The reliably befuddled Nick Kristof on progress in the Arab world:
Early Muslim objections to printing presses, radios and international travel are now forgotten.
However, mullahs have yet to rule on accepting indoor plumbing, go-go dancing, and the law of gravity.
“Early Muslim objections to printing presses” Lordy! Early? We’re talking through the first half of the 19th century there were Greek and Armenian presses in the Ottoman Empire, but it was illegal to print in Arabic or Turkish! These people were downright AMISH about the printing press. It was a specifically ethno-religious objection, since they allowed the infidel Christians to have ‘em. The resistance to telegraphs, telephony, and travel went much faster. Let me strongly recommend Bernard Lewis’s The Muslim Disovery of Europe.
Don’t forget Muslim objections to the moon landings…
What were the Muslim objections to the moon landing? I’ve tried finding them on Google, but I’d be interested in what specific (and weird) objections they had, if possible.