A Source of Sad Wonder -- The Western Left's Abandonment of Muslim Women

[jordan179]

When I saw that science fiction writer jaylake had posted the following article by Jonathan Lyons, "Islam, Women and the West," essentially dismissing the Western image of Muslim women as oppressed as a mere Orientalist delusion

Comments

[dexeron]

That's actually a really good point, and one need only look at the Spanish Inquisition to support it. It was largely the monarchs behind it (using the church as a tool, more than the church being the driving force) in a power consolidation. Keep in mind that it was Isabella and Ferdinand II who were behind it, the same monarchs who compelted the Reconquista. In many ways, it was far more political than religious, and Jews and Muslims were in many cases the real victims, as opposed to Pagans who, frankly, just didn't exist any more. This is NOT to say that many, MANY Christians weren't caught up in this as well. Henry VIII's great heresy was to come in only a few decades, and Europe would soon see its share of protestants and catholics burning and killing each other, but even then, it really was less a religious question as one of power. Henry's objection to the Pope was NEVER one of doctrine. Luther's reforms were something he used to JUSTIFY his actions, which were always ultimately about POWER and authority: a contest of wills between two monarchs, the pope and himself.

The strangest thing, to my mind, is how much the Inquisition intensified in 1492 - the same year Columbus departed, a year after Henry was born, and right in the middle of the Italian Renaissance! I can't help but find that an odd coincidence as well, and wonder if there was any indirect influence from that quarter in why the monarchs were so afraid of threats to their power. It was a time of great upheaval, after all, and I think this had to have had some impact on the leaders of the times.

[gothelittle]

When I think about the Catholic Church, working absent/against The Government, dealing with Jews... I remember the information that is only now coming to light about the Church's involvement in hiding WW2 era Jews by faking baptism certificates and giving them safe haven in the churches.

It seemed as if the Catholic Church at the time was more supportive of the Nazis, but that's because the few congregations who openly opposed them were slaughtered. In their various secretive and careful ways, however, the Catholics (led by the Pope of the time) saved over 850,000 Jews.