The Narrative Uber Alles, the Facts be Damned

Submitted by James Gawron (United States), Dec 5, 2020 at 20:39

Dr. Pipes,

This reminded me of a full-length book, well known and well respected, I had reviewed in Graduate School. Massive well-documented facts connected to a conclusion wholly unproven and, in fact, contradictory to the conclusion.

Violent relentless wars of aggression, conducted by an ideologically committed group whose ideology was megalomaniacal & genocidal and laid down from its inception in the 7th century, might suggest some sort of condemnation from those being mercilessly conquered and enslaved. To describe this as: "The planet seemed to contain two major parts, one Christian, the other Muslim; these represented self and other, good and evil"

In other words "prejudice" on the part of Christians is the most childish wishful thinking I have encountered in years. The truth is that the Christian reaction to the very real threat of Islamic Jihadist aggression was delayed and muted for the first 400 years of Islan's existence. During this time Islam conquered its way down the East Coast of Africa and set up the greatest slave trade in human history. When your chief aim and tactic is brutal conquest there are always survivors left over. Slavey allows you to profit from these survivors so it is a natural "industry" for such a hideous culture to adopt which Islam embraced to the fullest.

Finally, out of recognition of the hopeless horror of facing such an enemy one whose doctrine of megalomaniacal conquest had been laid down as Sharia Law in the Koran, Christianity added a new doctrine of its own. Crusade had not existed in Christianity as a doctrine at its inception. The doctrine had not been included or known when Christian doctrine was formalized fully in the 4th century. Finally, after 400 years of relentless attack by Islam, Christianity developed the pan-Christian doctrine of Crusade. Even then this doctrine did not justify mass murder or relentless megalomaniacal conquest. It was a limited doctrine strictly referencing the re-conquest of the holy land.

To imagine this history as Christianity "othering" Islam is childishly stupid. It is clear that Islam "othered" the entire human race and acted in the most violent fashion from its inception. The Christian response was slow and measured. ...

Regards,
Jim

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