[RobbyS]

What bothers me is how ignorant of western history our radical elites are. i doubt that they know how powerful was the Ottoman empire in his heyday, or how totally lacking it was in religious freedom for non-Muslims. Or how intolerant Islam is today where it is in power.

[Righting]

So true, the Ottoman Empire is seen by many as a "moderate" era, somehow, with so much bloodshed (if you add up the millions of Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians...), it's astonishing.
Maybe it's because of some relatively peaceful times that these historians look to overshadow such important events in history?
Honestly? It was the recent rise in Islamism in the elected party in Turkey, and Turkish 'Flotilla Jihad' incident, that prompted me (among other events) to widen this subject about them.