It is wrong to say "Islam was never part of Europe."  On the contrary, Islam   
   was an essential part of Europe.   
      
   Islam was born in the Middle East just like Christianity and Judaism were.   
   Islam dominated Iberian peninsula (today's Spain and Portugal) for nearly 800   
   years from 711 AD until 1492. Christianity and Judaism faired much better in   
   Moslem dominated Iberian    
   peninsula than Moslems and Judaists in Christian dominated Europe including   
   Iberia. After all Europeans were bloody, brutal Romans and their opponents   
   Romans called "Barbarians".   
      
   Moslem advances in mathematics, astronomy, art, and agriculture helped propel   
   Europe out of the Dark Ages and into the Renaissance.   
      
   Christianity and Judaism  were not born in Europe either as everybody knows.    
   Christianity came to and dominated Europe by the 5th century AD. Initially   
   Europe rejected it and persecuted Christians and Judaists in most brutal ways.   
      
   Therefore Christianity too was never part of Europe until 5th century AD.   
   Thanks to Moslem advances in mathematics, astronomy, art, and agriculture   
   helped propel Europe out of the Dark Ages and into the Renaissance.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)