Islamic conquests, 622 to 675
The dialectic of domination and development continues
It does appear that in the Divine revelations to the prophets of Ancient Israel and to the Prophet Muhammad, God does not hesitate to sanction the use of armed force to attain just goals, although in the case of Muhammad, the level of destruction was much lower than it was in Ancient Israel, and the positive benefits were much greater.
In my last commentary, I drew upon the Encyclopedia of Invasions and Conquests1 to review the formation through conquest of the ancient empires of Assyria, Babylonia, and Persia as well as the empire of Alexander the Great. I maintained that on the foundation of conquest, these empires were able to forge significant economic and technological development as well as advances in science, literature, and the arts. I have coined the phrase “the dialectic of domination and development” to refer to this inherent paradoxical connection between force and violence and the good and the beautiful. It seems to me that if humanity is to realisticall…