Columbus Day is perpetually overlooked as an opportune time to discuss Islamic jihad through the centuries.
In 1453 Ottoman Turks took control of Constantinople ceasing trade between Europe and Asia.
By 1492 Spain was closing the period in it's history identified as "The Reconquista", ending the 780 year period of Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula
...the same year Columbus was finally granted permission to seek an alternate route for trade with the East.
Given the 780 year stifling influence of hegemonic Islam in the region, the effort to convince the royals this venture was possible was an uphill battle.
Perhaps 780 years of stifling Islamic scientific influence is where the 'earth is flat' presumption emmanated...
WikiIslam: Flat Earth and the Qur'an
The words used to describe the shape of the earth in the quran are :
- مدهاmaddaha
- سطحها stahaha
- فرشها farshaha
- دحها dahaha
- بسطها bastaha
All are synonyms for flat in Arabic.
Heavens forbid people wake up to recognize the detriment of centuries of Islamic hegemony by recognizing the 780 year Islamic colonization of Iberia resulting in the Reconquista and necessity for alternate trade route which ultimately led to the discovery the Americas and the establishment of Judeo-Christian Western Civilization as a bulwark against further Islamic encroachment.