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The lasting consequence of the Catholic Crusades against the Muslims in the 14th and 15th centuries was that Muslim culture and inventions became well known to a vastly greater number of Western people than hitherto had known anything of the East. The Western World began to recognize and appreciate the scientific, linguistic, literary and artistic achievements of the Persian Empire and its surrounding peoples and the fact that that's were our own culture originated.

The wealth and intelligence of the East spread throughout Western Europe from the Muslim settlements in Spain even as early as 400 AD, before the Roman Empire collapsed but it spread even more greatly during the Renaissance.

Now, as we contemplate the achievements of our lame duck President and his Crusade against Muslim culture we see that one, perhaps lasting legacy, is that he has revealed again the achievements of the Muslim peoples. He has inadvertently opened our eyes to whom they are and how they compare to the advertised "leader of the free world" despite all the adverse publicity promulgated by the U.S. State Department.

I am neither a follower of the Muslim religion nor of Bush's particular brand of right-wing Christianity. Both seem particularly inane to me. However, I do recognize that the proportion of intelligent thinkers in the Muslim world is higher than our own dedicated population who are infatuated with The American Idol," "The British Nanny" and various soap operas of continuing stupidity.

Of course, there are very nasty people in all cultures and the Zionist and ultra-right Christian advocates bring out the worst. However, behind the Zionist leaders the achievements of the Muslim world are immense and far-reaching. Despite Jewish violinists like Itzhak Perlman and others Israel has produced nothing of value. Yet consider the achievements of the Muslim world. Consider Dubai alone. The acquisition of land from the gulf far exceeds that in the Netherlands. Its innovative buildings put New York to shame. It's relaxed government condemns our own restrictive and suppressive security system to the dark ages.

Again, I reiterate that I am not a Muslim, nor an Arab, nor a White Washington employee, nor a religious fanatic of any kind, but I credit myself with enough intelligence to see what the Bush agenda has done. It has opened Western eyes to the attractions of the Muslim world. Hence, hordes of tourist will want to see for themselves.

If anything, Bush has been the best travel agent that the Muslim world could have contemplated.

Learn more about this author, John Graham.
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