Replies

Some quotes, to alleviate your continued ignorance likely based in racial bias: Egyptian cabinrtmakers and woodworkers developed a high degree of technical ability. The Egyptian craftsman thoroughly understood his material. Knowing that wood would warp, twist, split, and shrink, he treated his design and construction so as to render these defects as neglible as possible.

Is it just possible that these Egyptian craftsmen were in fact pre-Islamic? Regardless of the factual answer to that question, may I offer: Today we think of Muslims on their pillows and rugs. If they once invented modern woodworking methods, have they since regressed?

Certainly taken as a group, their present-day "behavior" is evidence of some form of regression. Ain't no evidence of them going forward, IMO!

When people like Goldhammer blindly deny that Arabic people have contributed anything to the world, to be able to more easily hate them with impunity as it were, I really care not a whit (because it is totally irrelevant) whether they were believers in Islam. I doubt that he cares at all about antiphony or cathedrals either except as a means to align Christians to his views, but the very thought that Arabic people contributed to that architecture so disturbs him he denies that unassailable fact out of hand, for fear he will not be able to admire them at all. I do believe God gave us free choice as to our spiritual path, which does not mean it is right to cajole and coerce others to be against that right to have freedom of religion as our nation provides. The thread poster is looking for our information on what Arabic peoples contributed to the world to seek a better opinion through a greater perspective of their culture, and what does Goldhammer have to contribute to this quest? Nothing but denials based on no information but his ignorant Yea, sure! Laughable.

The Egyptian craftsman thoroughly understood his material. Knowing that wood would warp, twist, split, and shrink, he treated his design and construction so as to render these defects as neglible as possible.

Hey, why not kiln dry the wood before using it, then pick out the best pieces, and eliminate most of the problems? I bet Joseph the carpenter knew as much in the year zero.