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Well, the religion was founded in the 7th century, and things went downhill from there. In its initial phases, just after its founding, it served to unite various formerly warring pagan Arab/Persian groups and gave them the power to sweep though the Middle East, wiping out the Jewish and Christian populations.

After taking over Spain (invited by the Visigothic kings, who had been using Arab mercenaries to fight their internecine wars for some time), it went through a period where it fed on Roman-Spanish culture. It was, remember, a very new religion, and many of its own doctrines had not coalesced - for example, figurative art was still allowed.

Then this group was conquered by an even more radically knowledge-hating group of Muslims from North Africa, and so it has gone to this day.

From the 7th century to now, Islam has been on the side of death, violence and ignorance.