How Constantinople Saved Western Civilization from Islam

American Thinker ^ | 16 Aug, 2021 | Raymond Ibrahim

[MtnClimber]

In August 718, the imperial city threw back the previously unstoppable Islamic jihadis.

This week in history, a large fleet transporting tens of thousands of jihadists across the Sea of Marmara was either drowned in a vicious sea-storm or engulfed in flames from a volcanic eruption.

One year earlier, in August 717, these selfsame jihadists were part of one of the largest (200,000 fighters) and most confident Islamic armies ever to invade and seek to conquer Constantinople, the capital of Eastern Christendom.

Although the caliphs had conquered thousands of square miles of Christian territory -- from Syria in the east to Spain in the west -- they were discontent; for their prophet, Muhammad, had, in the guise of a “prophecy,” personally called for the conquest of Constantinople, promising paradisiacal rewards beyond imagination (which is saying much) for the one who would accomplish it.

While headed towards Constantinople and devastating every other Christian village on the way with “both sword and fire,” to quote a chronicler, emir Maslama, the caliph’s brother, vowed that he would “enter this city knowing that it is the capital of Christianity and its glory; my only purpose in entering it is to uphold Islam and humiliate unbelief.”

Due to a succession crisis and the jihadist storm approaching Constantinople, the people acclaimed Leo the Isaurian, a seasoned war veteran, as emperor. For a while, this proved to be a smart move; the emperor -- who knew Arabic and Muslims well, having fought them for years along the frontier -- ably defended the city. But the determined Muslims would not let up and bombarded Constantinople’s walls day and night.

[MtnClimber]

The left has always tended to side with islam. Europe has little time to save themselves. The European leaders have done what leftists always seem to do.

[Cronos]

I object to the separation of Constantinople from “Western civilisation “

Constantinople was an integral part of this Romano Greek civilization that we mistakenly call western.

The Roman empire fell in 1453.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

They invited them in...

[marktwain]

The Roman empire fell in 1453.

Correct.

But the Western and Eastern halves of the Empire were split by the Islamics when they conquered Egypt in 641.

Just a few years later, the Islamics had conquered all of North Africa and most of Spain.

While the bulk of the Islamic fanatics were stopped at Constantinople, another important group was stopped in France, at the battle of Tours, by Charles Martel (732).

I highly recommend "Sword and Scimitar" by Raymond Ibrahim.

[daniel1212]

"This week in history, a large fleet transporting tens of thousands of jihadists across the Sea of Marmara was either drowned in a vicious sea-storm or engulfed in flames from a volcanic eruption....indeed, of the 2,560 ships retreating, only ten survived -- and of these, half were captured by the Christians, leaving only five to reach and tell the tale to the caliph. "

Correction: How Constantinople God Saved Western Civilization from Islam.

[SunkenCiv]

[snip] Western Armenia had been under Byzantine control since the partition of the Kingdom of Armenia in 387, while Eastern Armenia had been under the rule of the Sassanid Empire starting in 428. Regardless of religious disputes, many Armenians became successful in the Byzantine Empire and occupied key positions. In Sassanid-occupied Armenia, the people struggled to preserve their Christian religion. This struggle reached its culmination in the Battle of Avarayr. Although the battle was a military defeat, Vartan Mamigonian's successor, Vahan, succeeded in forcing the Persians to grant religious freedom to the Christian Armenians in the Nvarsak Treaty of 484.

After the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 632, the Arabs expanded their religion throughout the Middle East. In 639, with a force of 18,000 warriors, Abd‑er‑Rahman took Taron and sacked the country. In 642, the Muslims took Dvin, slaughtered 12,000 of its inhabitants and carried 35,000 into slavery. Prince Theodoros Rshtuni organized resistance and liberated the enslaved Armenians. However, Theodoros eventually accepted Arab rule of Armenia. Thus, in 645, the entirety of Armenia fell under Islamic rule. This period of 200 years was interrupted by a few restricted revolts, which never had a pan-Armenian character. Most petty Armenian families were weakened in favor of the Bagratunis and Artsrunis.

As Islamic power was waning, Ashot I of the Bagratuni family got more influence in Armenia. He became prince of princes in 861, and after a war against nearby Arab emirs, in 885, he was recognized as King of Armenia by both the Caliph of Baghdad and the Emperor of Constantinople. After more than 450 years of foreign occupation, Armenians finally reasserted their sovereignty in their ancestral lands. Despite Bagratid efforts to control all Armenian noble families, the Artsrunis and Siunis eventually broke off from central rule. Ashot III transferred the capital from Kars to Ani, which came to be known as the "city of 1001 churches". Ani became an important cultural and economic center in the whole region. Bagratid Armenia fell in 1045 to the Byzantines and then in 1064 to Seljuk Turks. [/snip]

• Wikipedia: Medieval Armenia

[Red Badger]

And thus we have ‘Cher’.............................

[Conservative4Life]

Good History reminder