., p. 93).” [Volker Popp, in: “Die dunklen Anfänge // The dark beginnings”, K.-H. Ohlig, V. Popp et al., Verlag Hans Schiler, Berlin 2005, p. 26-29]
Jerusalem, too, had never been conquered. In 638 it was the local patriarch who told the Byzantines to leave (this is also mentioned in “Die Dunklen Anfänge”)
Caliph Omar, Commander of the Faithful, did show up with an army. An occupation following a surrender of territory IS a type of conquest. What’s important to Mohammedans is the ‘spoils’ phase after the fighting where Sharia is implemented – not the fighting itself.
…a “caliph Omar” never existed. The battle of Badr is pure fiction, as are the entire hadiths. No Ali, no Khadija, no Aïsha, no Fatima, no Muhammad (in fact, there WAS a merchant called Hannan, who, around the year 600, converted to christianity in the town of Hira; hence the muslim mythology referring to “Muhammad receiving Gods word on the mountain Hira”): simply NOTHING.
Simple.
To whom, then, did the Patriarch of Jerusalem surrender his city? Was it a phantom non-existent army? Does your revisionist history have a merchant for that too? Did the rivalry of Aisha and Fatima create the Sunni-Shia schism? Or did the Sunni-Shia schism create the Aisha-Fatima rivalry? If the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs never existed, when does the line of Caliphs that actually existed begin? Did the Egyptian Copts wake up one morning and decide to become Mohammedans? Did the Byzantine army retreat to Rhodes before an non-existent and non-conquering army? Perhaps you should tell it to the Mohammedans flooding your Luxembourg. They believe in the hadiths so passionately, they are re-enacting them in Europe. Brigadier Malik of Pakistan believed in the Battle of Badr so passionately, he based the entire doctrine of the Pakistani Army on it in “The Quranic Concept of War”. Not so simple, Rene. How many people believe your revisionist history? – true or not. Disregarding the huge hole in history that would exist if we throw out the first centuries of the Mohammedan expansion, it doesn’t matter what you or I think right now – it matters what the Mohammedans believe and they believe that their early history is the perfect template for our subjugation and their triumph.
I’ve written a comment that’s still “waiting to be approved by Raymond Ibrahim”.
Furthermore, it seems to me your many questions can only arise because of a lack in information such as provided by the “Inârah”-series — unfortunately, as I said elsewhere, available in German only, as yet
The said comment was:
“the Byzantines did an awful lot of abandoning of subject populations”
Emperor Herakleios was sort of a Napoleon or “new Alexander”, to such an extent that the qur’ân surates telling the “story of Alexander” in fact refer to him. After his dead, his widow Martina soon was mutilated and exiled by the sanguinary monster Phokas. THAT is the reason why Mu’âwijah, a personal friend of Herakleios, launched the so-called “first muslim attack” (by no means “muslim” actually, because “islam” didn’t exist before 750 AD) on Constantinople. As a matter of fact, there were rather numerous Arab troops on the side of Byzance as well as of the Sassanids, and after the crushing defeat of the latter, those contingents freely choose either to dismantle or to serve a new master, in this case Herakleios – who unfortunately died shortly after his utterly successful campaigns. It needs to be mentioned here that the aim of these campaigns was NOT to (re-)establich full Byzantinic rule over the territories re-taken from the Sassanids, but rather to let these territories have a sort of autonomous governance, with annual payments of – more or less symbolic – tribute to Byzance. As I just said, Mu’âwijah was a personal friend of Herakleios, what was also the case of a great many Arab tribal chiefs, hence the success of Mu’âwijah in quickly assembling such an enormous army.
After Herakleios’ death and the – unsuccessful – siege of Constantinople, there no longer was any question of “tribute” payments to Byzance (to that sanguinary monster Phokas), of course.
Jews invaded Jerusalem with the Persians and committed genocide against the Christians who lived there. Jews were Muslims before Muslims existed
Massacre at Mamilla
Completely overlooked in the current media frenzy about building the Museum of Tolerance atop the millennium-old Ma’amun Allah Cemetery is the site’s forgotten history as the killing field of 614. In that year, nearly three centuries of prosperity under the Byzantine empire were shattered by Persia’s Sassanid Shah Khosrau II, known as Parvez – the Victorious. Local Jews together with their co-religionists in Babylonia allied with the Zoroastrian invaders to defeat the Christian rulers. Seeking revenge for generations of persecution, the Jews destroyed hundreds of churches and monasteries. James Parkes described the ensuing slaughter in his book, A History of Palestine from 135 AD to Modern Times: “In 614 they took Jerusalem after a siege lasting only 20 days. There is no doubt that the Persians received substantial help from the Jews of Galilee. One chronicler mentions a figure of 20,000 Jewish soldiers, another 26,000. While the actual figures are as unreliable as all ancient figures, there is no reason to question the fact that the Jews aided the Persians with all the men they could muster, and that the help they gave was considerable. “Once Jerusalem was in Persian hands a terrible massacre of Christians took place, and the Jews are accused of having taken the lead in this massacre. It would not be surprising if the accusation were true, even though the fantastic stories told of Jewish revenge by Christian chroniclers are certainly exaggerated.” How many Christian prisoners of war were murdered by the Mamilla Pool? A precise number is of course now impossible to verify, but Israeli archaeologist Ronny Reich puts the tally at 60,000 before the Persian military stopped the carnage. One eyewitness, Strategius of St. Sabas, wrote: “Jews ransomed the Christians from the hands of the Persian soldiers for good money, and slaughtered them with great joy at Mamilla Pool, and it ran with blood.” Persian rule in the Land of Israel lasted 14 years. The Byzantines briefly returned to a country in ruins in 628, only to face the formidable army of Muhammad’s friend Omar ibn Khattab. One cannot understand the Sulha al-Quds – the treaty of Jerusalem’s capitulation concluded in 638, without remembering the massacre at Mamilla a generation earlier. Patriarch Sofronius demanded, and the powerful Arab ruler agreed, to protect the people of Jerusalem from the ferocity of the Jews.
http://www.jpost.com/Local-Israel/In-Jerusalem/Massacre-at-Mamilla
I was quoting the above article which, in turn, quoted Kamal Mougheeth, a retired teacher in Egypt. The words are his. Thanks for translating that passage of “The History of the Byzantine State”. It seems the Byzantines did an awful lot of abandoning of subject populations to barbarian invaders.
“the Byzantines did an awful lot of abandoning of subject populations”
Emperor Herakleios was sort of a Napoleon or “new Alexander”, to such an extent that the qur’ân surates telling the “story of Alexander” in fact refer to him. After his dead, his widow Martina soon was mutilated end exiled by the sanguinary monster Phokas. THAT is the reason why Mu’âwijah, a personal friend of Herakleios, launched the so-called “first muslim attack” (by no means “muslim” actually, because “islam” didn’t exist before 750 AD) on Constantinople. As a matter of fact, there were rather numerous Arab troops on the side of Byzance as well as of the Sassanids, and after the crushing defeat of the latter, those contingents freely choose either to dismantle or to serve a new master, in this case Herakleios – who unfortunately died shortly after his utterly successful campaigns. It needs to be mentioned here that the aim of these campaigns was NOT to (re-)establich full Byzantinic rule over the territories re-taken from the Sassanids, but rather to let these territories have a sort of autonomous governance, with annual payments of – more or less symbolic – tribute to Byzance. As I just said, Mu’âwijah was a personal friend of Herakleios, and this was also the case of all Arab tribal chiefs, hence the success of Mu’âwijah in quickly assembling such an enormous army.
“This period, too, is regarded as an age of ignorance by the dominant secular culture.”
THIS period, ours, is regarded as an age of ignorance by those not infected by its mantras.
“Conquest”, “opening gates” to the enemy, or “surrender”, one way or another – it is a “conquest” at the ends of all.
It ends as such – and Islamic transformation follows.
Middle Eastern Christians at the time have been consumed amidst vast and endless theological discussions – their “national sport” – making them hating each other more than allowing them recognizing the extent of the threat before them. Of course, that doesn’t excuse them at all.
And in general, Middle Eastern Christians have not been that much resisting militarily against Islam the way European Christians have done it (and they must do it again if necessary, together with the American Christians, don’t they…).
In 1916, US President Theodore Roosevelt writes in his book “Fear God and Take Your Own Part”:
“Christians of Asia and Africa proved unable to wage successful war with the Moslem conquerors; and in consequence Christianity practically vanished from the two continents”.
“Wherever the Mohammedans have had complete sway, wherever the Christians have been unable to resist them by the sword, Christianity has ultimately disappeared”.
“The civilization of Europe, American and Australia exists today at all only because of the victories of civilized man over the enemies of civilization because of victories through the centuries from Charles Martel in the eighth century and those of John Sobieski in the seventeenth century”.
In 634, at Damascus, they say, the monophysite bishop – leader of one of the largest “disputing” fraction – had betrayed the city to Khalid ibn al-Walid, the Muslim commander in chief, and “the sword of Islam”, by telling him how, where and when it would be possible for his troops to breach city walls by attacking a position only lightly defended at night.
Another monophysite, Assyrian guy, a priest named Jonah, has informed Khalid about a festival celebration in the city offering his forces an opportunity to capture the city in a surprise attack on the relatively lightly defended walls. Then the Assyrian showed Khalid a short-cut to Antioch.
Alfred Butler, in his “The Arab conquest of Egypt and the last thirty years of the Roman dominion” book from 1902 writes:
Copts’ position was to the advantage of the Muslims. Copts were the natives of the land of Egypt and both the Byzantines and the Muslims were strangers. “Though some Copts from personal considerations continued to support the Byzantines, the sympathies of the Copts were now, by and large, with the Muslims. The Copts were not supposed to fight against the Byzantines on behalf of the Muslims, but they undertook to help the Muslims in the promotion of war effort and in the provision of stores, build roads and bridges for them, and provide them moral support”.
https://ia800501.us.archive.org/20/items/arabconquestofeg00butl/arabconquestofeg00butl.pdf
“Though some Copts from personal considerations continued to support the Byzantines, the sympathies of the Copts were now, by and large, with the Muslims”
— the byzantine (or: catholic; the great schisms between Rome and Byzance were yet to come) orthodoxy was a “foreign” form of christianity and, more important, the religion of those who levied enormous taxes. So indeed, when the Byzantines took off to Rhodos as said above, the Copts got what they wished, namely new rulers with an other form of CHRISTIANITY (“a pre-nicaean, christian-oriental, syriac-arabic form of christianity” as explained also above). They by no means were “muslims”. The same phenomenon occurred in Spain: Tarik and his armies were no “muslims” either, but (given the rejection of “Jesus = God’s son” by their said pre-nicaean form of christianity) more sympathetic to the arianistic Wisigoths who were strongly opposed to catholicism/orthodoxy i.e. to the religion of their arch-foes past and present (past: Justinian’s Byzantines; present: the upper-mighty Franks). When king Reccared converted to catholicism — in part, at least, to avoid war with the Franks — the wisigoth noblemen called upon their fellow anticatholics across the street of Gibraltar. Again, nothing “muslimic” at all.
Christian world has had no unity in principal – now, then, and even not at good level during Crusaders’ time. No common consciousness of existence as a single world. Including as a “Christian” one.
Muslim world always swarms with contradictions, too, even it has ever been filled with millions of victims among them. However, there has always been a vivid idea of its existence as common, with common values, pretended joint “defense” rather invasion against the Christian, conquest and eventual transformation.
Pluralism of the Trinity against the Monism of Allah: designed deliberately to be as such in order to achieve the cumulative strength effect to destroy everything except itself and to transform.
Invented by Muhammad and many more Muslim strategists like him.
That’s it.
1) “Monism of Allah” – – – mhmh…, Nicolaus Cusanus already, in his “Cribratio Alcorani” (I have it in German, it is a very difficult lecture) speaks of some “trinitarianisms” in the qur’ân. I’ve read my qur’ân (Verlag Goldmann Taschenbuch, ISBN 3-442-07904-7) more than once, the last time in parallel to one of the “Inârah”-books in which a foot-note is consecrated to the trinitarian concept of “Şamad”, 17:85, and to the very obvious fact that the moron who issued the well-known anathem 5:73 manifestly was not aware of 17:85 or didn’t understand it.
2) “Patented by Muhammad” – no, by al-Mamûn and, to a lesser extent, al-Mu’tasim-billâh. For what concerns “Muhammad”: A non-existent person cannot “patent” or “institute” or do anything whatsoever.
Read and read it again – and almost never literally.
Not enough, so far -:)
I have read in three (3) languages.
Tafsirs also needed. Even more than the Quran itself.
And many more books related.
“Trinitarism”, “pluralism” in Quran and all that “no compulsion” 2:256 stuff are nothing else than a mere taquya of islam.
https://www.raymondibrahim.com/2014/04/12/taqiyya-about-taqiyya/
Monolithic, petrous monism, indeed. Proved to be more bullet-proof and survivable than communism religion itself.
And, “militarism” notion is not only Erdogan’s – it is by islam’s inception first of all.
OK by and large, but:
” ‘Trinitarism’, ‘pluralism’ in Quran and all that ‘no compulsion’ 2:256 stuff are nothing else than a mere taquya of islam” – they are in fact nothing else than the antagonism between the so-called “Meccan surates” and the so-called “Medinese”. They of course are neither from Mecca nor from Medina. Pour mémoire: ” ‘that (…) these verses which were revelated to Muhammad in Mecca, at a time when his followers were but a few and feeble and thus more enclined to making compromises’ (David Bukay, Middle East Quarterly, Fall 2007, p. 3-11) in fact represent the ‘Ur-Koran’, i.e. a ‘lectionnaire’ based mainly but not entirely on Tatian’s ‘Diatesseron’, and that ‘the later verses, revealed in Medina when Muhammad’s power had become far greater’ are nothing else than political justifications churned out in Baghdad under the caliphs al-Mamûn and al-Mu’tasim-billâh (i.e. after 750 AD)” etcaetera, https://www.raymondibrahim.com/2016/04/10/isis-or-islam-which-breeds-terrorism/
There is no antagonism.
Antagonism is for the antagonists.
There is abrogation.
A leading principle and doctrine. Authoritative, all-comprehensive excuse.
2:106, 13:39, 16:101, 17:86, 22:52…
It puts everything in ‘islam’ order.
Thus, “peace” in islam immediately becomes “war”, “defense” becomes “offense”, and “co-existence” with Christians in the Middle East becomes their bloody “erasure” and “slaughter”.
As it happens in Paris, Brussels and thousands more.
As simple as that.
Muslim mind.
“Abrogation” – – – I fully agree, having written in my first comment to https://www.raymondibrahim.com/2016/04/10/isis-or-islam-which-breeds-terrorism/ the following:
These so-called “Medinese” surates i.e. the “hard” verses (for instance 2:190-191, 3:151, 4:89, 9:2, 9:5, 47:4 etc) supersede in case of conflict, as is well-known, the “Meccan” verses (more “gentle”, for instance 16:126-127, 29:47, 5:49 etc) by the virtue of what is known as “abrogation” (verses 2:106, 3:185, 16:101).
That ‘antagonistic’ ‘division’ is for people who do not know islam – ones who believe in it, or deliberately propagandize it.
Fully agree
Very informative article. Before Islam many of the middle east countries had their own religions and cultures and languages that were expunged by Muslim armies and rulers. During the Persian empires (6th cenury B.C.E. through 7th century C.E., many middle east countries also had followers of Zoroastrianism (religion founded by Iranian Prophet Zarathushtra, known as Zoroaster by Greek philosphers like Plato who studied and incorporated his teaching or rational thinking). After the invasion of Iran, Muslim armies and rulers committed genocide, enslavement, persecution, destruction of books, and replacement of the Persian language by Arabic, in order to remove all traces of pre-Islamic history and culture. They even renamed Persian culture as Islamiic culture. Fortunately, Persian national feeling spurred by the epic Shahnameh (Book of Kings) recording the history of pre-Islamic kings and heroes re-written in Persian poetry by Firdausi Tusi of Khorasan, Iran, in the 11th century C.E., replaced Arabic by the original Persian (Parsi pronounced Farsi because Arabic alphabet does not have the letter ‘P’). Also, Persian national feeling leads Iranians to continue to celebrate pre-Islamic Zoroastrian festivals like Nowrouz (Zoroastrian New Year), Jashne Sadeh, etc., in spite of discouragement from Iranian Muslim priests and rulers. Also, due to oral tradition of the Zoroastrian religion of over 4,500 years ago, the destruction of books failed to stamp out religious teachings which were memorized and recited daily by priests. Any mention of physical and cultural genocide of Zoroastrians and other faiths is met with a strong denial by Muslims who have forgotten their pre-Islamic history and who fail to see the parallels with what ISIS is doing today to Yezidis, Christians, Kurds, and even fellow Muslims who wish to modernise and live peacefully with others, besides Shia and Ahmadiyya Muslims who differ from Sunni beliefs.
Persia hosted one of the greatest cultures of the time. For instance, in society perspective, before Romans also did it, Persians started not to subjugate invaded nations, to eradicate or deport them as Assyrians did it as well, but rather to keep them intact only if they agree to accept authority of the central Persian power and pay regular taxes to it.
Islam obviously copied from Zoroastrianism tradition. Not only Jesus ideas could be found in ‘prophet’ Mohamet’s, but elements such as Zoroaster’s cave in Moun Ushidarena, i.e. with Mount Hira in Arabia, or the push to establish vast empire in the then world.
Yes, even in the age of the Caliphate, the Arabs have always stolen contributions from much older cultures and peoples and claimed them as their own.
The religion of Iranian Prophet Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) which is one of the oldest monotheistic religions of the world, was the majority religion of three Persian empires for over a thousand years, and Persian rulers allowed Christian and Jewish communities to freely practice thier religions. After the Arab Muslim invasion of Iran in the seventh century CE., there was genocide on non-Muslims, forced conversions to Islam, humiliationss, and persecution that continued for centuries under successive Muslim rulers of Iran. But, many Muslims will deny the forced spread of Islam there, and they rename the Iranian culture as Islamic culture, and call Zoroastrians as fire worshippers because they face a source of light when they pray to God, to justify violence and conversions, even though they themselves face a stone building in Mecca (Kaba) and bow to it when they pray to God, , or Christians face a Cross when they pray to God, and we don’t call them Stone Worshippers or Cross Worshippers.
Muslim Battle Statistics since the 7th Century
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_To-cV94Bo
http://www.religionofpeace.com
Mr. Raymond. You are speaking nothing but the absolute truth… I am in love with what you’re writing because it’s exposing the reality of our Arab world.
I am a Christian Syrian, and I can totally understand and relate to all what you’re saying.
In Syria as well, our history curriculum at schools also omits any mention to the rich Christian history in Syria. They omit around 700 hundred years of history just to avoid talking about the abundant Christian history in our country. it’s a reality that’s so sad…
Again, thanks for what you’re sharing… keep writing please, maybe someone will hear.
Like it or not, Islam has always been Christianity’s most dangerous and formidable enemy in this world, its wars of jihad are primarily responsible for the systematic destruction of the Gospel in the Levant, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Egypt, and North Africa.