The myth of the murderous Muslim

Let's get educated so we can put an end to all the ignorant Islamophobia in the West!  Here's one myth dispelled:

Somewhere jihadis are killing everyone they come across, more or less, but still Muslim dynasties remain in power, their wealth increases, the urbanisation of their population increases and they leave behind magnificent public and private structures, which suggests they had quite a bit of free time. When the Ottoman Empire finally collapsed at the end of World War I, its capital, then called Constantinople, was over 50 percent non-Muslim. This is not to suggest the Ottomans were liberal democrats. But it also suggests they were remarkably tolerant for their time. Probably no other city in Europe was so diverse. 

The myth of the murderous Muslim

By Haroon Moghul

January 3, 2013 | Aljazeera

URL: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/01/2013127211920494.html