>The Arabs took Europe out of barbarity?? Yopu mean like all of their advanced cultures we see around the world today? <g> Yessiree.. Give the women a good blue burkah, keep them at home and out of school and if they show do something you don't like just gang rape them. That'll move society forward I'm sure...
It is my understanding, too, that the Arab nations took Europe out of barbarity - but that was quite a while ago. The situation is different now, but the fact still remains that the entire reform movement in Europe (after the "Dark Ages") was greatly inspired by Arab countries, who where at that time very advanced, in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and other sciences.
I think it should also be noted that there are big differences (for instance, in ideas about women) between one muslim country and another. (Arabs and muslims is not the same thing, but it does happen that many of the muslim countries are mainly Arabs.)
Hilmar.
Difference in opinions hath cost many millions of lives: for instance, whether flesh be bread, or bread be flesh; whether whistling be a vice or a virtue; whether it be better to kiss a post, or throw it into the fire... (from Gulliver's Travels)