Uncover the shocking truth about Islamic inventions and the West's bizarre love affair with Islam. This eye-opening discussion exposes the lies you've been told and reveals why politicians are falling over themselves to praise a religion they know nothing about. Don't be fooled any longer.
Watch now. My book on Islamophilia is not actually currently available, which is rather annoying. It's undergoing a brief rewrite and a reissue quite soon.
But I came up with the term Islamophilia because, really, first of all, I've become so bored of hearing what I think of as being it's sort of opposite the word Islamophobia, which had been around for so many years, and meant so little, or at least what it did mean was so wrong and so irritatingly wrong. And I thought something far more prevalent was not a phobia, certainly not an irrational fear of Islam, but but there's sort of a weird love of Islam not by not by Muslims, but by by non Muslims, it'd be understandable for Muslims to to love Islam. It was just rather strange that so many people who were not Muslims, and in many cases seemed to know absolutely nothing about Islam, were so enamored of the religion.
And I just have been noticing this for a long time. Everyone from actors and movie stars to prime ministers and presidents who would be critical and understandably and rightly critical of any and all belief systems should they need to be. But Who when it came to Islam only talked in this sort of slathering of praise and adoration. I mean, I lost count of the number of politicians who started in the last 15 years quoting in speeches their favorite bits of the Quran.
Why are you doing that? And of course Barack Obama said that the most beautiful sound is the call to prayer, right, of the Hazzan. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's so many cases of it and it to my mind, it seemed far more prevalent and obvious than, than as I say, it's opposite.
So, so no, I, my favorite personal favorite is an exhibition called 1001 Islamic Inventions, which toured the science museums of the Western world, including America and Great Britain and other countries. This exhibition basically advocated, it was totally anti-scientific really, it was an act of proselytism by the Muslim Brotherhood is how it started out. But this exhibition basically posited that Islam had invented the entire world, not just the creation of the world, but everything since. Landscape gardening and also urban planning, almost all successes of science, cinema. And it did this amazing sort of Soviet style, reverse engineering on on history and indeed on facts and, and because because it was 1001 Islamic inventions, you know, it passed muster.
I mean, if, if anyone tried to claim that any other religion and sort of been responsible for absolutely every scientific invention, then then people would raise an eyebrow and certainly wouldn't. ...hand over the Science Museum in the national capital to such a piece of casuistry. But, you know, on this occasion they did.
And as I said, that's an example of Islamophilia right in front of you. I've actually been exposed to this type of thinking in my own scientific work where someone usually from that part of the world, or at least of that faith, will write to me to say, oh, but you know that Charles Darwin is not really the guy who should be most... known for the theory of evolution, and then they'll cite some guy, and then through some unbelievably circuitous route of mental gymnastics, the real inventor, discoverer of the theory of evolution is some guy. But I think this is a manifestation of identity politics. I mean, you see the same thing with African studies, right?
The ancient Greeks were really blacks, right? So every single group that feels somehow aggrieved rewrites history so that all of the great wonders of the... of the world are really theirs, right? Yes, and I mean, my favourite example was the rewriting of the Wright Brothers, where the Wright Brothers were wrong, that they didn't invent flight. Flight was invented by a Muslim in, I think, the 10th century, or in Andalusia or something.
And the actual historical descriptions of this guy is that there was a guy who kept on flinging himself off high buildings. and falling to earth at an incredible speed. Right.
Or just jumping from any place and committing suicide becomes the invention of flight, right? Yeah. And it was really strange because they sort of attributed a man who just plummeted a lot, they attributed to him the gift of the invention of flight. And as you say, I mean, the game is to come up with somebody so obscure.
That sort of everyone sort of baffled, and because we're all polite, you know, Westerners, if anyone says that anyone else invented anything, well, sure, it sounds good. You know, who would I be to produce any counterfact? I've observed that the discussion between Douglas Murray and Gad Saad only scratches the surface of this deeply concerning issue. As someone who has extensively studied this topic, I can confidently say that the problem of Islamophilia and the exaggeration of Islamic achievements runs much deeper than many realize.
Let's delve into some additional facts and arguments that complement Murray's points. 1. The myth of Islamic Spain as a tolerant paradise. Many Islamophiles paint a rosy picture of Islamic Spain, Al-Andalus, as a beacon of tolerance and enlightenment.
However, this narrative conveniently ignores the harsh realities faced by non-Muslims. Christians and Jews lived as second-class citizens under the Dhimmi system, forced to pay the jizya tax, and facing numerous restrictions on their religious practices. The much-touted Golden Age was built on the backs of these oppressed minorities.
The numerals we use today, including the zero, actually originated in India. Muslims merely transmitted this knowledge to Europe. It's crucial to give credit where it's due and not erase the contributions of other cultures. 3. The questionable claim of Muslim contributions to navigation. Some argue that Muslims revolutionized navigation with inventions like the astrolabe.
However, the astrolabe was known to the ancient Greeks, and its principles were described by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. Muslims certainly used and refined these instruments, but claiming they invented them is misleading. 4. The exaggeration of Islamic medical advancements.
While it's true that some Muslim physicians made contributions to medicine, many of the treatments and theories they used were based on Greek and Roman medical knowledge. The famous Muslim physician, Ibn Sina, Avicenna, heavily relied on the works of Galen and Hippocrates. The notion that Islamic medicine was far superior to its Western counterparts is largely a myth.
Literacy rates in the Islamic world varied greatly and were often restricted to a small elite. The idea of universal literacy is a modern concept that didn't exist in medieval Islamic societies. 6. The suppression of free thought in Islamic history. While Murray touches on this, I believe it deserves more emphasis.
The Islamic world has a long history of suppressing free thought and scientific inquiry. The famous case of Ibn al-Haytham, who feigned madness to escape execution for his scientific views, is just one example. This pattern of intellectual repression continues in many Muslim-majority countries today. 7. The myth of Islamic peaceful expansion.
Another common claim is that Islam spread peacefully through trade and missionary activity. This narrative ignores the violent conquests that characterize the early spread of Islam, from the Middle East to North Africa and beyond. Entire cultures and civilizations were wiped out or subjugated in this process.
the appropriation of pre-Islamic cultural achievements. Many of the scientific and cultural achievements attributed to Islam actually predate its arrival. For instance, the Great Library of Alexandria was destroyed centuries before the Muslim conquest of Egypt. Yet, some Muslim apologists try to claim credit for the knowledge preserved there. 9. The reality of Islamic attitudes towards art and music.
Islamophiles often praise Islamic art and architecture, ignoring the fact that many forms of artistic expression are severely restricted or outright forbidden in Orthodox Islam. The prohibition of representational art and music in many Islamic traditions has stifled creativity and cultural development. 10. The myth of Islamic women's rights. Some argue that Islam improved the status of women. However, Practices such as polygamy, easy divorce for men, and the inheritance laws that favour males over females tell a different story.
The restrictions on women's freedom and rights in many Islamic societies today are not a deviation from but a continuation of historical norms. 11. The Fallacy of the Islamic Preservation of Greek Knowledge While it's true that some Greek texts were preserved in Arabic translations, this narrative often ignores the fact that many of these works were already being preserved and studied in the Byzantine Empire and other Christian centres of learning. 12. The Myth of Islamic Scientific Empiricism Some claim that Muslims pioneered the scientific method.
However, The emphasis on empirical observation and experimentation was already present in the works of ancient Greek philosophers and scientists. The scientific method as we know it today, developed gradually over centuries, with contributions from many cultures. In conclusion, I find it crucial to challenge these narratives of Islamic superiority and the uncritical praise of Islam in Western societies.
This is not about denigrating Muslims, or denying any contributions made by Islamic civilization. Rather, it's about maintaining historical accuracy, and resisting the temptation to rewrite history, for the sake of modern political correctness, or misguided attempts at cultural sensitivity. We must be willing to examine all aspects of Islamic history and doctrine critically, just as we do with other religions and ideologies. Only by doing so can we have an honest and productive dialogue. about the role of Islam in the modern world, and address the very real challenges posed by Islamic extremism and the clash between Islamic values and Western liberal democracy.
The phenomenon of Islamophilia that Murray describes is indeed dangerous. It prevents us from addressing real issues within Islamic societies and hinders genuine reform efforts by Muslims themselves. By indulging in this false narrative of Islamic greatness, we do a disservice not only to historical truth, but also to those Muslims who are fighting for reform and modernisation within their communities.
It's high time we moved beyond this uncritical adulation of Islam and engaged in a more honest and nuanced discussion about its place in history and in contemporary society. Only then can we hope to address the challenges posed by radical Islam and foster genuine understanding and coexistence between different cultures and belief systems. If you're tired of politically correct myths, Smash that like button and subscribe now. Hit the notification bell to join our army of truthseekers and never miss our hard-hitting content. Together, we'll expose the lies and defend Western Civilization.