Some Right-Wing Europeans Say Islam Hasn't Contributed to Western Culture. Here's Why They're Wrong.

One of the right-wing tropes about Islam in Europe, which is making alarming inroads into the mainstream, is that it represents a "culture of backwardness, of retardedness, of barbarism" and has made no contribution to Western civilization. Islam provides an easy target considering that some 3,000 or more Europeans are estimated to have left for the Middle East in order to fight alongside the Islamic State. The savage beheadings and disgusting treatment of women and minorities confirm in the minds of many that Islam is incompatible with Western civilization. This has become a widely known, and even unthinkingly accepted, proposition. But is it correct?


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/akbar-ahmed/right-wing-europeans-islam_b_7548098.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK



Very interesting article of which I agree that Islam in the past was enlightened in Europe and did bring enlightenment to Europe. Where it has certainly contributed, of which I agree but since that time it has lost its way. Enlightenment is not the case today in many Muslim countries as easily explained here by Historian David Starkey:

it didn't "lose it's way" it's way was pounded into dust beneath mongol hooves
the Tigris ran black with the ink from their libraries

On February 15, 1258 a Mongol army sacked Baghdad, holy city of the Abbasid Caliphate. Shortly after, the Khan ordered the death of the last Abbasid Caliph, Al-Musta’sim. Though hardly remembered, it was an event that rocked the Muslim world in its days; the repercussions of which are still felt today.

https://deadliestblogpage.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/the-sack-of-bagdad-by-the-mongols/

it is interesting that we like to ignore the blindingly obvious fact that Islam's dark ages came in the 1200's while Europe's dark ages came in the 500's and they managed to escape the wraith of the mongol hordes by pure luck of congenital heart defect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N46mIHEGHN0&feature=youtube_gdata_player