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Nah, not the fanatic screwballs that advocate the death of all "infidels" but the learned scholars that gave us our modern numerical system, the numeral 0, wonderous works of art and truly marvelous work of poetry. Like I asked, did you READ what they had to say... Marrige, atheism, homosexuality to name the high points. Like I said, the enemy may be closer than you think. Besides, these "desert bandits" were constructing higher mathamatics as we know it while my ancestors were happliy butchering each other across Northern Europe and burning folks who said the earth was round on stakes. So if I were you I would think about redefining your definition of barbarian.

The Muslim Arabs did not invent the system of numbers which we use. Its original origin was in Hindu India; the Arab traders found them useful & applied them to their own accounting. Most of the mathematics we ascribe to the Arabs was either of Hindu or Byzantine origin.

The medieval Arabs were indeed clever and inventive people, probably because they didn't take it upon themselves to exterminate the Jews and Christians in their midst. Unfortunately modern Islamic jihadists aren't so open-minded.

Marrige, atheism, homosexuality to name the high points. Like I said, the enemy may be closer than you think.

I have read the Islamic fundamentalist propaganda on marriage, and it's pathetic. They rant on about "women getting to keep their own names;" as if that's been an issue for the past 25 years. (No one cares anymore.)

Marriage in the Muslim world is largely arranged; involves a child of 12-14 (as soon as she gets her first period) and often against her will to a much older man.

Once she is married her husband can divorce her at will, but she is generally not allowed to do the same, even if he beats her or worse.

In Muslim societies under sha'ria she can be legally executed for adultery if she is *raped.* Her husband can take other wives and she has no say-so in the matter.

He is permitted to encourage her to use birth control if for some reason he doesn't want any more children, but she is not permitted to use birth control without his permission (in Iran in the 1970s it was a death penalty offense.)

As far as adultery goes, it is NOT considered immoral for a married man to have sex with a woman obtained "by his own hand," i.e. a slave, a servant, or a prostitute - as long as she's an infidel. That's why it was *not* contradictory for the 9/11 terrorists to spend their last days hanging out at lapdance establishments in Florida. Of course, adultery by the *woman* is punishable by death.

Finally, for both Muslim men and women alike, they are not permitted to change their religion. In societies under Muslim law it is often a *capital offense* to do so. This is the most offensive thing about Islam in my opinion.

"desert bandits" were constructing higher mathamatics as we know it while my ancestors were happliy butchering each other across Northern Europe and burning folks who said the earth was round on stakes.

It's my understanding the desert bandits came riding up with swords upon the existing civilizations saying convert or die. The booty was then claimed to have been created by the bandits....I could be wrong.