I have to wonder how many threads could possibly bear that label.Inspired by Thande and Glenn Beck
Anyway, I think avoiding the Norman conquest is relatively easy - the hard part is preventing subsequent conquests by other groups.
If Sicily is Muslim, so is Malta. There would probably be butterflies. A PoD in the 900s or 1000s will change a lot of things for the upcoming centuries. Heck, the crusades will most likely be butterflied away.How does that effect Malta?
If it is not held by the Knights is there a stronger attack launched against Christian Europe through the Balkans etc?
More raids on Italy etc than occured in OTL? Muslim domination of the Med leading to an earlier fall of Constantinople?
Yes but in the 1000s I think you run the risk of other groups going for Sicily. If Byzantium doesn't hold it and the Normans don't get there, it's still a very tempting target near Christian lands and you're still going to have a lot of "idle" knights in the later 11th century and depending on the PoD, Christian Holy War concepts are probably going to evolve in some way.If Sicily is Muslim, so is Malta. There would probably be butterflies. A PoD in the 900s or 1000s will change a lot of things for the upcoming centuries. Heck, the crusades will most likely be butterflied away.
965? The Fatimids nominally. Actually? The Zirids.Who was in charge of Tunis at the time? I'm thinking on something similar to what happened in Iberia, have the Sicilians make a call for help in North Africa, then an Atlas army stomps the invaders... and retains the place for themselves. It's not exactly what the OP asks for, but it will make Muslim power last longer in the island.