History: Controversial Debate Challenge

Greeting Mirza, have fun and thanks for the debate. I will be con in this debate, and I must disprove the resolution that "Muslims made major contributions to driving the Dark Ages from Europe." In fact, I intend to further prove that the 'Moslem scourge' from the 8th to mid-13th century * deteriorated European society and caused insatiable pain and suffering – at least far exempting those insubstantial advances Moslems may have brought to European society. It was, in fact, the European nations themselves who benefited European society and influenced their emergence from the Dark Ages. I will outline my three points, now, starting with: 1. Moslems caused War and invaded hapless or incapable European, African and Asian nations. The Moslem Caliphs endorsed the total and religious conquest of as much territory as possible. Throughout the course of attempted Islamic conquest, the Moslems took all of Northern Africa, all of the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus, portions of Southern Italy, the Balkans, the Byzantium Empire, Jerusalem, Spain, parts of the Balkans and even Hungary, Rumelia, Bulgaria, Transylvania, Crimea etc. The victorious Moslem armies enslaved, looted and profited from their victories, causing grief, pain and hunger. The Moslem conquerors were cruel and ruthless rulers who treated their subjugates as “inferior beings.” “The people conquered by the Muslims usually faced a choice. They could denounce their religion and convert to Islam, pay a tax to continue practicing their beliefs, become a slave, or be executed. Most chose to convert. But many people paid the tax.” http://www.crf-usa.org... The glorious Byzantines, successful and the true conveyors of wealth and technology, were conquered by the Moslems. It was only by the efforts of Charles "The Hammer" Martel and other legendary European leaders that the "Moslem scourge" was halted and in fact repulsed. The conditions I described and the furious defense finally provided does not indicate in any manner that the Moslems assisted the Europeans. Secondly the Europeans instigated their own recovery: The first such example is known as the Carolingian Renaissance. The Carolingian Empire had little contact with the Moslem factions (other than defeating them in battle), and yet the arts, architecture, literature, law reforms etc. were experienced during this time of a flourishing society. Great Britain was never assaulted by the Moslems, and yet the people resided peacefully and successfully under the united crown of King Alfred and his following leaders. It was said, during this time, that a woman could ride horseback from one end of known England to the other without harm, such was the peace and prosperity. With the Norman Invasion during the reign of King Harold came a stronger and more centralized government than the Witan. Feudalism was established during a successful time of progress and the establishment of cities, culture, music, arts (Shakespeare, for example, and his fellow playwrights were not at all influenced by Moslem arts men) etc. In essence, Great Britain pulled itself out of the Middle Ages with its own natural resources, ruler ship and success. Great Britain led the Industrial Revolution, something with the Ottomans were quite delayed in participating in (in fact, at this time, the Ottomans, who were Moslem, were so feeble that they required assistance from the powerful French and English to defend the Crimean from Russia). The European 'Renaissance' was initiated in Venice, by people who were not influenced by Moslems. It was not Moslems who distinguished between “light and dark” or influenced the religious development of Europe. The ‘Philosophers’ (Cicero, Machiavelli, Ambrose, Basi and Palmieri), architects, Christian leaders (Martin Luther, Erasmus, Calvin, Thomas More, John Wycliffe, Saint Nicholas, Saint Augustine, St. Bernard etc. and authors (Chaucer, for example) and artists were all distinctly European (Michelangelo, da Vinci, Raphael etc). For example, scientists Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Copernicus, Newton and Descartes were not Moslem and did not study Moslem advances. It was not Moslems who influenced the success of Europe, since the Moslems did not even penetrate the leaders of Europe. It was not Moslems who developed the Feudalistic policy of the late Middle Ages. Strong European Kings maintained power and failed to fear the Moslems, instead dealing blows to the Huns and the Mongols. I might conclude, then, that the Moslems contributed their knowledge, philosophies etc to only themselves, and only they themselves benefited. I might also add that the only advances Moslems may have brought (architectural etc.) were happily discarded by most of the European powers once the Moslem forces were evicted (such as in Spain, where the unconquered provinces of Aragon and Castile were devoutly Catholic. The Inquisition could be said to have been initiated due to the terror of the Moors' reign and the opposition to heresy (Moslem or otherwise). 1. http://en.wikipedia.org...