Agree with Orbit and disagree with Dr Pipes

Submitted by Prashant (United States), Apr 13, 2011 at 02:39

Dear Dr Pipes:

You say that for most of its 1400 years Islamic world was more just and stable a place than Christian world. I must disagree. If you can call subjugation of all other religious doctrines as stable than sure Islam was stable. But I will hesitate to call murder, looting, wars and mayhem as stable. Before the advent of Islam the population of Iraq was Jewish or Christian. As much history as I know, the zorostrians of Persia and the Hindus and Buddhists of India felt no threat from these Jews and Christians. There might have been wars but those wars were not based on religion and culture. The tribes of North Africa, and, yes, of Spain also encountered no religious persecution at the hand of Hindus or zorostrians of the east marching westward. Buddhists travelled all over but without a sword. Islam, indeed, defined a new axis along which wars and peace could be based. Basing war and peace on religion is inherently unfair. Christian world might have been violent but it also gave birth to secular thoughts and ethics. Islam has no such parallel.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".