This is a thread where all people (at least 'Ahl al-Kitaab) get to express their admiration of Muhammed, Islam and the History of Islam; its wonderful diversity, its staggering beauty and its courageous jihad against Zionist and Polish-Gay oppression.
I, for one, adore Sufism, Islamic poetry and Middle-Eastern and Indonesian cuisine. I also enjoy reading about early Islamic Philosophy and Science.
Mohammed himself is a confusing figure. I do not understand what is so inspiring about him to make him such a figure of spiritual and moral significance. I see he led a victorious army in battle and smashed the altars of the vanquished. I do not really see what makes so many millions think his example should inspire everybody to this day.
I have a hard time giving the religion of Islam credit for secular aspects of Eastern culture. After all there are lots of religions in the East besides Islam, it is simply the largest. That strikes me as saying Renaissance men like Galileo shows the greatness of the Catholic world.
I do, however, think Sufism and some of the less fundamentalist branches of Islam are rather inspiring. They, along with similar movements in other religions, seem to point towards a new spirituality for the future.
The fact that it annihilated the blight upon the Earth known as the Eastern Roman Empire.
Quote from: Faeelin on April 22, 2009, 11:32:44 PM
The fact that it annihilated the blight upon the Earth known as the Eastern Roman Empire.
:D
Touche. You forgot to mention the Sassanids.
Quote from: Queequeg on April 22, 2009, 11:34:14 PM
Quote from: Faeelin on April 22, 2009, 11:32:44 PM
The fact that it annihilated the blight upon the Earth known as the Eastern Roman Empire.
:D
Touche. You forgot to mention the Sassanids.
That's a good point. The Sassanids were far more vicious, intolerant, and autocratic than the Byzantines.
Oh, the Islamic agriculturlal revolution; given its role in helping revive medieval Europe...
Hey! I admitted I was mostly wrong there!
Quote from: Faeelin on April 22, 2009, 11:36:39 PM
Oh, the Islamic agriculturlal revolution; given its role in helping revive medieval Europe...
I don't know why everybody shits all over medieval Europe all the time. It was not like the Franks were living in caves and wearing animal skins.
Quote from: Valmy on April 22, 2009, 11:38:25 PM
I don't know why everybody shits all over medieval Europe all the time. It was not like the Franks were living in caves and wearing animal skins.
Pff. Urbanization, literacy rates, long distance trade, in short all the signs of civilization were pretty much gone in the early medieval era and you know it.
I love Muslim art, especially architecture (Alhambra, Taj Mahal and so on).
Quote from: Faeelin on April 23, 2009, 12:09:06 AM
Quote from: Valmy on April 22, 2009, 11:38:25 PM
I don't know why everybody shits all over medieval Europe all the time. It was not like the Franks were living in caves and wearing animal skins.
Pff. Urbanization, literacy rates, long distance trade, in short all the signs of civilization were pretty much gone in the early medieval era and you know it.
Depends on where you are at don't it?
The chicks can be really hot sometimes.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 23, 2009, 06:13:16 AM
The chicks can be really hot sometimes.
TNT does that yes.
It's a good way to annoy Siegy.
In the absence of space alien invasion or robotic slave uprising, it's the best thing to unite the planet against a common foe.
... the spreading of coffee, hash, falafaels and waterbongs. :hippy:
Quote from: Razgovory on April 23, 2009, 12:46:31 AM
Quote from: Faeelin on April 23, 2009, 12:09:06 AM
Pff. Urbanization, literacy rates, long distance trade, in short all the signs of civilization were pretty much gone in the early medieval era and you know it.
Depends on where you are at don't it?
Not so much. Visigothic Spain was a wreck with little sign of recovery, Italy had been pasted by the Lombards, and England, well, we're talking about a place that lost the ability to make a pottery wheel for a while.
Sure, there were places that were better off than others, but even North African urban civilization was toast by this point.
Quote from: Valmy on April 22, 2009, 11:38:25 PM
Quote from: Faeelin on April 22, 2009, 11:36:39 PM
Oh, the Islamic agriculturlal revolution; given its role in helping revive medieval Europe...
I don't know why everybody shits all over medieval Europe all the time. It was not like the Franks were living in caves and wearing animal skins.
Ahem.
http://www.france-for-visitors.com/loire/saumur/troglodyte-dwellings.html
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on April 23, 2009, 08:49:15 AM
Quote from: Valmy on April 22, 2009, 11:38:25 PM
Quote from: Faeelin on April 22, 2009, 11:36:39 PM
Oh, the Islamic agriculturlal revolution; given its role in helping revive medieval Europe...
I don't know why everybody shits all over medieval Europe all the time. It was not like the Franks were living in caves and wearing animal skins.
Ahem.
http://www.france-for-visitors.com/loire/saumur/troglodyte-dwellings.html
Hey, Toronto downtown office workers live a troglodite existence
today ...
http://www.toronto.ca/path/
:D
Quote from: Malthus on April 23, 2009, 09:02:03 AM
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on April 23, 2009, 08:49:15 AM
Quote from: Valmy on April 22, 2009, 11:38:25 PM
Quote from: Faeelin on April 22, 2009, 11:36:39 PM
Oh, the Islamic agriculturlal revolution; given its role in helping revive medieval Europe...
I don't know why everybody shits all over medieval Europe all the time. It was not like the Franks were living in caves and wearing animal skins.
Ahem.
http://www.france-for-visitors.com/loire/saumur/troglodyte-dwellings.html
Hey, Toronto downtown office workers live a troglodite existence today ...
http://www.toronto.ca/path/
:D
Eh, Montreal's underground city is the city's #1 Tourist attraction.
Quote from: Grey Fox on April 23, 2009, 09:18:18 AM
Eh, Montreal's underground city is the city's #1 Tourist attraction.
Typical Toronto-Montreal rivalry:
Toronto: "we're a bunch of troglodytes".
Montreal: "We're
even more troglodytic than you!"
:lol:
You would need to go underground in Montreal to avoid being run over.
Quote from: Ed Anger on April 23, 2009, 09:51:47 AM
You would need to go underground in Montreal to avoid being run over.
Heh, true enough: though horrible weather rather than horrible drivers is I think the inspiration. :D
The underground (at least in Toronto) is wierd. Because it sort of grew piecemeal, it is very confusing - incredibly easy to get lost in that labyrinth.
When I used to work in tourism as a student in Toronto, we used to get tourists asking to see "the underground city." They made it sound like something magnificent from Lord of the Rings, rather than the hum-drum assortment of small businesses and food courts it, in reality, mostly is.
Quote from: Pitiful Pathos on April 23, 2009, 10:40:03 AM
When I used to work in tourism as a student in Toronto, we used to get tourists asking to see "the underground city." They made it sound like something magnificent from Lord of the Rings, rather than the hum-drum assortment of small businesses and food courts it, in reality, mostly is.
Oh. :(
Quote from: Pitiful Pathos on April 23, 2009, 10:40:03 AM
When I used to work in tourism as a student in Toronto, we used to get tourists asking to see "the underground city." They made it sound like something magnificent from Lord of the Rings, rather than the hum-drum assortment of small businesses and food courts it, in reality, mostly is.
:lmfao:
That would be soooo disappointing.
In reality, Khazad-dûm is ... a Grand & Toy franchise and a Timothies full of burnt out office workers. :lol:
Döner, more groceries.