(February 12, 2018 at 2:17 am)Khemikal Wrote: Islam never left the dark ages. It would be a mistake to conflate the religion with the empire.
Islam is exactly where christianity was 800 years ago. Technically 1400 years ago but Islam threw thinking in reverse about 800 years ago. Up to then, Islam was a bastion of critical thought, science, literature and every human endeavour. Then the fundies took over and promptly threw it all out while the rest of the world moved forward to enlightenment.
Bad and all as was christianity (I'm watching you Pell) at least they came kicking and screaming into the light of reason. Islam chose to instead go backward into the darkness of abject superstition. And now they are stuck. It matters not a whit that some enlightened Islamic scholar might suggest some innocuous amendment, some sect somewhere will call for his/her death. And so any enlightened Islamic scholar will keep their gob shut.
