RE:CHETTALI

Submitted by WeAreAllDanes! (United States), Feb 15, 2006 at 19:51

"I am familiar with the work of some negationists who seek to minimize or negate the scientific contribution of Islam. Fortunately, Western scientists call a spade a spade."

I am one - and yes, I do. I'm also somewhat familiar with the works of a number of Islam apologists like Ms. Armstrong.

"The very name chemistry is derived from the Arabic word al-Kimy."

The word "chemistry" is derived from "alchemy" (from the Middle Latin "alchimicus"). That may be related to "al-Kimy", but the Arabic word for "alchemy" comes from the *Greek* and came out of Egypt. I'm not seeing much "Arab Muslim" here, but quite a bit of Greek, Persian, and Egyptian.

Try again.

"By the way, Baghdad was for centuries the vanguard centre of scientific progress."

"A", not "the", but Islam finally wiped out the advanced Persian Zoroastrian culture that you claim as "Arab". At best, what replaced that civilization was able to serve as a conduit to the West from India – where "Arabic numerals" originated. The fall of the Middle East as a center of science can be laid at the feet of Islam. As soon as a religious revival in the Islamic world occurs, so too does book burning. Such as in 1192 in Cordova.

The "rational universe, but all-powerful God" concept in the Jewish and Christian faiths was very much misunderstood by Mohammad: "The Jews say: 'God's hand is chained.' May their own hands be chained! May they be cursed for what they say! By no means. His hands are outstretched: He bestows as He will" - Sura 5:64. The Christian and Jewish view that the universe operates according to rational and knowable laws is what formed the foundation of science, not Islam. Any advancements made in Persia after the conquest were in SPITE of Islam, not because of it - and quickly died out with a return to orthodoxy.

Perhaps someday the Persians in the ME will awaken and realize what was done to them and their culture so long ago.

" It's gone anyway. I am more concerned about the present and the future."

So am I. The future I desire, however, is probably vastly different from the one you envision.

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