AH Challenge - a Christian Arab state

[stevep]

However, the biggest problem with this scenario is the Catholic-Donatist conflict that was raging among the Christians in Byzantine Africa at this point.

This conflict weakened and deeply divided the Christians in North Africa, and the schismatic and effectively anti-papal Donatist movement merged with local anti-Roman political movements.

The result was a religious-political conflict that had reached its peak at about the point that the Muslims invaded Byzantine Africa.

Interesting. I thought the Donatist's had been largely wiped out some time before and that the main Christian division was with surviving Arians from the Vandal period. [Although not more than a sketchy knowledge of the period].

Technically you're right, but we wouldn't let such minor details get in the way
of discussing interesting possebilities and scenario's, now would we?

Never stop us discussing interesting scenario's. Its just that this one wouldn't have met the condition of the initial challenge.

Steve

 

[Keenir]

As the former became more dominant they needed scapegoats less whereas the Muslims needed it more. Hence the historical hostility of the Muslims to the Jews revived.

'historical hostility'?

the only historical hostility I can think of is when I heard a (rumor? tale?) that a predominantly Jewish tribe fought in a war against the Prophet Mohammad's tribe.

 

[Leo Caesius]

As has been mentioned before; even though the Maltese are effectively Roman Catholic Arabs and speak a language that several linguists consider an Arab dialect, they do not regard themselves as Arabs, so they do not count in this challenge.

Not just "several linguists," but pretty much every linguist who deals with Maltese and/or Arabic - most notably Dr. Alexander Borg, the world's authority on the language (and a native Maltese himself).

Also, while the Maltese have a very strong sense of national identity, it is worth noting that they allied themselves very closely with Libya after independence in 1964, to the extent that its leftist government requested that Libya send Arabic instructors to the islands in addition to military aid, so that Maltese could learn Standard Arabic. After Lockerbie, Malta was one of Libya's few friends in the world.

 

[stevep]

'historical hostility'?

the only historical hostility I can think of is when I heard a (rumor? tale?) that a predominantly Jewish tribe fought in a war against the Prophet Mohammad's tribe.

Keenir

The version I heard was that the entire considerable Jewish community in Mecca was killed or enslaved after Muhammad conquered the city. Another source mentioned that he earlier tried to link them in with his new religion but once the local Jews refused to accept him as the messiah he became very hostile.

Steve