Obama Flunks History at Cairo U

PajamasMedia.com ^ | 6/7/2009 | Frank J. Tipler

[SonOfDarkSkies]

In his speech to the Muslim world in Cairo, President Barack Obama claimed: “As a student of history, I also know civilization’s debt to Islam. It was Islam — at places like Al-Azhar University — that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe’s Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing.”

Obama is not much of a “student of history” if he believes this. Almost every advance he attributes to the Muslims was due to someone else.

The non-Muslim Chinese invented the magnetic compass and printing (Gutenberg invented not printing, but movable type). The non-Muslim Hindu Indians invented algebra and the decimal numbering system. The non-Muslim European Christians invented the university.

I can’t address advances in medicine, but I have studied the history of astronomy and physics. The Muslims contributed nothing.

All modern physics descends from Galileo (1564 -1642); all modern astronomy from Copernicus (1473-1543). If you study Galileo’s works carefully, as I have, you see that he started with the achievements of the Greek mathematical physicist Archimedes of Syracuse (c. 287 BC - c. 212 BC). If you study Copernicus’ works carefully, as I have, you will see that Copernicus’ great book On the Revolutions is essentially a heliocentric re-working of the geocentric astronomy textbook by the Greek Ptolemy (c. 90 AD - 168 AD). Copernicus mostly used even Ptolemy’s data for the positions of the planets.

[flynmudd]

Government education.

[machogirl]

typical dem/obama tactic, rewrite history because the MSM won’t bother to fact check.

[SonOfDarkSkies]

LTC Ralph Peters says:

Those who knew Obama in his university days claim that he couldn’t be persuaded to study history.

It appears the reason might have to do with the fact that western historical accounts differ from the historical mythology of the muslim world.

[Iron Munro]

Well, to be fair, muslims did perfect the use of the bare left hand as a replacement for toilet paper.

[rightly_dividing]

Does any of this surpise anyone? He has built a career on lies and distortions, and look how far it has carried him.

pray for our nation

[ElkGroveDan]

and we all know Muslims changed commercial air travel as we know it. It’s why I’m up at 4:30 for a 7:30 flight.

[Carley]

Islam is all about lying and O is the perfect student.

Willing to suspend disbelief to promote the agenda.

[DeaconRed]

He can't be a liar because. . . . . .
#1 Muslims don't lie.
#2 He called El Slicko a bald face liar. Good liars don't accuse others of lying. . . Do They?
So that means he is just plain STUPID. . . . .

[Pontiac]

It appears that the Leftist in the US have transitioned from being Eurocentric to Arabocentric.

If this is Progress you can leave me in the past.

[PubliusMM]

0bama has his own view of history. He ‘interprets’ history, with empathy, obviously.

This man is dangerous to the future of the nation. He is destroying nearly 250 years of freedom and promise in his insane, headlong rush to marxism.

It’s time to take back the country.

[COUNTrecount]

Great post.

[Russ]

Obama’s view of “history” is right out of the liberal guidebook. It doesn’t have to be factual, it’s the intent that matters. If it denigrates Western Civilization or marginalizes white Western European contributions then it must be true. These lies have been told in universities for so many years that they have evolved into “truths”.

[Vaduz]

In all 57 states.

[Ahithophel]

It's been noted that "when Muhammad first began having visions, he feared that the messages were coming from Jinn, or evil spirits." Reportedly, "it was his wife who convinced him that they were divinely inspired and that Muhammad was a true prophet. Thus he began spreading his revelations and gathering followers of the 'one true religion' of Islam."

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 1 John 4:1-3

[bitterohiogunclinger]

Anyone except a politically correct moron recognizes that Muslim and “carrying the light of learning” are polar opposites. Islam rigorously imposes itself above every free thought it's followers have, no learning will ever occur, only memorization. Sadly, western civilization that was once the light of learning has descended into a “mecca” of political correctness. Political correctness is anathema to true education because it prefaces all discovery processes with lies, and rejects out of hand everything that doesn't fit it's pre conceived notions.

[nuconvert]

“It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing.” “

He didn’t say muslims invented these things - think Bill Clinton speak

[Clioman]

“it was his wife who convinced him that they were divinely inspired and that Muhammad was a true prophet.”

Translation: she told him to get his crazed butt off the prayer rug and go find a job.

[livius]

It doesn’t have to be factual, it’s the intent that matters. If it denigrates Western Civilization or marginalizes white Western European contributions then it must be true.

Exactly. That's the liberal "study" of history in a nutshell - the manipulation of images to promote their program.

[livius]

My particular favorite was when Bambi praised Muslim contributions in music and art. He’s such a dim bulb that he doesn’t realize that music is not permitted in Islamic religious practice (and in fact, some of the truly hard-core don’t feel it’s permissible anywhere) and that Islam forbids figurative art.