“When where and what has the Muslim world contributed to the advancement mankind in the past 17 hundred years? They haven’t contributed a thing but oil and they only barter oil aside from oil nothing.”

With this display of ignorance and grade-school English, Ken Hughes, another contributor to this website, defends America’s hostile stance towards Islam.

Ken doesn’t like to be criticized for his substandard English, arguing that it’s the content of his articles that should be considered, so let me pass on to the content, which is even more absurd than the language.

Doesn’t Ken know that Muslims invented algebra, and introduced the numerals we now use, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9?  Before that the West used awkward Roman numerals.  Muslims did much to advance chemistry, astronomy and navigation, inventimg the astrolabe, the sextant and other nautical instruments.  Here’s a list of 165 star names  that English has taken from Arabic.

Muslims introduced many innovations to the West that they got from the Chinese in their clash in Central Asia in the 8th century.  They did not invent these things outright, but mastered them and improved them.  Among the items that Europeans got from Arabs in this way are gunpowder, paper, silk, cotton and coffee.  The world’s first paper mill was in Baghdad.  They introduced oranges and limes to Europe.  Muslims also invented or introduced chess, glass mirrors, soap, henna and sherbet.

Muslims can be credited with many architectural masterpieces, including the Taj Mahal, the Registan, the Cairo Citadel and others.   They also built several world-class cities including Cairo, Tehran and Baghdad.  The influence of Arabic culture can be seen all the way from China to Spain.

The evidence of Muslim influence can be seen also in vocabulary, where the name was borrowed along with the product or item named.   Here’s a list of English words that were derived from Arabic: admiral, adobe, albacore, albatross, alchemy, alcohol, alcove, alfalfa, algebra, algorithm, alkali, almanac, almucantar, amber, antimony, apricot, arsenal, artichoke, assassin, attar, azimuth, azure, benzoin, borax, burnoose, calabash, caliber, calico, camphor, candy, carat, caraway, carafe, carmine, carob, cassock, chemise, chemistry, Cid, cipher, civet, coffee, cotton, crimson, cumin, damascene, damask, drub, elixir, garble, gazelle, gauze, genie, ghoul, giraffe, halvah, harem, hashish, hazard, henna, jar, jasmine, julep, kebab, kismet, kohl, lacquer, lilac, lemon, lime, loofah, lute, macramé, magazine, marzipan, mascara, mattress, minaret, mohair, monsoon, mosque, mummy, muslin, nadir, orange, ottoman, racquet, ream, rook, safari, saffron, Sahara, sash, satin, scarlet, sequin, sesame, sherbet, soda, sofa, spinach, sugar, sultan, sumac, Swahili, syrup, talc, talisman, tamarind, tambourine, tariff, tarragon, typhoon, zenith, zero.

I know Ken Hughes’s style,  He pretends to ignore me, as if he thinks he is far supeior to me, when in truth be is just a simple-minded dolt. He probably will pretend that he didn’t read this article, and in a couple of months will be making the same childish statements all over again.

If for once, he could humble himself, and try to learn, instead of trying to teach when he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he’d be a lot better off, but I don’t suppose that that is about to happen.

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