Other less known sites destroyed by Muslims and this time by Salah al-Deen and it is the St. Simeon Monastery in Aswan

Submitted by dhimmi no more (United States), Jul 27, 2012 at 06:36

Dr. Pipes

This is also a less known site of destruction of monasteries in Egypt by Muslims and this time the St. Simeon (Anba Hatre in Coptic ) Monastery in Aswan Egypt which dates back to the 7th century and it was built like a fortress and it is very clear that the Monks realized that they will be attacked at some time.

The Arabs that invaded Egypt in 642CE headed to Syene (now Aswan) in Upper Egyot to "hunt" for slaves from Nubia. And it is really shocking that Nubians ended by converting to Islam around the 12th century but this did not stop the Arabs from "hunting" for Nubians slaves even after their conversion to Islam.

And indeed the fatal attack, sacking and looting of the monastery took place around 1173CE by the army of Salah al-Deen (yes the venerated Salah al-Deen of the crusades). The reason we are given for the attack by Arab historians? We are told that Salah al-Deen was worried about the Christian Nubians using the monastery as a base to attack his troops in Egypt!

What do I believe really happened? I do believe that Salah al-Deen and his thugs were hunting for Nubian slaves and in the process they looted and sacked this great place and what a cultural loss to all of humanity and here is a sanitized version of information about this great and abandoned monastery http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/simeon.htm

So much for the religion of peace

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