In his recent sycophantic speech on the greatness of Islam at Cairo, Egypt, President Obama claimed to be a “student of history”, following up with an entirely fallacious account of Islam’s contributions to world

civilization.  Specifically Obama claimed,

“As a student of history, I also know civilization's debt to Islam.  It was Islam -- at places like Al-Azhar -- that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe's Renaissance and Enlightenment.  It was innovation in Muslim communities -- it was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed.  Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation.  And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.”

Al Azhar - Founded in 975 AD, Al Azhar’s curriculum was solely a religious one, teaching and resolving all matters Islamic.  It was not until 1961 that the university added science to its curriculum, much later than had been done in the rest of world civilization.  The university does not boast a curriculum for math, language or the arts beyond fundamental Islamic beliefs and culture. 

The European Renaissance occurred in the 1300-1600s and the Enlightenment which occurred in the mid 1700s, predated the Al Azhar Renaissance.  It was not until Muhammad Ali took over the rule of Egypt in 1805 AD and he strove to set up a modern state, did Al Azhar undergo their renaissance.

Algebra-Algebra was initially invented by the Babylonians and perfected by the Greeks in centuries BC, thousands of years before Islam was conceived.

Magnetic Compass and Tools of Navigation-The magnetic compass was an ancient Chinese invention, thought to be first made during the Qin Dynasty 221-206 BC.  The only compass the Muslims invented was the Qibla Compass, which was invented for Muslims to designate the direction of prayer (Direction to Mecca). The first pilot books were the first charting tools used in Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt in centuries BC.  The first true nautical charts did not appear until the 1300s and were designed in Italy.  Mediterranean travelers and Polynesian sailors in the Pacific were the first to utilize dead reckoning methods of navigation based on winds and waves for long range navigation in centuries BC.  In 2nd Century BC, the Greek astronomer Hipparchus identified and cataloged stars and the Greeks began using celestial navigation, inventing lines of longitude and latitude, a concept and system later refined by another Greek, Ptolemy.  All these tools and inventions occurred well before Muhammad was ever born.

Pens and Printing-The Ancient Egyptians, as early as 3,000 BC wrote on papyrus paper using thin reed brushes.  Reed Pens were used until the middle ages and quill pens were used from 7th Century AD until the 19th century AD.  It could be argued the fountain pen may have first been used in Egypt 950 AD, but every other advance in pen technology was outside of the Islamic culture. The first printing press was developed in China 593 AD and although there was use of a rudimentary form of a printing press used in Egypt mid-700 AD, there is no evidence that version had any influence outside the Muslim world.

Disease and how it is healed-Disease is certainly older than Islam—Muhammad was born in 570 AD, Islam born long afterward, while disease and petulance, as well as their treatment, were evident in historical accounts of every ancient civilization. 

Majestic Arches and Soaring Spires-Arches first appeared in 2000 BC in Mesopotamia to a limited extent, but systematic and widespread use did not occur until ancient Rome.  Spires were inspired by the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids.  In either case, arches and spires predated Islam by thousands of years.  

Poetry and Music-Music has been in existence since the earliest African Cultures, 50,000 years ago.  Every ancient culture made various contributions to music, from Greeks to Persians.  There is no recognizable influence of music by Islam, in fact all but religious music is prohibited in most Islamic Cultures.  Earliest forms of poetry predated literacy, emerging in music and song.  Poetry most recognizable to forms of today have descended from those of Ancient Greece.  The oldest known love poem is Sumerian, and was found in Istanbul believed to have been written 2037-2029 BC.

Islamic Religious Tolerance and Racial Equality-The most ignorant of President Obama’s claims.  It takes no research to realize those practicing Islam display little tolerance for those of different religious beliefs.  This intolerance even extends to those of their own religion who practice a different sect of Islam.  Since its inception, Islam is the only world religion that has relied so strongly on violence and killing of those who fail to embrace their particular form of Islam.   

It is possible President Obama wished to complement the influence of pre-Islamic middle east culture on world civilization, a sentiment certainly supported by the historical record.  However, his failure to understand the difference between a pre-Islamic middle east that respected science, math, technology, reading and writing, and a murderous Islamic middle east culture designed to stifle innovation and subject citizens to ignorance and religious extremism, renders him a failure both as a student of history and as President of the United States.