Next you are going to argue that because Einstein and many other famous Jewish scientists came out of Nazi Germany that the Jews were not persecuted. I have read and studied the history of Sephardic Jews as part of a college course I took as a liberal arts religion major on the history of Jews in Europe. It is not a particularly pleasant one whether the Muslims or Christians were in charge.
But if you want some interesting history, you might study about the massive migration of Jews from Spain to Poland during this time and under the early Christian kings. At the time the Jews were being persecuted, the Polish king saw their value as providing his country a source of educated clerks that could serve the nobility of Poland. Sadly, that role as “middle men” resulted in anti Semitic feelings developing people “the Polish and Russian” people and the Jews… and eventually the pogroms that most Americans know only of through the movie Fiddler on the Roof.
But arguing that somehow Jews were not persecuted because a few “great men” rose above their persecution or that the persecuted cannot produce philosophical writings is simply wrong. Again, you might go back and read a bit deeper… beyond the apologetic nonsense trying to revise history…
No doubt there were periods of greater and lesser persecution in Spain but that was not the point. For example, does this suggest a relatively benign treatment of Jews? How was it possible to incite such behavior without an underlying level of persecution going on?
“On December 30, 1066, Joseph HaNagid, the Jewish vizier of Granada, Spain, was crucified by an Arab mob that proceeded to raze the Jewish quarter of the city and slaughter its 5,000 inhabitants. The riot was incited by Muslim preachers who had angrily objected to what they saw as inordinate Jewish political power.
My comments were not aimed as Muslims per se, since life was just as bad for Jews under the Christians rulers of Spain before becoming even worse during the Inquisition. But rather it was a response to the thread concerning Indiana Jones movies… throughout history, dominant “tribes” or “identity groups” (to use modern parlance) have persecuted or abused minorities.
Only recently, have nations like the US strived to turn the famous phrase “all men are created equal” into a reality. Something that remains a goal, but something which the US has made great strides towards over its 200 year plus history.
