The Andalucia period represented the very best of the Muslim Golden Age, before the Mongols appeared in the east and brought that golden age to an end. It was a period of religious tolerance that stands in stark contrast to the current Islamophobia in Europe.
I seem to recall reading many years ago about an incident from this period, in either Cordoba or Toledo, in which a traveling priest had whipped up the local Christians to attack the Jewish community of the city. The emir responded by calling out his soldiers to drive the rioters from the Jewish Quarter, then arrested the ring leaders, flogged some, and crucified others outside the city gates, as a warning to those who would disturb the peace in future.
I would only add that this Islamophobia is but one aspect of a rising tide of right-wing hatred and vilification. Things that would have been unacceptable to say even 5 years ago, and now said openly by mainstream GOP politicians.
As a 99er, I have been subjected to some of this myself. No doubt you saw Glenn Beck's hateful comments recently, in which he said of us, "you'd be ashamed to call them Americans. They're not regular folks like you and me". The mind boggles at millionaire Beck calling himself regular folks, but I agree I'm not like him.
At least four million US citizens are long-term unemployed who have exhausted all benefits, the so-called "99ers", who have been abandoned by their Congress and their President.
We are told there there is no money available to help the 99ers, in spite of the fact that numerous economists of impeccable credentials have urgently recommended an extension of unemployment benefits as an effective measure of economic stimulus.
And yet there is money to send to Pakistan, and money for unwinnable wars of shameless exploitation, which devastate civilian populations. How about the Saudis step up and pay for this one? America needs to take care of its own first.
In WWII the USA deployed its submarines exclusively against Japanese merchant shipping, and the results were devastating to Japan's economy. Concerted attacks, or even sporadic attacks, against oil tankers passing through the Straits of Hormuz could cut off 40% of the world's flow of oil.
If Iran can accomplish that, why does it need to attack naval vessels?
And I suspect that you, like the US admirals, are severely over-estimating the efficacy of the US Navy against small high-speed surface threats. Expensive high-tech weapons have a history of looking great at the manufacturer's demonstration, and then failing miserably in the field. Particularly when employed against threats other than those which such weapons were designed to deal with. For example, that mini-gun you are touting was originally named CIWS for Close-In Weapon System. Except the sailors said that acronym stood for Captain, It Won't Shoot.
And the Twelvers expect all the Christians and Jews to accept Islam, after the Twelfth Imam (The Mahdi) returns with his sidekick Jesus to beat the crap out of the Masih ad-Dajjal 🙂
Juan, an excellent article, I wish the people in DC would listen to you or someone like you. Then again, I also wish I could write like you do, and I suppose both wishes are equally unlikely of fulfillment.
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Hear hear! Well defended, Professor Cole.
The Andalucia period represented the very best of the Muslim Golden Age, before the Mongols appeared in the east and brought that golden age to an end. It was a period of religious tolerance that stands in stark contrast to the current Islamophobia in Europe.
I seem to recall reading many years ago about an incident from this period, in either Cordoba or Toledo, in which a traveling priest had whipped up the local Christians to attack the Jewish community of the city. The emir responded by calling out his soldiers to drive the rioters from the Jewish Quarter, then arrested the ring leaders, flogged some, and crucified others outside the city gates, as a warning to those who would disturb the peace in future.
Well said!
The extent to which the Right has worked its followers (read pawns) into a frenzy is beginning to truly worry me.
Very good, Professor Cole.
I would only add that this Islamophobia is but one aspect of a rising tide of right-wing hatred and vilification. Things that would have been unacceptable to say even 5 years ago, and now said openly by mainstream GOP politicians.
As a 99er, I have been subjected to some of this myself. No doubt you saw Glenn Beck's hateful comments recently, in which he said of us, "you'd be ashamed to call them Americans. They're not regular folks like you and me". The mind boggles at millionaire Beck calling himself regular folks, but I agree I'm not like him.
Oh great, time for the USA to pay up again.
At least four million US citizens are long-term unemployed who have exhausted all benefits, the so-called "99ers", who have been abandoned by their Congress and their President.
We are told there there is no money available to help the 99ers, in spite of the fact that numerous economists of impeccable credentials have urgently recommended an extension of unemployment benefits as an effective measure of economic stimulus.
And yet there is money to send to Pakistan, and money for unwinnable wars of shameless exploitation, which devastate civilian populations. How about the Saudis step up and pay for this one? America needs to take care of its own first.
Nick you ask, "what can be said about people actively working to start a major conflict?"
How about, "Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius" ?
In WWII the USA deployed its submarines exclusively against Japanese merchant shipping, and the results were devastating to Japan's economy. Concerted attacks, or even sporadic attacks, against oil tankers passing through the Straits of Hormuz could cut off 40% of the world's flow of oil.
If Iran can accomplish that, why does it need to attack naval vessels?
And I suspect that you, like the US admirals, are severely over-estimating the efficacy of the US Navy against small high-speed surface threats. Expensive high-tech weapons have a history of looking great at the manufacturer's demonstration, and then failing miserably in the field. Particularly when employed against threats other than those which such weapons were designed to deal with. For example, that mini-gun you are touting was originally named CIWS for Close-In Weapon System. Except the sailors said that acronym stood for Captain, It Won't Shoot.
And the Twelvers expect all the Christians and Jews to accept Islam, after the Twelfth Imam (The Mahdi) returns with his sidekick Jesus to beat the crap out of the Masih ad-Dajjal 🙂
Juan, an excellent article, I wish the people in DC would listen to you or someone like you. Then again, I also wish I could write like you do, and I suppose both wishes are equally unlikely of fulfillment.