[livius]

Pre-Islamic Arabs and Persians were famed for their scientific knowledge and interest (the Magi who came to see the Infant Jesus were supposedly Persian astronomers). The Middle East was not called the "Cradle of Civilization" for nothing, and those areas were way ahead of Northern Europe in their development, with written legal codes, scientific investigation, trade, etc.

Islam killed it off wherever it became dominant, with the resulting stagnation of the Arab world that we see today. It only lasted a little longer in Spain because many Spanish Muslims were not completely orthodox, and there was the presence of a large non-Islamic population. Even in Spain, Arab learning was stamped out by successive invasions of other - more orthodox and more ignorant - North African Muslims.

We must all remember that "Arab" and "Persian" are NOT synonomous with "Muslim."

[Cronos]

Pre-Islamic Arabs and Persians

now we use the GEneric term arab to call all mid easterners, however, the true iraqis were not arabs but Assyrians, Babylonians. Egyptians are not arabs either, only those from Saud land are arabs.

[Doc On The Bay]

NO;---SADLY, "Arab," & " Muslim" have become synonymous with "LUDDITES."

"Islam", simply, is INCAPABLE OF "Dealing With " ANY Human Advancement since it's "Golden Age." (pre-1500).

Sadly, "Islam" is the DEATH of a Culture.

& the "Radicalism" we see is the "Death Rattle" of that Culture.

Doc