Refuting Islam

The Historical Whitewashing of Islamic Conquests: From Brutal Wars to "Peaceful Liberation"

Introduction: The Truth Beneath the Myth

Islamic history is often portrayed as a story of peaceful expansion, a divine mission to spread faith, justice, and civilization. Textbooks, religious scholars, and Islamic apologists frequently describe the early Islamic conquests as a "liberation" of oppressed peoples and a "spread of peace." But beneath this sanitized narrative lies a far darker reality — a history of brutal wars, forced conversions, massacres, enslavement, and destruction.

From the Arabian Peninsula to North Africa, Persia, India, and Europe, the Islamic empire expanded through ruthless military campaigns that left millions dead and entire civilizations shattered. This post will expose the truth behind the historical whitewashing of Islamic conquests — a truth that has been buried beneath centuries of propaganda.

1. The Myth of "Peaceful Expansion" vs. The Reality of Violent Conquest

1.1. The Early Arabian Conquests: War, Plunder, and Forced Conversion

After Muhammad’s death in 632 AD, the first four "Rightly Guided Caliphs" launched a series of military campaigns known as the Ridda Wars (Apostasy Wars):
- Arab tribes who left Islam after Muhammad's death were attacked, their leaders killed, and their people forced back into the faith.
- These were not wars of "liberation" — they were wars of subjugation.
The Conquest of Mecca (630 AD):
- Muhammad returned to Mecca with an army of 10,000 and gave the city’s leaders an ultimatum: convert, surrender, or face death.
- The Kaaba was purged of its pagan idols, and those who resisted were killed.

1.2. The Conquest of Persia: A Civilization Destroyed

The Islamic conquest of Persia (633–651 AD) is often portrayed as the "liberation" of oppressed Zoroastrians.
But the reality was one of brutal warfare:
- The Battle of al-Qadisiyyah (636 AD) saw the slaughter of thousands of Persian defenders.
- Persian libraries were burned, and Zoroastrian priests were killed or forced to convert.
- The famous Library of Ctesiphon, a center of Persian knowledge, was destroyed.
The people of Persia were subjected to heavy taxation (Jizya) as "dhimmis" (second-class citizens) if they refused to convert to Islam.

1.3. The Conquest of Egypt: From Coptic Christians to Dhimmis

Egypt, a Christian-majority region under the Byzantine Empire, was invaded by Muslim armies in 639 AD.
The local Coptic Christians were forced to pay Jizya as a sign of their subjugation.
The city of Alexandria was sacked, and the Great Library of Alexandria, already weakened, was reportedly further destroyed.
The Copts, who were told they would be protected, found themselves oppressed under Islamic rule.

2. The Myth of "Religious Tolerance" vs. The Reality of Forced Conversion

2.1. The Jizya Tax: Submission or Subjugation

Non-Muslims under Islamic rule were classified as "dhimmis" (protected people) but were required to pay the Jizya tax:
- Quran 9:29:
  - "Fight those who do not believe in Allah... until they pay the Jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued."
Jizya was not just a tax — it was a symbol of humiliation:
- Dhimmis were required to pay it in a public, degrading ceremony.
- They were forbidden from building new places of worship or repairing old ones without permission.
- They were not allowed to openly practice their religion.

2.2. Forced Conversions and Massacres

While Islamic apologists claim that Islam was "spread peacefully," history tells a different story:
- India: The Islamic conquest of India (711 AD onwards) was one of the bloodiest chapters in history. Hindu temples were destroyed, and millions were killed or enslaved.
- Spain: The Umayyad conquest of Spain (711 AD) saw Christian churches destroyed and Christians forced to pay Jizya.
- North Africa: The Berbers were forced to convert to Islam after resisting the Arab invasions. Those who refused were killed.

3. The Destruction of Cultural Heritage: Libraries Burned, Monuments Smashed

3.1. The Destruction of the Library of Alexandria

Islamic apologists often deny that Muslims destroyed the Library of Alexandria, but historical accounts suggest otherwise:
- The Muslim general Amr ibn al-As reportedly ordered the destruction of the remaining library under the orders of Caliph Umar, who allegedly said, "If the books agree with the Quran, they are unnecessary. If they disagree, they are heretical."
Whether this story is entirely true or not, it reflects a common pattern in Islamic conquests — the destruction of non-Islamic knowledge.

3.2. The Destruction of Zoroastrian Fire Temples in Persia

Following the conquest of Persia, many Zoroastrian temples were destroyed, and the sacred fires were extinguished.
Zoroastrian priests were killed or forced to convert, and Zoroastrian texts were burned.

3.3. The Destruction of Hindu Temples in India

Islamic conquerors in India destroyed thousands of Hindu temples:
- The Somnath Temple was destroyed and looted by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 AD.
- The Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi was destroyed multiple times under various Islamic rulers.
- Temples were not just destroyed — they were replaced with mosques as a symbol of Islamic dominance.

4. The Myth of "Civilizational Progress" vs. The Reality of Intellectual Suppression

4.1. The Persecution of Free Thinkers

While the Islamic Golden Age is often praised, it was marked by the persecution of free thinkers:
- Al-Razi (Rhazes) — A Persian philosopher who criticized religion, had his books burned and was attacked for his views.
- Averroes (Ibn Rushd) — A philosopher who defended reason, was exiled, and his works were burned.
- Ibn al-Rawandi — An early critic of Islam whose works were destroyed.

4.2. The Suppression of Non-Islamic Knowledge

Islamic rulers who valued knowledge often did so for practical, not religious, reasons.
But as Islamic orthodoxy gained power, this tolerance disappeared:
- The Mu’tazila (Rationalist) Movement was violently suppressed by Sunni orthodoxy.
- The works of Greek philosophers were banned, and the study of philosophy was condemned.
- Al-Ghazali’s "The Incoherence of the Philosophers" declared reason inferior to revelation.

5. The Myth of "Just War" vs. The Reality of Holy War (Jihad)

5.1. The Doctrine of Jihad: Warfare as Worship

Islamic conquests were not just acts of political expansion — they were seen as "Jihad" (holy war):
- Quran 9:5:
  - "Then, when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them..."
Jihad was not defensive — it was an offensive doctrine that justified the expansion of Islam through war.

5.2. The Caliphate: An Empire Built on Conquest

The Caliphate — whether Umayyad, Abbasid, or Ottoman — was an empire built by the sword.
Peace was enforced only after brutal conquest, with non-Muslims reduced to second-class status.

6. Conclusion: The Truth About Islamic Conquests

Islamic history is often portrayed as a story of peaceful expansion, but this is a myth. The reality is a history of brutal military conquests, forced conversions, mass killings, and the destruction of ancient civilizations. The so-called "spread of Islam" was, in reality, a campaign of terror and domination.

Islamic apologists may try to whitewash this history, but the facts cannot be erased. The truth is that Islam’s spread was not a story of peace, but a story of war.