APOLOGY OVERDUE

Former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar poses an interesting question:

"Why do we always have to say sorry and they never do?" Aznar told the Hudson Institute, an American conservative think-tank based in Washington, D.C., Friday, September 22.

"It is interesting to note that while a lot of people in the world are asking the pope to apologize for his speech, I have never heard a Muslim say sorry for having conquered Spain and occupying it for eight centuries."

Ali Al-Raisouni is not impressed:

"The speech brought to the surface the grudges harbored by Aznar towards Islam, which has been a message of peace and love throughout the centuries," he said.

He said Muslims neither invaded nor colonized Spain.

"But the Islamic conquest of Al-Andalus (Spain) had given momentum to human civilization and brought human beings closer as manifested in the historic collections left by the Muslims of Al-Andalus," he explained.

Hmm, someone's confused and it ain't me. Anyway, Muslims did make a big contribution to human progress:

"1001 Inventions: Discover the Muslim Heritage of Our World" exhibition, which opened in London on March 8 and ran through June, uncovered the Islamic civilization's overlooked contribution to science, technology and art during the dark ages in European history.

Yep, and once we're back in the dark ages Islamists will be on the cutting edge of innovation.