https://youtu.be/_WCKg8QP6sg?si=lw9kmGlsJREdwUP_
In this video, Raymond Ibrahim explains the historical trajectory of the Islamic world, from its peak dominance to its current state. He challenges the notion that Europe was always the dominant power, highlighting the strength of the Ottoman Empire (3:07) and its presence in Vienna in 1683 (3:29).
Ibrahim discusses the Barbary Wars (4:13), the first war of the United States as an independent nation, against Muslim pirates. He recounts how the Barbary pirates demanded tribute (Jizya) and enslaved Europeans, including Americans, until the U.S. fought back. He then describes the shift during the colonial era (6:23), where Europe gained technological, military, and economic superiority, leading to the conquest of former Muslim territories.
A key point is Ibrahim's argument that the Islamic world's economy was based on war, plunder, and the slave system (7:09), which made it vulnerable once it could no longer conquer and plunder. He notes that the Ottoman Empire persisted longer by westernizing (7:55), adopting Western attire and even the Roman alphabet (8:11).
Ibrahim observes a paradoxical trend in the Islamic world: while one might expect more liberalism in modern times, he argues that the Middle East was more liberal in the 1930s (9:57) than today. He attributes this to a shift in Western self-perception, where the West began to self-deprecate and promote other cultures as superior (11:00), leading Muslims to disrespect the West and return to more conservative interpretations of Islam. He specifically mentions Sayyid Qutb's influence (11:54) in promoting the idea of adopting Western technology while adhering to Islamic principles for societal governance.
Finally, he touches upon the integration of Muslims in Europe versus America (14:26), suggesting that the lack of a strong assimilationist message in Europe, coupled with the formation of Muslim enclaves, has led to a sense of "ribbots" or fortresses (16:09), where some Muslims see themselves as jihadists within European cities.
