Islam: The Eighth Wonder of the World?

I just translated from Arabic a hard-hitting article by the late Ahmad al-Baghdadi, one of Kuwait’s best known liberal activists and scholars (he held a PhD in the philosophy of Islamic thought and taught political science).  His article recounts how Islamic civilization is the eighth, and greatest, wonder of the world. We quickly discover this is not a compliment, however, as the article highlights some singularly troubling aspects of the Islamic world, from a liberal—in this sense, “rational”—point of view.  The translation follows:

As we know, the wonders of the world are seven; but there is an eighth “Wonder-of-Wonders” not counted among the seven: this is the “Muslim nation [umma].” I specifically did not say the “Islamic [or Islamist] nation,” for within this Muslim nation are wondrous matters not witnessed by any other nation since Allah Almighty created Adam. Here are some of these wonders:

The Seven Wonders of the ancient world, as imagined (minus the Great Pyramid, which still stands) by 16-th century artist Marten Heemskerk.

1. It is the only nation that believes it is in the right—in every way—while all others are wrong;

2. The only nation that exonerates or lightens the punishment of an indicted criminal if he is Muslim and has learned some Quranic verses;

3. The only nation where a cleric evades indictment for inciting murder if he describes one of his adversaries as “an apostate”;

4. The only nation that does not penalize a murderer if he kills “an apostate”;

5. The only nation that shows leniency and assuages punishments for the “honor killing” of a sister or a wife;

6. The only nation whose holy book [Quran] starts with the word “read” [iqra’] and yet it is among the least nations that reads books, if any at all;

7. The only nation that still uses the word “infidel” [kafir] against those who oppose its clerics or religious groups;

8. The only nation where the ruling of a fatwa [religious edict] upstages the ruling of the law—and yet it brags about being a nation that upholds the “rule of law”;

9. The only nation that does not contribute to the modern era—not even by producing a tooth brush—and yet brags about its extinct civilization.

10. The only nation that insults and condemns the West—yet lives as a parasite relying on the West in every way.

He makes 15 more points, read them here.