Wreckers of civilization.

To summarize the main point, the ancient Levant, then called the Orient, was a center of civilization(s). The Arab conquests wrecked the Ancient East and its civilizations. The Levant has never recovered from the Arab/Muslim invasions. The Oriental Antiquities Dept at the Louvre seems to agree with Pirenne that the Arab invasions marked the end of ancient times. See [link].

This is one of the things that make edward said's writings so outrageous. Rather than elevate the Arabs/Muslims by identifying them with the East, the Orient, he should have understood and asserted that they were the wreckers of the ancient Orient. Hence, it was unjust for him to identify them with it.

Now it's different. The Arab/Muslim contribution is huge.

Comment by Eliyahu on "Islam, the Greeks and the Scientific Revolution, part 2." By Fjordman, Dhimmi Watch, 9/27/07.