A discourse on the impact of Arab Civilization
What Arab Civilization?
Any disclaimers here? Or is everything in harmony?
and why should anyone bother themselves about xenophobic lies?
You should pay attention to what proper researchers know not anti islam extremists and their followers. Muhammed began being an arbitrator for quarrelling tribes some of which considered themselves 'chosen'. They invited him to this role
BBC Two - The Life of Muhammad, The Seeker
and where do you think the idea of democracy comes from?
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUczaqR9uZ4&feature=player_embedded]John Keane the History of Democracy and Islam Part3 - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9mO8iglDWg]Modern Democracy's Roots in Early Islam? - John Keane - YouTube[/ame]
Democracy's early roots in Islam?! Is this guy a comedian or just bipolar? Using Mohammad as a "good Arab" is not a good idea. One of the first things Mohammad did was become a career Caravan robber, who looted, raped, and murdered travelers for a living. If Arabs achieved anything in history, it would be despite Islam's teachings. Clearly when Mohammad and his subsequent followers acted according to Islam, it led to invasions, rape, and pillaging of other people's and lands, also known as Jihad. The end result of said invasions being forced conversions into Islam. The few countries that willingly converted to Islam was because they knew they would be dealt with harshly. Then Islam steps in and takes credit for a culture and history of a people or civilization HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH ISLAM. The Pope explained it well when he quoted a Persian King:
Regensburg lecture
The Regensburg lecture was delivered on 12 September 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI at the University of Regensburg in Germany, where he had once served as a professor of theology. It was entitled "Faith, Reason and the University — Memories and Reflections" (German: Glaube, Vernunft und Universität — Erinnerungen und Reflexionen). The lecture is considered to be among the most important papal statements on world affairs since John Paul II's 1995 address to the United Nations, and sparked international reactions and controversy.
Mass street protests were mounted in many Islamic countries, the Majlis-e-Shoora (Pakistani parliament) unanimously called on the Pope to retract "this objectionable statement".[3] The pope maintained that the comment he had quoted did not reflect his own views, and he offered an apology to Muslims.
The controversial comment originally appeared in the 7th of the 26 Dialogues Held With A Certain Persian, the Worthy Mouterizes, in Anakara of Galatia,[4] written in 1391 as an expression of the views of the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos, one of the last Christian rulers before the Fall of Constantinople to the Muslim Ottoman Empire, on such issues as forced conversion, holy war, and the relationship between faith and reason. The passage, in the English translation published by the Vatican, is as follows:
"Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."....
I'd say the Pope hit the nail on the head with that one and was spot on. Amd Musim, to prove exactly how peaceful Islam is and how wrong the Pope was, went on a rioting, murdering, burning, and terrorism rampage. In other words proved the Pope's assessment of Islam to be entirely true.