The Arab civilisation then and now

[Mosamania]

Behave everyone. I don't want this thread to turn ugly. Keep your discussions civil and within boundaries.

 

[p(-)0ENiX]

Because every thread about Arab, or Muslim achievements, attracts the usual trolls who deny, deny, deny...

If they present specific rebuttals backed by evidence, that's fine. But if people ignore the evidence presented and continue with generic statements about Arabs as a race, then that's not acceptable.

Some people may have given less importance to Arab civilization, but for the most part, most of us on this thread accept that the achievements of the Arab civilization were amazing.

 

[Luffy 500]

Bengali people are an ethnic group in India as well. They are Indian.

I guess you are an canadian indian eh?

British empire started in Bengal....

Intentional ignorance or shameless lying.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Who said that they did NOT have culture? Please go and study Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah before coming here and spewing alot of nonsense that you have been brainwashed with.



Who are "they"? We can go through each and everyone and determine whether you are right or wrong. I'm saying that the vast majority of Islamic and secular scholars of the Middle East during the era of 600-1500 are non-Arabs, mostly Iranic.

Andalus had some arabic-speaking scholars (mostly berbers, moors and others).



Is your ignorance the deciding factor here? Iranians (which are broader than just Persians) have had many scientific achievements prior to the arrival of the Prophet Muhammad.

This is such a vast subject that I cannot possibly cover here, you are welcome to open a separate thread for this and we can go through the scientific achivements of pre-Muhammedan era. I can give you a starting point which is the academy of Gondishapoor which was the center of Science in the Middle East, basically an ancient university (Gundeshapur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

Iranians were not under Arab rule for long. The only two eras is firstly Ummayad era which lasted around 70 years in Iran, most of which had little effect on Iran. The Bani Ummayah adopted Persian as the language of the Diwan in Iraq for a long time, and by the time of Yazid III the Ummayan caliphs were writing poetry praising their ancestry as partially Persian.

The second era is around 90-100 years of Abbasid rule but it's doubtful if this can be called "Arab". The Abbasids introduced Iranian holidays as official holidays, and spread the Persian language far and wide. By the time of Mamun (whose wife and mother were Persian), the capital of Abbasid caliphate was changed to the center of Greater Iran (i.e. today's Khorasan region).

His father Haroon established the House of Wisdom that was designed, administered and executed by Persians.

Even during these two eras, as mentioned, the rulers (caliphs) were largely nominal overheads and the actual administration was left to the existing administrative infrastructure, i.e. Iranians.

You are trying to establish a link between Arab rule and Iranian science which is non-sensical. These rulers had for the most part no interest in such things (with the exception of a few) and the average ruler did not stay in power for more than ten years. Infact, much less than so.



This is meaningless drivel. Ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, Babylonians and others did not have, nor do they have, any relationship with "Arabs". They were not Arabs then and they are not Arabs today.



Please read what I read properly before jumping your horses. Where are the grammar books that precede what I quoted? Please provide them for me, I want to read them.



My input here is to clarify to people interested in history that what you posted is mostly inaccurate.

Coming from an Afghani...
Now it's clear to me that you are deliberately resort to lying and trolling. Go read my links and see if they are Arabs or not. I will not waste any more time with you.

 

[Takaavar]

Such discussions are bull$hit IMO because past is PAST, what matter are NOW and us, not what our fathers did in past.

 

[Developereo]

I did not edit my posts days after liar, I edited them on the same day, sometimes just a few minutes after posting the original text.

These

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/192107-arab-civilisation-then-now-9.html#post3145588
http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/192107-arab-civilisation-then-now-10.html#post3146033

are the posts you edited several HOURS after you agreed to end our discussion and where you added more personal attacks at me.

I see you modified this post too, what were you trying to remove? It's sad that I didn't get to read what were most likely insults & accusations thrown at me, I would have responded in a similar manner.

The only thing I took out was mention of the fact that I had observed this kind of behavior by you towards very well respected Indian members on the IVC thread.

When you quote people, make sure that you quote the full sentences, do not skip a couple of sentences, link the quotes to the original posts effectively, don't modify them in the slightest.

I have NEVER modified any of your posts. I quote the relevant sentence(s) to highlight the parts to which I am responding. There is absolutely NOTHING that was taken out of context. If you don't have the guts to stand behind your own posts, then don't write them in the first place.

My view on the subject is clear, there was hatred for Muslims during the Medieval ages or the Crusades, but that doesn't exist anymore.

So, in one post, you deny that anti-Muslim hatred exists, and then, in another post, you admit it is rising but excuse it by saying

Once again, I am not living in denial about the existence of Islamophobia. I have never considered Islamophobia to be a trivial issue. You have quoted my words out of context to intentionally misrepresent them. I doubt there will be another Crusade, but Islamophobia is rising in Western nations due to things like forced integration & crimes committed by Muslims, etc.

As for you consistently crying, complaining, whining, & screaming

Control yourself.

My view was & still is that in modern times no one can distort history easily, there are way too many historians from all over the world, someone is bound to detect any distortion sooner or later.

I showed you a research study which found precisely this bias, but you continue your denial in the face of evidence and, in turn, accuse me of racism because I pointed out this Western bias.

Once those points had been discussed, you started crying, complaining, & whining

More personal attacks. It's becoming a pattern with you.
Again, as in the IVC thread.

about Western textbooks not teaching the contributions of Arabs. That isn't entirely true either, since I showed you certain books in the West dealing with Arab civilization.

I said Western textbooks tend to downplay, or exclude, Muslim contributions. And in response you showed me a specialist book and some books by Arab/Muslim authors. The mere fact that you had to resort to Arab/Muslim authors to support your point shows how weak your rebuttal is.

Do note one thing, the Arab civilization is not yours, & I haven't seen any Arab complain here the way you did.

You can't seem to string together three sentences without descending into personal attacks.

Later on you brought Islamophobia into the discussion even after you told me to not bring Islamophobia in to our arguments.

Wrong. I mentioned anti-Muslim hatred originally in this post:

Western historian routinely downplay or completely ignore the accomplishments of Muslim (Arab and Persian) scholars.[...]The amount of visceral hatred of Muslims and Arabs that permeates Western scholarship through the ages can only be appreciated by reading some of these "historians" and the language they used to describe these people.

to which you responded by dismissing it as a conspiracy theory, and I told you about Bernard Lewis. Since you were unwilling to accept that this anti-Muslim hatred (which, incidentally, is just another term for Islamophobia) exists, I decided it was futile to persist.

Now by posting these out of context posts of mine, some of which seem to be tampered with, you intend to misrepresent my views.

Absolute lie Show me ONE single post of yours which I modified.
It's not my fault that your posts themselves are self-contradictory on the matter of anti-Muslim hatred in the West: in one post you deny it exists; and in another you excuse it by saying it's because of Muslim criminals.

 

[p(-)0ENiX]

These

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/192107-arab-civilisation-then-now-9.html#post3145588
http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/192107-arab-civilisation-then-now-10.html#post3146033

are the posts you edited several HOURS after you agreed to end our discussion and where you added more personal attacks at me.

So what if I modified them? It is my right to do so, besides I did not drastically change the content anyway. In the first link you provided; the last sentence of that post was added by me only some time after the original response. I only made minor modifications later on. As for the second link you provided, that was my final response to you after you asked me to stop our discussion. Was that really too difficult for you to understand? Use your mind before throwing out accusations.

The only thing I took out was mention of the fact that I had observed this kind of behavior by you towards very well respected Indian members on the IVC thread.

I observed that your behavior isn't exactly great either.

I have NEVER modified any of your posts. I quote the relevant sentence(s) to highlight the parts to which I am responding. There is absolutely NOTHING that was taken out of context. If you don't have the guts to stand behind your own posts, then don't write them in the first place.

I stand behind all of my posts, it is you who deleted your post almost immediately after my response. Many of the sentences you quoted in the post you deleted were taken out of context. In some cases you had only quoted a few words. Sometimes the quotes you inserted did not link back to the exact post the quote was taken from. You even added some odd brackets to quotes you made. I think you might have modified the content that you quoted too.

So, in one post, you deny that anti-Muslim hatred exists, and then, in another post, you admit it is rising but excuse it by saying

Islamophobia & the hatred for Muslims during the Crusades is different. Islamophobia is rising today due to terrorism, & crimes committed by Muslims in Western societies. The kind of hatred for Muslims that existed during the Crusades does not exist today. You have taken my posts referring to different eras, & those responding to different, yet prejudiced responses from you & have attempted to jumble them up to intentionally misrepresent my views.

Again I tell members here to read my posts exactly where I posted them.

Control yourself.

Control yourself too, alright? You resumed our argument remember? Then you deleted your previous post in an attempt to stop me from replying to you.

Nonsense. This is what you wrote:

In most of my posts my views are the same, the only thing different is the wordings. You have run out of sensible points, & are now just crying because you want me to end the argument by letting you make the last post. I assure you, every time you respond I shall reply too. This argument will only finish if you cease to reply or if you pass away.

I then showed a research study which found precisely this bias, but you continue your denial in the face of evidence and, in turn, accuse me of racism because I pointed out this Western bias.

Your views are extremely prejudiced, most of your hatred probably stems from what I assume is your jealousy of the white race lol. I think that our argument started over the Ancient Greeks & Egyptians. It seems that you just couldn't stand the fact that I think that Ancient Greece is way cooler than Ancient Egypt. Remember one thing, the Arab civilization was never yours & the glory of the Arab civilization will belong only to the Arabs. Even if every one sang songs of praise about the Arab civilization, it still wouldn't be something for you to take pride in.

More personal attacks. It's becoming a pattern with you.
Again, as in the IVC thread.

Saying that you started crying, complaining, & whining is not a personal attack. If, for example; I called you an "idiot", then that would be a personal attack.

I said Western textbooks tend to downplay, or exclude, Muslim contributions. And in response you showed me a specialist book and some books by Arab/Muslim authors. The mere fact that you had to resort to Arab/Muslim authors to support your point shows how weak your rebuttal is.

Those books written by Muslim authors were published in the West, the society that will read them will initially be the Western society. If they were so biased & filled with hatred, why even bother publishing them? I have heard that many authors find it hard to get their books published all over the world. I can show you loads of documents online, written by Europeans or people of European descent, that acknowledge the Arab civilization.

Here is something you may find interesting, it's about the Arab American National Museum.

Arab World Civilization and Culture

Arab American National Museum of Arab American History, Culture & Art

This is kind of off topic, but I noticed that many Pakistanis take the credit for the Arab Civilization, isn't that disturbing?

You can't seem to string together three sentences without descending into personal attacks.

Saying that the "Arab civilization is not yours, & I haven't seen any Arab complain here the way you did" is not a personal attack. You lied once again. Remember this for all eternity; the Arab civilization is not yours & its accomplishments should be a matter of pride for the Arabs themselves. No one should attempt to take the credit for their history even if he or she is a Muslim. Keep in mind that I am not saying that you are taking the credit for their accomplishments.

Wrong. I mentioned anti-Muslim hatred originally in this post:

to which you responded by dismissing it as a conspiracy theory, and I told you about Bernard Lewis. Since you were unwilling to accept that this anti-Muslim hatred (which, incidentally, is just another term for Islamophobia) exists, I decided it was futile to persist.

At that time you weren't talking about Islamophobia in Western societies. All you had mentioned at that time was that Western historians are biased & stuff. After that you claim that the only reason Western historians acknowledge Hindu accomplishments is because it takes away from Arab claims. This view was nothing but an odd conspiracy theory.

Absolute lie Show me ONE single post of yours which I modified.
It's not my fault that your posts themselves are self-contradictory on the matter of anti-Muslim hatred in the West: in one post you deny it exists; and in another you excuse it by saying it's because of Muslim criminals.

How can I show you how you messed up & jumbled up my posts, when you have deleted that specific post you made to begin with? My posts aren't self-contradictory. Western historians aren't biased today, & if they were, thanks to the global village that we live in, their distortion of history would be easily discovered. When I referred to Muslim criminals, I was talking about Islamophobia.

You are clearly confused, & you have resumed our argument once again, even though it was you that asked me to stop the discussion. I made one final response, & I stopped arguing, now today you have started the argument again, & then you deleted your post right after I responded. I am really sick of your consistent derailing of this thread, I have better things to do with my time than to respond to your posts. Do not respond to me again, & I will assume that our discussion is over.

 

[Gandhi G in da house]

Every civilization has given something to this world at some point of time . Some have a given a little more , some a little less. Celebrate human civilization instead that has collectively achieved so much in the last 2000 odd years .

 

[alighor]

Coming from an Afghani...
Now it's clear to me that you are deliberately resort to lying and trolling. Go read my links and see if they are Arabs or not. I will not waste any more time with you.

I spent alot of time and effort and meticulously replied to all of your post and this is what you have to come with?

I'm greatly disappointed by your lack of manners and will leave it to the readers to draw conclusions based on our arguments and counter-arguments.

 

[p(-)0ENiX]

Islamic Culture and the Medical Arts
Medieval Islamic Medicine

With us ther was a Doctour of Phisyk
In al this world ne was ther noon him lyk
To speke of phisik and surgerye, . . .
Wel knew he the olde Esculapius,
And Deiscorides, and eek Rufus,
Old Ypocras, Haly, and Galien,
Serapion, Razis, and Avicen​

So Geoffrey Chaucer wrote in his prologue to the Canterbury Tales, naming the great physicians of the past that his 14th-century audience could be expected to recognize. In the list are four Greek figures: Asclepius, the focus of a Greek healing cult; Hippocrates, or 'Ypocras' as Chaucer called him, a 5th to 4th-century BC physician whose name is associated with a fundamental collection of medical writings; Rufus of Ephesus in Asia Minor, a physician of the 1st century AD who composed over 60 Greek medical treatises; Dioscorides, whose treatise on medicinal substances written about 77 AD formed the basis of pharmaceutics for centuries; and, of course, Galen of the 2nd century, arguably the most influential figure in the history of medicine. The writings of all but the first of these Greek figures were known in the Arabic-speaking world and provided the early foundations of the medical art in the Islamic world.

Chaucer then goes on to name physicians from the medieval Islamic world: Ibn Sarabiyun or Serapion as he was known to Europe, a Syriac physician of the 9th century; 'Razis' the great clinician of the early 10th century; and `Avicen', or Avicenna as other Europeans called him, referring to Ibn Sina whose early 11th-century medical encyclopedia was as important in Europe as it was in the Middle East. Just as early Greek medical teaching served as a common intellectual framework for professional medical practice in the Islamic Near East, so Arabic medical literature of the 9th to 12th centuries, through Latin translations, provided late medieval Europe with ideas and practices from which early modern medicine eventually arose.

The earlier Greek medical teachings were welcomed and valued by an emerging Islamic empire which needed to find ways of dealing with medical problems common to all peoples: disease, pain, injuries, and successful childbearing. This heritage of medical theory and practice, mingled with some Persian, Indian, and Arab elements, was assimilated and elaborated by a community of both Muslim and non-Muslim physicians speaking many languages -- Arabic, Persian, Syriac, Hebrew, and Turkish, though Arabic became the lingua franca and Islam the dominant faith.

From Spain and North Africa through the central lands of Egypt, Syria and Iraq, to Iran and India in the East, and over a period of roughly twelve centuries (from the middle of the 8th to the present century), Islamic medicine has shown great variation and diversity. As cosmopolitan Islamic culture developed, shared traditions spanned vast areas and crossed many centuries. Yet wound round the common threads were innumerable other factors and local conditions that produced considerable diversity. Communications over such a vast area during the course of several centuries were, as would be expected, neither uniform nor very swift, and the dispersion of ideas and texts from one region to another was uneven. The institutions and policies responsible for dispensing medical care were subject to political and social fluctuations. The general health of the Islamic community was influenced by many factors: the dietary and fasting laws and the general rules for hygiene and burial of the different religious communities of Muslims, Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, and others; the climatic conditions of the desert, marsh, mountain and littoral communities; the different living conditions of nomadic, rural, and urban populations; local economic factors and agricultural successes or failures; population migration as well as travel undertaken for commerce, for attendance at courts, or as a pilgrimage; the injuries and diseases attendant upon army camps and battles; and the incidence of plague and other epidemics as well as the occurrence of endemic conditions such as trachoma and other eye diseases.

Woman, with attendant, reviving an elderly man.
Ink drawing, highlighted with gilt and watercolors, signed by an artist Shaykh Muhammad.
One of several illustrations accompanying anonymous poetry following a Persian text on sexual hygiene.
Undated. Possibly 18th century India, possibly Kashmir.
NLM MS P24, fol. 18b​

Medical care is, in addition, always multifaceted, with the needs of the society being served by various local traditional practices as well as the formal learned medicine. The sophisticated learned Islamic medical texts that are the focus of this exhibition represent only one facet of the actual medical care of the society. The medical practice of the society varied, not only according to time and place, but at the various strata comprising the society. The economic and social level of the patient determined to a large extent the type of care sought, and the expectations of the patients varied as did the approaches of the medical practitioners.

The medical care in the medieval Islamic lands involved a rich mixture of religions and cultures to be seen in both the physicians and the patients -- a coexistence and blending of traditions probably unrivaled in contemporaneous societies. The medical profession in general transcended the barriers of religion, language, and country.

**********​

Can someone translate the Arabic text in the beginning of the article?

 

[Developereo]

So what if I modified them? It is my right to do so, besides I did not drastically change the content anyway. In the first link you provided; the last sentence of that post was added by me only some time after the original response. I only made minor modifications later on. As for the second link you provided, that was my final response to you after you asked me to stop our discussion. Was that really too difficult for you to understand? Use your mind before throwing out accusations.

Absolute lie. You added personal insults to me six hours after you wrote those posts. The edit timestamps are there.

I stand behind all of my posts, it is you who deleted your post almost immediately after my response. Many of the sentences you quoted in the post you deleted were taken out of context. In some cases you had only quoted a few words. Sometimes the quotes you inserted did not link back to the exact post the quote was taken from. You even added some odd brackets to quotes you made. I think you might have modified the content that you quoted too.

Spare me your "context" excuses. You have repeated those statements several times and there is no confusion about their "context".

Not ONE single sentence was modified and every SINGLE quote was linked to the source post accurately. I challenge you to find any such mismatch in any of my posts. The square brackets with ellipses "[...]" are a standard notation to mark irrelvant snips in a quote.

The only reason I deleted my post was because I honestly couldn't be bothered wasting any more time on you, knowing your atrocious manners from the IVC thread against the Indians.

And I deleted it before your response was posted. If I had seen your response, I would have left it there.

Your views are extremely prejudiced, most of your hatred probably stems from what I assume is your jealousy of the white race lol.

You have truly lost the plot. I am, however, enjoying your descent into madness with such gems as these.

According to you, white Western researchers like the ones at Hamilton University, who demonstrate Western bias, are racist against themselves.

I think that our argument started over the Ancient Greeks & Egyptians. It seems that you just couldn't stand the fact that I think that Ancient Greece is way cooler than Ancient Egypt. Remember one thing, the Arab civilization was never yours & the glory of the Arab civilization will belong only to the Arabs. Even if every one sang songs of praise about the Arab civilization, it still wouldn't be something for you to take pride in.

Again, you need to come to reality and leave those delusions behind. I don't give two whits which civilization you think is "cool". Despite your puerile rant, my defence of Arab civilization has nothing to do with taking credit for anything. My comment was to point out the anti-Muslim bias in Western history books. That bias has been established by independent research, despite your refusal to accept reality.

Those books written by Muslim authors were published in the West, the society that will read them will initially be the Western society. If they were so biased & filled with hatred, why even bother publishing them? I have heard that many authors find it hard to get their books published all over the world. I can show you loads of documents online, written by Europeans or people of European descent, that acknowledge the Arab civilization.

Here is something you may find interesting, it's about the Arab American National Museum.

Arab World Civilization and Culture

Arab American National Museum of Arab American History, Culture & Art

Thousands of books get published in the West, although I am not surprised that you don't understand the concept of exceptions proving the rule.

This is kind of off topic, but I noticed that many Pakistanis take the credit for the Arab Civilization, isn't that disturbing?

Nothing disturbing. As I mentioned, my interest in this is to point out anti-Muslim bias in general. Arabs are the focus only because this particular thread is about Arab civilization. In fact, in my earlier posts, I specifically mentioned both Arab and Persian scholars.

Saying that the "Arab civilization is not yours, & I haven't seen any Arab complain here the way you did" is not a personal attack. You lied once again.

It is a personal attack since you are gatuitously making an issue of my nationality and race. Whether I am Arab or not is irrelevant to the discussion.

At that time you weren't talking about Islamophobia in Western societies. All you had mentioned at that time was that Western historians are biased & stuff.

Duh! I specifically wrote about the "visceral hatred" for Muslims. That is the definition of Islamophobia, since you still don't get it.

 

[p(-)0ENiX]

Absolute lie. You added personal insults to me six hours after you wrote those posts. The edit timestamps are there.

Whatever, I don't care. Just because I edit my posts doesn't mean I am adding insults, alright?

Spare me your "context" excuses. You have repeated those statements several times and there is no confusion about their "context".

Not ONE single sentence was modified and every SINGLE quote was linked to the source post accurately. I challenge you to find any such mismatch in any of my posts. The square brackets with ellipses "[...]" are a standard notation to mark irrelvant snips in a quote.

The only reason I deleted my post was because I honestly couldn't be bothered wasting any more time on you, knowing your atrocious manners from the IVC thread against the Indians.

And I deleted it before your response was posted. If I had seen your response, I would have left it there.

The post you deleted is the one is which I stated the problem occurred. That post is gone now, that was the post where the source posts weren't linked correctly.

I quoted EXACTLY what you wrote. In response to my assertion that Western historians have shown anti-Muslim bias, you claimed it was all a conspiracy theory. When shown evidence of such bias, you ignored the evidence and continued with your silly rants about prejudice.

People can read our entire conversation on this thread & figure out the truth for themselves.

As far I remember (I am in no mood to check my earlier posts), I only referred to "conspiracy theory" in one post where you accused Western historians of selective discrimination.

Your wording is explicitly contradictory.
The English language is what it is.
Words mean what they do; your denials notwithstanding.

No, my words aren't contradictory, you changing the topic from Ancient Greece all the way to what Western textbooks teach is proof that you are just here to hamper the discussion in this thread.

Wit has never been your strong point. Please spare us the torture.

Don't you mean; spare you the torture? You are the one complaining here & continuing the argument that you yourself requested me to stop. Wit has never been your strong point either, anyway, people can read all of our posts on this thread & decide the truth for themselves.

You have truly lost the plot. I am, however, enjoying your descent into madness with such gems as these.

According to you, white Western researchers like the ones at Hamilton University, who demonstrate Western bias, are racist against themselves.

I never said white Western researchers were racist. That is just a case of self-criticism. It's perfectly fine to criticize your own society. I haven't lost the plot, I am just annoyed at how much of my time you have managed to waste.

Again, you need to come to reality and leave those delusions behind. I don't give two whits which civilization you think is "cool". Despite your puerile rant, my defence of Arab civilization has nothing to do with taking credit for anything. My comment was to point out the anti-Muslim bias in Western history books. That bias has been established by independent research, despite your refusal to accept reality.

Whatever, people can read our discussion for themselves & decide whose rant was puerile & worthless for themselves.

It shows your level of debating skills. I already knew what to expect from your IVC thread against the Indians, but it's sad that you insist on putting it on display in every thread.

The manners & method of debating you have shown to other members & guests on this thread haven't exactly been great either.

Thousands of books get published in the West, although I am not surprised that you don't understand the concept of exceptions proving the rule.

I do understand the concept of "exceptions proving the rule", although, you might want to read about that idiom yourself.

Nothing disturbing. As I mentioned, my interest in this is to point out anti-Muslim bias in general. Arabs are the focus only because this particular thread is about Arab civilization. In fact, in my earlier posts, I specifically mentioned both Arab and Persian scholars.

I wasn't accusing you of taking credit for Arab civilization when I made that off topic remark. I still find it disturbing when Pakistanis claim the Arab & Ottoman caliphates for themselves. Trust me, I have met many Pakistanis that do that.

It is a personal attack since you are gatuitously making an issue of my nationality and race. Whether I am Arab or not is irrelevant to the discussion.

The correct spelling is "gratuitously". Don't worry though, you can modify your post & correct the spelling, even after a few hours. You won't find me crying or complaining & resuming an argument that was over a long time back. It was not a personal attack, if you think that it was, I simply don't care. All I did was remind you that the Arab civilization isn't yours.

Duh! I specifically wrote about the "visceral hatred" for Muslims. That is the definition of Islamophobia, since you still don't get it.

I don't think you get it, the first time I brought up the issue of Muslims committing crimes in the West, you told me to go open another thread for general discussion of Islamophobia. Previously, the discussion was only about your claims of Western historians distorting the truth & stuff.

Because it is a bald faced LIE you made up to deflect attention from your backflips.

It wasn't a lie, & nor did I retract my position on the issues being discussed here. You have deleted that post, had it still been there it would be easy to prove that the quotes weren't correctly linked to the source posts. This happened more than once while I was verifying everything you quoted.

You went back on your word and edited your posts several HOURS afterwards, adding insults and personal attacks onto me. When you do that, don't be surprised when you get called out for it.

I did not add any insults or personal attacks to you several hours later, I did not add any insults or personal attacks at all. You even put my post #142 after your own post #141 in which you wanted to end our argument in to your list of the so-called "modified" posts. I only made minor modifications, if you don't believe me, I couldn't care less. I only do major modifications to my posts immediately after I post them. In any case, I can modify any of my own posts, it's none of your business so I suggest you take a hike.

Hopefully, our discussion would be over now because you have really wasted many hours of my precious time.

**********​

Arab Contributions to Civilization​

Much like America today, the Arab world of the seventh to the thirteenth centuries was a great cosmopolitan civilization. It was an enormous unifying enterprise, one which joined the peoples of Spain and North Africa in the west with the peoples of the ancient lands of Egypt, Syria and Mesopotamia in the east.

It was the rapid expansion of Islam that initially brought this empire together. Alliances were made, trade routes were opened, lands and peoples were welded into a new force. Islam provided the dynamism, but it was the Arabic language, which provided the bond that held it together.

Islam spread to lands more distant than North Africa and the Fertile Crescent, but it was in this area that a common Arab culture emerged.

To be Arab, then as now, was not to come from a particular race or lineage. To be Arab, like American, was (and is) a civilization and a cultural trait rather than a racial mark. To be Arab meant to be from the Arabic-speaking world — a world of common traditions, customs and value — shaped by a single and unifying language.

The Arab civilization brought together Muslims, Christians and Jews. It unified Arabians, Africans, Berbers, Egyptians, and the descendants of the Phoenicians, Canaanites, and many other people. This great “melting pot” was not without tensions, to be sure, but it was precisely the tension of this mixing and meeting of peoples that produced the vibrant and dynamic new civilization, the remarkable advances of which we outline in this ADC Issues.

ARAB CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION

The years between the seventh and thirteenth centuries mark a period in history when culture and learning flourished in North Africa, Asia, Southern Europe, and the Middle East. When one sets aside the vagaries of politics, intrigue, mistrust, and suspicion which have plagues Man‘s history, one finds that the Arab world continue to spin out the thread of earliest recorded civilization. It enhanced and developed the arts and sciences and preserved the libraries of the early centuries of the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine cultures. Indeed, during the Dark Ages of Europe, much learning was preserved for the world through the Arab libraries in the universities of Morocco (Fez), Mali (Timbuktu) and Egypt (al-Azhar). From this period of Arab influence, new words such as orange, sugar, coffee, sofa, satin, and algebra filtered into the languages of Europe and eventually into our own. New discoveries were made in the sciences and arts which improved the life and condition of Man, and thousands of Arab contributions have become an integral part of human civilization.

MATHEMATICS

In mathematics, the Arab sifr, or zero, provided new solutions for complicated mathematical problems. The Arabic numeral — an improvement on the original Hindu concept — and the Arab decimal system facilitated the course of science. The Arabs invented and developed algebra and made great strides in trigonometry. Al-Khwarizmi, credited with the founding of algebra, was inspired by the need to find a more accurate and comprehensive method of ensuring precise land divisions so that the Koran could be carefully obeyed in the laws of inheritance. The writings of Leonardo da Vinci, Leonardo Fibonacci of Pisa, and Master Jacob of Florence show the Arab influence on mathematical studies in European universities. The reformation of the calendar, with a margin of error of only one day in five thousand years, was also a contribution of Arab intellect.

ASTRONOMY

Like algebra, the astrolabe was improved with religion in mind. It was used to chart the precise time of sunrises and sunsets, and to determine the period for fasting during the month of Ramadan, Arab astronomers of the Middle Ages compiles astronomical charts and tables in observatories such as those at Palmyra and Maragha. Gradually, they were able to determine the length of a degree, to establish longitude and latitude, and to investigate the relative speeds of sound and light. Al-Biruni, considered one of the greatest scientists of all time, discussed the possibility of the earth‘s rotation on its own axis — a theory proven by Galileo six centuries later. Arab astronomers such as al-Fezari, al-Farghani, and al-Zarqali added to the works of Ptolemy and the classic pioneers in the development of the magnetic compass and the charting of the zodiac. Distinguished astronomers from all over the world gathered to work at Maragha in the thirteenth century.

MEDICINE

In the field of medicine, the Arabs improved upon the healing arts of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Al-Razi, a medical encyclopedist of the ninth century, was an authority on contagion. Among his many volumes of medical surveys, perhaps the most famous is the Kitab al-Mansuri. It was used in Europe until the sixteenth century. Al-Razi was the first to diagnose smallpox and measles, to associate these diseases and others with human contamination and contagion, to introduce such remedies as mercurial ointment, and to use animal gut for sutures.

The famous scientist-philosopher known in Europe as Avicenna was Ibn Sina, an Arab. He was the greatest writer of medicine in the Middle Ages, and his Canon was required reading throughout Europe until the seventeenth century. Avicenna did pioneer work in mental health, and was a forerunner of today‘s psychotherapists. He believed that some illnesses were psychosomatic, and he sometimes led patients back to a recollection of an incident buried in the subconscious in order to explain the present ailment.

In the fourteenth Century, when the Great Plague ravaged the world, Ibn Khatib and Ibn Khatima of Granada recognized that it was spread by contagion. In his book, Kitabu‘l Maliki, al-Maglusi showed a rudimentary conception of the capillary system; an Arab from Syria, Ibn al-Nafis, discovered the fundamental principles of pulmonary circulation.

Camphor, cloves, myrrh, syrups, juleps, and rosewater were stocked in Arab sydaliyah (pharmacies) centuries ago. Herbal medicine was widely used in the Middle East, and basil, oregano, thyme, fennel, anise, licorice, coriander, rosemary, nutmeg, and cinnamon found their way through Arab pharmacies to European tables.

ARCHITECTURE

As with astronomy and mathematics, the great purpose of early Arab architecture was to glorify Islam. Architects devoted their skills primarily to the building of mosques and mausoleums. They borrowed the horseshow arch from the Romans, developed it into their own unique style, and made it an example for the architecture of Europe. The Great Mosque of Damascus, built in the 4early eighth century, is a beautiful demonstration of the use of the horseshoe arch. The mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo, with its pointed arches, was the inspiration behind the building of many magnificent cathedrals in Europe.

Arab cusp, tefoil, and ogee arches provided models for the Tudor arch such as those used in the cathedrals of Wells in England and Chartres in France. The Muslin minaret, itself inspired by the Greek lighthouse, became the campanile in Europe. One of the most famous examples of this can be seen in the San Marcos Square in Venice.

Designs from the Islamic mosques of Jerusalem, Mecca, Tripoli, Cairo, Damascus, and Constantinople were borrowed in the building of ribbed vaults in Europe. The Arab use of cubal transitional supports under domes was incorporated into the cathedrals and palaces of eleventh and twelfth century Palermo.

Arab styles were elegant and daring. Arabesque designs, calligraphy, and explosions of color can be seen today in such structures as the Lion Court of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, the Great Mosque of Cordoba, and many of the great medieval religious and civic buildings of Europe.

While we as Westerners are more familiar with the influence of Arab architecture of the Romance countries of Spain, Italy and France, we do not often remember that the Arab empires reached into Eastern Europe and Asia as well. Startling remnants of a once powerful conquest are particularly prevalent in Russia. The brilliant blue tiled done of the Mosque of Bibi Khanum, Timu‘s (Tamerlane) favorite wife, catches the visitor‘s eye in Samarkand. Here, as well as in the complex of tombs called Shah-I-Zinda (the Living Prince), much of the old beauty is being returned to its former elegance through restoration.

NAVIGATION AND GEOGRAPHY

The world‘s earliest navigational and geographical charts were developed by Canaanites who, probably simultaneously with the Egyptians, discovered the Atlantic Ocean. The medieval Arabs improved upon ancient navigational practices with the development of the magnetic needle in the ninth century.

One of the most brilliant geographers of the medieval world was al-Idrisi, a twelfth century scientist living in Sicily. He was commissioned by the Norman King, roger II, to compile a world atlas, which contained seventy maps. Some of the areas were therefore uncharted. Called Kitabal-Rujari (Roger‘s book), Idrisi‘s work was considered the best geographical guide of its time.

Ibn Battuta, an Arab, must have been the hardiest traveler of his time. He was not a professional geographer, but in his travels by horse, camel and sailboat, he covered over seventy five thousand miles. His wanderings, over a period of decades at a time, took him to Turkey, Bulgaria, Russia, Persia, and central Asia. He spent several years in India, and from there was appointed ambassador to the emperor of China. After China, he toured all of North Africa and many places in western Africa. Ibn Battuta‘s book, Rihla (journey), is filled with information on the politics, social conditions, and economics of the places he visited.

A twenty five year old Arab, captured by Italian pirates in 1520, has received much attention in the West. He was Hassan al-Wazzan, who became a protégé of Pope Leo X. Leo persuaded the young man to become a Christian, gave him his own name, and later convinced him to write an account of his travels on the them almost unknown African continent. Hassan became Leo Africanus and his book was translated into several European languages. For nearly two hundred year, Leo Africanus was read as the most authoritative source on Africa.

It should also be remembered that in the fifteenth century Vasco da Gama, exploring the east coast of Africa new Malindi, was guided by an Arab pilot who used maps never before seen by Europeans. The pilot‘s name was Ahmed ibn Majid.

HORTICULTURE

The ancient Arabs loved the land, for in earth and water they saw the source of life and the greatest of God‘s gifts. They were guided by the words attributed to the Prophet: “Whoever bringeth the dead land to life… for him is reward therein.” They were pioneers in botany. In the twelfth century an outstanding reference work, Al-Filahat by Ibn al-Awam, described more than five hundred different plants and methods of grafting, soil conditioning, and curing of diseased vines and trees.

The Arab contributions to food production are legion. They were able to graft a single vine so that it would bear grapes in different colors, and their vineyards were responsible for the future of wine industries of Europe. Peach, apricot, and loquat trees were transplanted in southern Europe by Arab soldiers. The hardy olive was encouraged to grow in the sandy soil of Greece, Spain, and Sicily. From India they introduced the cultivation of sugar, and from Egypt they brought cotton to European markets. “May there always be coffee at your house” was their expression, wishing prosperity and the joy of hospitality for their friends. Coffee was qahwah that which gives strength, and derivatives of that name are used today in almost every country of the world. They also perfected the storage of soft fruits to be eaten fresh throughout the year.

Arab horticulture gave the world the fragrant flowers and herbs from which perfumes were extracted. Their walled gardens were for the pleasure of the senses — a pine tree standing green and aromatic in the heart of a garden scented with jasmine; a fountain or artificial pool to delight the eye amidst lavender and laurel; a special rose garden blooming in riotous color, the roots injected with saffron to produce yellow, and indingo to produce blue; vines and trees injected with perfumes in the autumn flooding the air with fragrance in the spring; a weeping willow dripping gracefully into the middle of a clear lake; arbors and pergolas constructed where streams of water could bubble through them, cooling the air and giving relief from the heat of the desert. Mimosa and wild cherry lavished color against stonewalls, and cypress grew tall, close and straight bordering alleyways to obliterate from view all that was not pleasing.

Bulb flowers were already in a highly hybridized and cultivated state when the Crusaders carried them home from Palestine to western Europe toward the end of the centuries of Arab power. Rice, Sesame, pepper, ginger, cloves, melons and shallots, as well as dates, figs, oranges, lemons, and other citrus fruits, were introduced into European cuisine via the Crusaders and the trade caravans of Eastern merchants.

The women of Europe borrowed from the cosmetics first prepared by the Egyptians, Syrians, and Phoenicians. Some of these included lipsticks, nail polishes, eye shadow, eye liner (kohl), perfumes and powders, hair dyes (henna), body lotions and oils, and even wigs. A symbol of the vanity of the medieval ladies of European courts was the high peaked, pointed cap with its trailing veil of silk. This fashion of Jerusalem was called the tontour, and noble ladies of both the East and Europe vied with each other on the height of the tontour and the elegance of the fabrics used in the design of the face-framing millinery.

Much of our contemporary jewelry is a result of inspiration from adornments of the ancient and medieval Arabs, and the highly prized squash blossom design was once on the uniform bottle worn by Spanish Conquistadors.

OTHER SCIENCES

Concerning Arab contributions to engineering, one can look to the water wheel, cisterns, irrigation, water wells at fixed levels, and the water clock. In 860, the three sons of Musa ibn Shakir published the Book on Artifices, which described a hundred technical constructions. One of the earliest philosophers, al-Kindi, wrote on specific weight, tides, light reflection and optics.

Al-Haytham (known in Europe as Alhazen) wrote a book in the tenth century on optics, Kitab Al Manazir. He explored optical illusions, the rainbow, and the camera obscura (which led to the beginning of photographic instruments). He also made discoveries in atmospheric refractions (mirages and comets, for example), studied the eclipse, and laid the foundation for the later development of the microscope and the telescope. Al-Haytham did not limit himself to one branch of the sciences, but like many of the Arab scientists and thinkers, explored and made contributions to the fields of physics, anatomy and mathematics.

CRAFTS

Because the ancient Arabs believed that the arts served God, they raised small scale artistries to new levels of perfection. Glassware, ceramics, and textile weaves attest to their imagination and special skills. They covered walls and objects with intricately detailed mosaics, tiles, carvings, and paintings. Syrian beakers and rock crystals were in great demand in Renaissance Europe and the Azulejos. The iridescent luster pottery from the Moorish kilns in Valencia, also enjoyed great popularity. New glazing techniques were developed, and the brilliant blues took on many names. (The Chinese called them Muhammedan blues, and Dutch traders called them Chinese blues).

They were masters of silk weaving, and the Arab cape worn by Sicily's King Robert II on his coronation is one of the best examples of this delicate art. Cotton muslin, Damask linen and Shiraz wool became watchwords for quality in textiles in Europe.

One considers Moroccan leather to be of particularly fine quality. The Moroccan tanners of the Middle Ages developed methods for tanning hides almost to the softness of silk, and they used vegetable dyes that retained color indefinitely. These leathers were used for bookbindings, and the gold tooling and colored panels of the Arab style are still being produced, particularly in Venice and Florence to the present day.

The Arabs further developed the art of crucible steel forging. They hardened the steel, polished and decorated it with etchings, and produced tempered Damascene swords. Other works in metal included intricately cut brass chandeliers, ewers, salvers, jewel cases inlaid with gold and silver, and, of course, the beautifully decorated astrolabe.

LANGUAGE AND CALLIGRAPHY

Because God spoke to Muhammed in Arabic, Muslims venerated the Arabic language. Thus, to Muslims, Arabic calligraphy itself became an art form. It was the chief form of embellishment on all the mosques of the Arab world, and the religious and public buildings of Palermo, Cordoba, Lisbon and Malaga are resplendent with it.

The Arabic language is rich and pliant, and poetry, literature, and drama have left their mark on both East and West. Among the earliest publications of the Arabs were the translations into Arabic of the Greek and Roman classics — the works of Aristotle, Plato, Hippocrates, Ptolemy, Dioscorides and Galen. Some note that the poet Nizami‘s translations of the twelfth century romance, Layla and Majnun, may have been an inspiration for the later work, Romeo and Juliet. Ibn Tufail‘s Hayy ibn Yaqzan (Alive, Son of Awake), considered by many to be the first real novel, was translated by Pocock into Latin in 1671 and by Simon Ockley into English in 1708. It bears many similarities to Defoe‘s Robinson Crusoe. A Thousand and One Nights and Omar Khayyam‘s Rubaiyat are among the best loved and most widely read of Arab literature. The fascination with Arabic, following the Hellenistic period of Louis XIV, is particularly evident in Shakespeare‘s characterizations of the Moors (Othello and the Price of Morocco), in Christopher Marlowe‘s Tamburlaine the Great, and in George Peel‘s The Battle of Alcazar.

Besides influencing belles letters, the Arabs developed a system of historiography called isnad. This procedure documents all reliable sources and it provides the modern historian with accurate and comprehensive materials. Foremost among these historiographers was Ibn Khaldun, of whose Book of Examples Arnold Toynbee writes: “Ibn Khaldun, has conceived and formulated a philosophy of history which is undoubtedly the greatest work of its kind that has ever yet been created by any mind in any time.”

MUSIC

The harp, lyre, zither, drum, tambourine, flute, oboe and reed instruments are today either exactly as they were used from earliest Arab civilization or variations of the Arabs‘ early musical instruments. The guitar and mandolin are sisters to that plaintive, pear-shaped stringed instrument, the oud.

The bagpipe was first introduced into Europe by Crusaders returning from the wars in Palestine. It quickly became identified with the British Isles. Once the entertainment of the lonely Arab shepherds, the bagpipe returned to Palestine with the British Army. This lost musical art was relearned during the period of Sir John Glubb‘s reorganization and command of Jordan‘s colorful Bedouin Corps.

Arab poetry was put to music the subtle delicacy of minor key sequences and rhythm. The modes continue to influence our ballads and folk songs today. Extempore poetry was perfected into musical expression, and Arab wedding and other occasions are still celebrated with extempore versing and musical composition.

PHILOSOPHY

Arab philosophers effectively integrated faith and scientific fact, letting one exit within the framework of the other. The Arab philosophers after Byzantium re-discovered the classic philosophy of Aristotle, Plotinus, and Plato in attempting to find answers to the fundamental questions concerning God‘s creation of the universe, the nature and destiny of the human soul, and the true existence of the seen as the unseen.

Among the well-known philosophers of the medieval world were al-Kindi, who contributed to the work of Plato and Aristotle; al-Farabi, who made a model of Man‘s community; Avicenna (Ibn Sina), who developed theories on form and matter that were incorporated into medieval Christian Scholasticism; Ibn Khaldun, who expounded the cycles of a state in his Muqqadimah (Introduction).

In discussing contributions to human civilizations of some of the medieval Arab scientists, artists, educators, philosophers, poets and musicians, one must remember that their thought was molded and shaped by many ancient cultures — Greek, Roman, Chinese, Indian, Byzantine, Canaanite and Egyptian, for example. Arab culture, from its ancient beginnings to the present, has given us three great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In government and law, one refers to Hammurabi (Babylonian), Ulpian and Papinian (Phoenicians). Perhaps the greatest contribution of the Arabs to human civilization has been the phonetic alphabet.

In all aspects of our daily lives, then — in our homes, offices and universities; in religion, philosophy, science and the arts — we are indebted to Arab creativity, insight and scientific perseverance.

His brief survey of Arab contributions to human civilization was written by Mary Macron of Cleveland, Ohio. Mary, one of our first members, was proud of her Arab heritage and she sought to share it with others. She passed away in 1981. Her death has been a great loss to the Arab-American community. We are grateful to Cleveland State University‘s Ethnic Heritage Studies Program for allowing us to reprint Mary‘s essay as a tribute to her. The selection was edited for publication by David Hamod.

In compiling “Arab Contributions to Human Civilizations,” Mary Macron relied extensively on Rom Landau‘s The Arab Heritage of Western Civilization (The League of Arab States, Arab Information Center, 747 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017).

For further reading on Arab contributions to civilization, ADC recommends The Genius of Arab civilization: source of Renaissance (John Hayes, ed., New York University Press, 1975), History of the Arabs (Philip K. Hitti, St. Martin‘s Press, tenth edition 1970), and The Legacy of Islam (Sir Thomas Arnold and Alfred Guillaume, eds., Oxford University Press (1968).

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[Developereo]

Whatever, I don't care. Just because I edit my posts doesn't mean I am adding insults, alright?

I saw your posts before, and then saw them several hours later where you had added the cheap, personal attacks.

My point is proven by the fact that you continue to hurl more insults in almost every post. This is the same uncouth behavior you had towards others in the IVC thread.

you changing the topic from Ancient Greece all the way to what Western textbooks teach is proof that you are just here to hamper the discussion of this thread.

The topic here is Arab civilization, not Greek. The discussion was about the lack of credit to Arab (and Muslim) civilization. Mention of Greek civilization was in the context of Western coverage of Arab/Muslim civilizations.

Wit has never been your strong point either, anyway, people can read all of our posts on this thread & decide the truth for themselves.

Brilliant rejoinder. Thanks for proving my point about wit.

I never said white Western researcher were racist. That is just a case of self-criticism. It's perfectly fine to criticize your own society. I haven't lost the plot, I am just annoyed at how much of my time you have managed to waste.

I pointed out the flaw in your statement that anyone who criticizes bias must be motivated by racism. The predictable cheap shot you took at me exposed your own logical inconsistency.

I do understand the concept of "exceptions proving the rule", although, you might want to read about that idiom yourself.

Another brilliant rebuttal. Keep it up!

The correct spelling is "gratuitously".

Thanks for demonstrating your level of debating once again. Good thing is that you never disappoint.

I don't think you get it, the first time I brought up the issue of Muslims committing crimes in the West, you told me to go open another thread for general discussion of Islamophobia. Previously, the discussion was only about your claims of Western historians distorting the truth & stuff.

Here's what I wrote, "This discussion is not about criminals but the history of science. If you want a general discussion about Islamophobia in Europe, there are plenty of threads already on that subject."

In other words, only discuss Islamophobia as it relates to the history of Arab science and its depiction in the West, not a general debate about criminals or other justifications.

That is why I posted the Hamilton study which showed anti-Muslim bias in academic curricula relating to history.

 

[alighor]

Rarely have I seen a post with so many inaccurracies... I don't have time to comment on every single line but I will make it brief.

**********​

Al-Khwarizmi, credited with the founding of algebra, was inspired by the need to find a more accurate and comprehensive method of ensuring precise land divisions so that the Koran could be carefully obeyed in the laws of inheritance. The writings of Leonardo da Vinci, Leonardo Fibonacci of Pisa, and Master Jacob of Florence show the Arab influence on mathematical studies in European universities.

Khawarezmi is an Iranian scientist.

The reformation of the calendar, with a margin of error of only one day in five thousand years, was also a contribution of Arab intellect.

Which calendar is this? The most accurate calendar of the era was/is the Jalali calendar (Iranian calendars - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) which is solar and is largely based on the works of Khayyam (an Iranian).

The arabic calendar is lunar and has no relation to the Western (solar) calendar. I'm assuming the text is referring to the Gregorian calendar reform.

ASTRONOMY

Like algebra, the astrolabe was improved with religion in mind. It was used to chart the precise time of sunrises and sunsets, and to determine the period for fasting during the month of Ramadan, Arab astronomers of the Middle Ages compiles astronomical charts and tables in observatories such as those at Palmyra and Maragha.

Which Arab astronomers in Maragheh? It was managed by Naser al-Din Tusi (Maragheh observatory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

Gradually, they were able to determine the length of a degree, to establish longitude and latitude, and to investigate the relative speeds of sound and light. Al-Biruni, considered one of the greatest scientists of all time, discussed the possibility of the earth‘s rotation on its own axis — a theory proven by Galileo six centuries later.

Biruni is an Iranian. (Ab)

Arab astronomers such as al-Fezari, al-Farghani, and al-Zarqali added to the works of Ptolemy and the classic pioneers in the development of the magnetic compass and the charting of the zodiac. Distinguished astronomers from all over the world gathered to work at Maragha in the thirteenth century.

Fazari was Iranian (Ibr), Farghani was Iranian (Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Kath) and Zarqali was spanish (converted to Islam) (Ab).

Maragheh (located in Iran) which has been mentioned twice now has nothing to do with Arabs. It was during the Il Khani (Persianate Mongol) era.

Al-Razi, a medical encyclopedist of the ninth century, was an authority on contagion. Among his many volumes of medical surveys, perhaps the most famous is the Kitab al-Mansuri. It was used in Europe until the sixteenth century. Al-Razi was the first to diagnose smallpox and measles, to associate these diseases and others with human contamination and contagion, to introduce such remedies as mercurial ointment, and to use animal gut for sutures.

Zakariyya Razi was an Iranian (Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

The famous scientist-philosopher known in Europe as Avicenna was Ibn Sina, an Arab. He was the greatest writer of medicine in the Middle Ages, and his Canon was required reading throughout Europe until the seventeenth century. Avicenna did pioneer work in mental health, and was a forerunner of today‘s psychotherapists. He believed that some illnesses were psychosomatic, and he sometimes led patients back to a recollection of an incident buried in the subconscious in order to explain the present ailment.

Ibn Sina was Iranian (Avicenna - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

In the fourteenth Century, when the Great Plague ravaged the world, Ibn Khatib and Ibn Khatima of Granada recognized that it was spread by contagion. In his book, Kitabu‘l Maliki, al-Maglusi showed a rudimentary conception of the capillary system; an Arab from Syria, Ibn al-Nafis, discovered the fundamental principles of pulmonary circulation.

Ibn Khatib/Khatima's origins are clear from the text. There is no "al-Maglusi" that showed the capillary system. His name was al-Majusi and he was Iranian ('Ali ibn al-'Abbas al-Majusi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

The brilliant blue tiled done of the Mosque of Bibi Khanum, Timu‘s (Tamerlane) favorite wife, catches the visitor‘s eye in Samarkand. Here, as well as in the complex of tombs called Shah-I-Zinda (the Living Prince), much of the old beauty is being returned to its former elegance through restoration.

The architectural style of Samarkand mentioned above is distinctly Iranian and furthermore has nothing to do with Arabs. It's a timurid construction (i.e. during Tamerlane era).

Ibn Battuta, an Arab, must have been the hardiest traveler of his time. He was not a professional geographer, but in his travels by horse, camel and sailboat, he covered over seventy five thousand miles. His wanderings, over a period of decades at a time, took him to Turkey, Bulgaria, Russia, Persia, and central Asia. He spent several years in India, and from there was appointed ambassador to the emperor of China. After China, he toured all of North Africa and many places in western Africa. Ibn Battuta‘s book, Rihla (journey), is filled with information on the politics, social conditions, and economics of the places he visited.

Ibn Batuta was a berber, however he was not a scientist and many of his stories have been doubted.

A twenty five year old Arab, captured by Italian pirates in 1520, has received much attention in the West. He was Hassan al-Wazzan, who became a protégé of Pope Leo X. Leo persuaded the young man to become a Christian, gave him his own name, and later convinced him to write an account of his travels on the them almost unknown African continent. Hassan became Leo Africanus and his book was translated into several European languages. For nearly two hundred year, Leo Africanus was read as the most authoritative source on Africa.

Moorish origin.

The ancient Arabs loved the land, for in earth and water they saw the source of life and the greatest of God‘s gifts. They were guided by the words attributed to the Prophet: “Whoever bringeth the dead land to life… for him is reward therein.” They were pioneers in botany. In the twelfth century an outstanding reference work, Al-Filahat by Ibn al-Awam, described more than five hundred different plants and methods of grafting, soil conditioning, and curing of diseased vines and trees.

Ibn al-Awam was a spaniard.

Peach, apricot, and loquat trees were transplanted in southern Europe by Arab soldiers. The hardy olive was encouraged to grow in the sandy soil of Greece, Spain, and Sicily. From India they introduced the cultivation of sugar, and from Egypt they brought cotton to European markets. “May there always be coffee at your house” was their expression, wishing prosperity and the joy of hospitality for their friends. Coffee was qahwah that which gives strength, and derivatives of that name are used today in almost every country of the world. They also perfected the storage of soft fruits to be eaten fresh throughout the year.

Peach and Apricot originated in Greater Iran. Sugar is from India and Coffee is from Ethiopia. Olive is from the Mediterranean region and was there since the ancient era. I don't see how Arabs contributed to food production.

Concerning Arab contributions to engineering, one can look to the water wheel, cisterns, irrigation, water wells at fixed levels, and the water clock. In 860, the three sons of Musa ibn Shakir published the Book on Artifices, which described a hundred technical constructions.

The Banu Musa brothers were Iranian (Ban).

Al-Haytham (known in Europe as Alhazen) wrote a book in the tenth century on optics, Kitab Al Manazir. He explored optical illusions, the rainbow, and the camera obscura (which led to the beginning of photographic instruments). He also made discoveries in atmospheric refractions (mirages and comets, for example), studied the eclipse, and laid the foundation for the later development of the microscope and the telescope. Al-Haytham did not limit himself to one branch of the sciences, but like many of the Arab scientists and thinkers, explored and made contributions to the fields of physics, anatomy and mathematics.

Ibn Haytham is claimed to be Arab by some arabs but majority of historical commentators consider him to be Iranian. He was not under Arab era, but during the Iranian Buyid dynasty.

A Thousand and One Nights and Omar Khayyam‘s Rubaiyat are among the best loved and most widely read of Arab literature.

This is ludicrous. The Rubaiyat is written in Persian and this text is claiming that it's the most widely read of Arab literature?

Among the well-known philosophers of the medieval world were al-Kindi, who contributed to the work of Plato and Aristotle; al-Farabi, who made a model of Man‘s community; Avicenna (Ibn Sina), who developed theories on form and matter that were incorporated into medieval Christian Scholasticism; Ibn Khaldun, who expounded the cycles of a state in his Muqqadimah (Introduction).

Farabi was Iranian (Al-Farabi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Avicenna is already mentioned above as an Iranian scholar. Ibn Khaldun was berber although he claimed he was Arab due to political reasons. But his book is filled with praise and fascination with berbers. Read more about it here: Ibn Khaldun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There is lots more that I did not comment on, you may excuse me but I simply don't have the time.

Rarely have I seen a post with so many inaccurracies... I don't have time to comment on every single line but I will make it brief.

 

[p(-)0ENiX]

I saw your posts before, and then saw them several hours later where you had added the cheap, personal attacks.

My point is proven by the fact that you continue to hurl more insults in almost every post. This is the same uncouth behavior you had towards others in the IVC thread.

Keep bringing up the IVC thread like a loser, it doesn't matter to me. Your behaviour on this thread is crude & uncouth as well.

I don't care if you think I added cheap personal attacks. I don't think I added cheap personal attacks at all, however I consider your posts on this thread as being prejudiced & racist. If you think I attacked you, then I assure, you posts contain insults too. The posts are still there, others can read them for themselves.

The topic here is Arab civilization, not Greek. The discussion was about the lack of credit to Arab (and Muslim) civilization. Mention of Greek civilization was in the context of Western coverage of Arab/Muslim civilizations.

If I remember correctly, you replied to my post about the Greek & Egyptian civilizations. If you didn't want to discuss with me, you shouldn't have replied to me. Most of our argument here has been off topic, yet you still continue to respond & waste my time.

Brilliant rejoinder. Thanks for proving my point about wit.

Your own rejoinder (reply) proves your own lack of intellect too. The members here can read our posts & decide who they think is right for themselves.

I pointed out the flaw in your statement that anyone who criticizes bias must be motivated by racism. The cheap shot you took at me exposed your own logical inconsistency.

You seem to have a lot of hatred for the Europeans, anyone reading your post will figure it out for himself or herself.

Another brilliant rebuttal. Keep it up!

Thanks for demonstrating your level of debating once again. Good thing is that you never disappoint.

Your level of debating is the worst on this thread. Your response above was useless & added no value to this debate.

Here's what I wrote, "This discussion is not about criminals but the history of science. If you want a general discussion about Islamophobia in Europe, there are plenty of threads already on that subject."

In other words, only discuss Islamophobia as it relates to the history of science and its depiction in the West, not a general debate about criminals or other justifications.

That is why I posted the Hamilton study which showed anti-Muslim bias in academic curricula relating to history.

The same points get repeated over & over. Anti-Muslim bias existed in the past during the Medieval ages, but as I said earlier, it doesn't exist among historians today. Lets suppose that it does, even then historians from other parts of the world should be able to correct any distortion of history discovered.