Dr. Draper,
however, errs, though no doubt unintentionally, by so presenting
the case as to leave upon the reader's mind the impression that
all this scientific and practical achievement was the work of
Islamism, and that the Mohammedan civilization was of a higher
type than the Christian. It is with an apparent feeling of regret
that he looks upon the ousting of the Moors from dominion in
Spain; but this is a mistaken view. As regards the first point,
it is a patent fact that scientific inquiry was conducted at the
cost of as much theological obloquy in the Mohammedan as in the
Christian world. It is true there was more actual tolerance of
heresy on the part of Moslem governments than was customary in
Europe in those days; but this is a superficial fact, which does
not indicate any superiority in Moslem popular sentiment. The
caliphate or emirate was a truly absolute despotism, such as the
Papacy has never been, and the conduct of a sceptical emir in
encouraging scientific inquiry goes but little way toward proving
anything like a general prevalence of tolerance or of
free-thinking. And this brings us to the second point,--that
Mohammedan civilization was, on the whole, rather a skin-deep
affair. It was superficial because of that extreme severance
between government and people which has never existed in European
nations within historic times, but which has always existed among
the principal races that have professed Moslemism.
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