Learning from Islamic history

An islamic apologist implored me (@plasma_engineer) on Twitter today to "read history and current events for yourself".

Now I was tempted (no doubt by my alleged misconceptions about islam) to assume that this critic was a man.  But of course she might just as easily be a woman because we are fortunate enough to live in a free country where social media is available to all - yes even to women!  Of course if we lived in a truly Islamic world (or in a country like Saudi Arabia) my initial thoughts would have been certain to be true.  Or is my interpretation of current events so wrong on that topic?

Turning to the history of the religion of peace instead, I cast my mind to the Battle of Poitiers (also known as The Battle of Tours) in 732.  This was possibly the turning point of the first islamic invasion of Europe, where the christian Franks overturned the supremacy of the Umayyad Caliphate.  Had the battle been lost, some say that it is almost inevitable that islam would have overrun Europe by the end of that century.

It was several hundred years before islam seriously threatened Europe again.  This time the significant event was the Siege of Vienna which ended on 11th September 1683.  Notice that date.  Some believe that the date of 11th September has been an open wound in islam since this ignominious event and that bin Laden choose to strike the Twin Towers on the same date in an act of retribution.

Are we now witnessing the third islamic invasion of Europe?  This time it is not a military invasion, but one that is much more subtle and pernicious.  This time we are not allowed to resist it for fear of being politically incorrect and intolerant.  If we are not careful we will leave it too late and medieval sharia law will affect us all.

That brings me back to current affairs.  Did you know that it is estimated that 2000 (yes two thousand) British girls were subjected to genital mutilation last year?  2000 maimed for life because they had the misfortune to be born to muslim parents who took a particularly extreme view of their religion. 2000 who had no choice about the matter even though they live in a free country where they have an absolute right not to be mutilated.  This is a criminal offence in Britain, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.  Not a single case has been brought to trial for fear of inflamming islamic opinion.

So don't lecture me about history or current affairs.  Both of those should provoke moral outrage in any civilised person and I fail to see how anyone can argue against that.

I expect my islamic critic will claim that I am deliberately misrepresenting the situation and will accuse me of being deliberately inflammatory but I assure you that my intention is more to remind people of the risks of accommodating 'creeping islam'.  Already people in free countries (notably Netherlands) have been murdered for using their right to free speech to criticise islam.  Others live with the constant threat of murder.  The courageous  Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of the book Infidel and elected member of parliament in Netherlands is one of them.

Religion of peace?  I think not.

Small note: the term 'islamophobia' is often misused especially by islamic apologists who love to claim their non-existent 'right to take offence'.  Islamophobia is not about offending islam.  It is about the perfectly reasonable fear that we should all have of the religion of peace.  Am I islamophobic?  In the sense described here, yes definitely!