Historian and author Raymond Ibrahim1 joins Winston Marshall2 for a powerful, eye-opening conversation on the hidden history of Islam’s conquest of the Christian world - and why so few dare to speak about it today.
Raymond traces the rapid Islamic expansion following Muhammad’s death, showing how, within just one century, Muslim armies had violently overrun three-quarters of the original Christian world - from Syria and Egypt to Spain and deep into Europe.
He dismantles the myth of Andalusian “tolerance,” reveals the brutal realities behind the so-called Islamic Golden Age, and explains how the Islamic conquests shattered the Mediterranean world, plunging Europe into the Dark Ages.
Raymond explores the modern censorship around Christian persecution, the resurgence of historical jihadist rhetoric in groups like ISIS, and the urgent lessons today’s leaders refuse to learn.
All this - the real story of the Crusades, the lost Christian heartlands, the enduring legacy of conquest, and the history the mainstream media won’t touch…
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
01:37 – Who is Raymond Ibrahim?
02:21 – Personal Background: Egyptian Heritage and Academic Journey
05:00 – From Academia to Writing: A New Path
06:08 – Key Works: Sword and Scimitar and Christian Persecution
07:12 – The Impact of His Work and Public Controversy
10:00 – The Battle of Yarmouk: Turning Point in Islamic Expansion
12:10 – The Expansion of Islam: From Arabia to the Christian World
17:07 – The Battle of Tours: Stopping the Islamic Advance
20:00 – The Dark Ages: How Islam Shaped Europe’s Future
25:00 – Why Was the Muslim Conquest So Successful?
28:50 – The Reconquista: A Slow and Steady Christian Resistance
33:13 – Andalusia: Myths of Peaceful Coexistence
40:00 – The Seljuk Turks and Pre-Crusade Persecutions
44:10 – Pope Urban II and the Call for the First Crusade
50:00 – The Crusades: Misunderstood or Justified?
55:30 – The Battle of Manzikert and the Beginning of the Crusades
1:00:00 – Charlemagne and the Rise of Christian Defensiveness
1:05:00 – Early Relations Between Islam and the West
1:10:30 – The Persecution of Christians in the Middle East
1:15:00 – Crusades: Religious Wars or Defensive Actions?
1:20:00 – The Myths of Islamic Golden Age Contributions
1:25:00 – Crusades and Their Aftermath: The Long-Lasting Impact
1:30:00 – The Religious and Ideological Roots of the Conflict
1:35:00 – Western Misunderstanding of Islamic History
1:40:00 – The Rise of Jihadism and Modern Conflicts
1:45:00 – The Importance of Historical Context in Modern Conflicts
1:50:00 – The Ongoing Persecution of Christians
1:55:00 – Reflections on Western Values and Islamic Influence
2:00:00 – Conclusion: Understanding the Past to Navigate the Future
Related Posts
Raymond Ibrahim is an American author, translator, columnist, and scholar born in the United States to Coptic immigrants from Egypt. He is fluent in both Arabic and English. His academic and professional focus includes Arabic history, language, and current events, particularly those related to the Middle East and Islam. Ibrahim has held positions as an Arabic-language specialist for the Near East Section at the Library of Congress and as an associate director of the Middle East Forum. He is also a Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and a Judith Friedman Rosen Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
Ibrahim has authored several books, including “Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West” (2018), “Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians” (2013), “The Al Qaeda Reader” (2007), and “Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam” (2022). His writings, translations, and observations have appeared in various publications, including Fox News, Financial Times, Jerusalem Post, Los Angeles Times, New York Times Syndicate, USA Today, Washington Post, and Weekly Standard. He has also been a guest lecturer at universities, briefed governmental agencies like the U.S. Strategic Command and the Defense Intelligence Agency, and testified before Congress on issues concerning Islam and the plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt.
Perspectives
Expert in Islamic History and Christian Persecution
Raymond Ibrahim is considered a distinguished Middle East expert, author, and scholar, providing critical insights into Islam, the West, and challenges facing Christian communities worldwide.
His work focuses on documenting Christian persecution across the Islamic world, examining relations between Islam and the West, and providing commentary on Middle Eastern affairs with insights from Arabic sources.
He is described as a vocal critic of Islam and an expert in Islamic history and doctrine.
Islamophobe and Disseminator of Anti-Muslim Rhetoric (our note: after a while, all the dissenting voices of people like Raymond sound the same; you don’t even need to read them after a while, as nothing new ever appears in them; it seems like they are all sharing the same piece of gum…)
Raymond Ibrahim is described as a well-known Islamophobe and disseminator of inaccurate, ahistorical, anti-Muslim rhetoric.
His rhetoric normalizes and justifies violence against Muslims, characterizing them as inherently angry, hostile, and prone to terrorism against ‘the West’.
The Gatestone Institute, where Ibrahim is a fellow, is described by multiple watchdogs as an anti-Muslim outlet that promotes conspiracy theories.
Winston Aubrey Aladar deBalkan Marshall is a British musician, writer, and podcaster, born on December 20, 1987, in Wandsworth, London. He is known as the former banjoist and lead guitarist of the folk-rock band Mumford & Sons. Before his time with Mumford & Sons, Marshall was a member of a bluegrass-sleaze rap group called Captain Kick and the Cowboy Ramblers. His father is Sir Paul Marshall, a British tycoon who co-founded the Marshall Wace hedge fund and is a co-owner of GB News. His mother, Sabina de Balkany, is French and of European Jewish descent. Marshall was educated at St Paul’s School in London and was inspired to play the banjo after watching the Coen Brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Marshall departed from Mumford & Sons in 2021 and has since transitioned into a role as a political podcaster and cultural commentator. He currently hosts “The Winston Marshall Show” and co-founded the “Dissident Dialogues” festival of ideas, as well as “1573 Cigars.” He previously hosted the podcast “Marshall Matters” for The Spectator. Marshall has appeared on various media outlets, including the BBC, Times Radio, LBC, Fox News, and GB News. In 2021, he also co-founded Hong Kong Link Up, a non-profit organization that assists Hong Kongers seeking asylum and BN(O) holders in settling in the UK.
