A WORLD WITHOUT ISLAM!

The problem with counter-factual history or what if scenario's is that the number of assumptions, decisions and choices rise dramatically as you proceed to add more and more factors and time. So, for example, this is an interesting exercise but frankly a bit silly. Islam is, by a very large number, practised more outside the Arab and Middle East lands. So this entire discussion is very sterile. Hinduism has existed and has managed to live on for a long time, even in the countries where it is no longer the prime religion as in the south east Asia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, etc.

If Islam had not been there, one can logically argue that Hindu or even Buddhist Kingdoms could have moved to the left (west of the world) and basically civilised the middle east, something that none of the Abrahamic religions seem to have done. It is a strange thing that the cradle of human civilisation, the middle east, was destroyed by its own children, its religions. Those countries who have been successful, had to remove religion from their constitutions. Look around you, every time we talk about Christianity, Judaism and Islam, it is with respect to problems, massacres and silly sod things. When you talk about eastern religions, its more mystical, religious, and faithful.

Not that these eastern religions did not have problems, but overall, they rarely have had the kinds of issues like Islam and Christianity had. If you look down the ages, think about it, the massacres and genocide that these 3 religions have done on each other and on others is blindly big. If Islam and frankly the other Abrahamic religions had not been there, then perhaps the world would have been a much better place. But that is ruminating and masticating the past. Remember one thing, this century is supposed to be the Asian, Modern or Technology century. Watch and learn how the human trajectory based upon Buddhism, Hinduism, "Asian values", technology, secularism will work out.

So no, if you remove Islam, the world would indeed be a very very different place indeed.

Just idle ruminations! :)

All this to be taken with a grain of piquant salt!!!


A WORLD WITHOUT ISLAM
FOREIGN POLICY
Jan-Feb 2008


What if Islam had never existed? To some, it's a comforting thought: No clash of civilizations, no
holy wars, no terrorists. Would Christianity have taken over the world? Would the Middle East be a peaceful beacon of democracy? Would 9/11 have happened? In fact, remove Islam from the path of history, and the world ends up pretty much where it is today.