The UNTOLD History Of Islam - Tom Holland

Tom Holland is an English author who has published best-selling books, like the book Dominion, on topics including classical, medieval history and the origins of Islam. In addition to his writing, he has worked with the BBC to create and host historical television documentaries and presents the radio series Making History. He also hosts a podcast, "The Rest Is History".

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0:00 Intro
1:22 Puritanism
4:03 When Did Absolutism Become A Thing?
8:37 Is Absolutism Uniquely Western?
11:34 Are A Lack Of Problems Responsible For Absolutism?
17:23 Roman Empire/Nazi Invasion Britain
22:03 Was Churchill Pivotal In WW2?
23:54 Favorite Historical Figure?
27:15 Importance Of History
28:52 "Islam: The Untold Story"
33:15 "ISIS The Origins Of Violence"
36:17 ISIS Destruction Stories
39:19 Possible Solution To ISIS?
42:45 "Why I Was Wrong About Christianity"
53:01 Last Words
54:03 Outro

[WorldViewAlternate]

The title is based on the documentary that he created, which is one of the reasons why the subject was covered.

[theodoreconstantini]

Tom is one of the best serious scholars on Islam and the ancient world, his book "in the Sadow of the Sword" is superb.

[niveditamishra]

Wow, I so respect Tom for thinking about Yazidis! I wish I could make a token contribution. What those women went through is beyond horrible.

[theshrubberer]

thank you Tom for saying that the advantage of studying history is that "it's interesting"!!! So refreshing to hear. I hate the platitudes that often accompany scholarship and try to justify (needlessly) investigations as "what it tells us about us today", which I perceive as a childish or narcissistic posture

[petergrimshaw]

Thankyou gents.

What an excellent historic-contextual contribution to this modern debate, especially regarding the historicity of cultural Christian ideas.

[michaelhughes]

Tom should write a book on Mecca as there are no records mentioning Mecca till 741 over 100 years after the death of there prophet Mohammed.

[hrvad]

I've been on much the same journey as Tom. I had no idea, but reluctantly I've had to admit that there's truth to us living in Christian countries and well, so much is just defined by it, way more than you think of you haven't done a deep dive into the subject.

[NaderAhani-rlim]

I read a book about origin of Islam (The Mysterious Persian prophet ) and the author described the detail about Islam and original Mecca in Afghanistan

[Frederer]

I would love to see the look on Richard Dawkins' face if Tom told him that his disgust of idolatry and superstition, is a Christian value. He defines himself by what he lacks.

[clearpupil]

Thank you for a great talk. I disagree with Prof Holland’s ideas on Islamic history which have relied heavily on a Eurocentric scholarship. However he is eloquent and compassionate, his broad understanding and balance make his voice one we all need to hear.

[johnschuh]

To his point about the limitations of talking about the ancient world using English, I one read a comment by a historian of philos0phy that it is very hard for us really to know the mind of someone like Plato since his words have meanings lost by being transmitted to us by the Latin Christian writers of the Middle and early modern worlds. Idealists like Plato and Descartes, for instance lived in different cultural universes. Any Plato the Frenchman read was certainly more like Plotinus, whose thought was a living influence on St. Augustine, the great Latin Father.

[forreals]

If Islam believes in Abraham, then they should exemplify the works of Abraham. He was a man of peace. He let his nephew take the better land. Maybe it’s a place where the three main religions can build upon. Without lies, Islam dies. It is not a religion coming from God—but is very Satanic in theology. God is love, not about revenge, violence, taking away freedom of choice, or violence or subjugation of women. God would never condone sexual mutilation, slavery, lies, etc etc. As a Christian from the west, we need to be bold about the very origins of this religion and expose it for what it is.

[yakovmatityahu]

Please collaborate with Odon Lafontaine, Mel from Islamic origins.

[marianneskanland]

Holland speaks at a speed very comfortable for listening: without undue haste, so that the listener can follow what he says in the listener's own thoughts – one has time to decifer, so to speak, even reflect on connections with what one knows. The interviewer speaks twice as fast as he should. Very irritating, disturbing. Is he really professional? Sounds like a school-child, even 'abbreviates' words so that they are not actually recognisable. He should be given some elementary talking to. If he keeps turning up in the program, I won't be watching it.

[MR-dmgx]

Let him make one on Talmud and Torah. And some about the Crusades and the Crusaders.

[corinaijac]

Dragostea mea Amon, cât ești de frumos, te iubesc.
Corina Miriam Georgeta IJAC
3 oct 2023

[terryfox]

I'm not sure how "ugly" the history of Islam is, but I agree that the real history has been obscured and therefore untold. "Ugly", I guess is in the eye of the beholder, as I think that certain aspects of Islam's history may be beautiful. The simple fact is that "Islam" did not start in the middle of the desert, with a man named "Muhammed". Rather Arab Umayyed leaders from Syria and Nabatea conquered Jerusalem in the 600s, and the Abbasids from Persia/Mesopotamia conquered them in 750, and started to write "history" to justify their rule and practices. Over time what we know as "Islam" developed. That's the real history that few people are allowed to say.

[OddawallWood]

Can you find any truth in the story that Churchill, on his way to Parliament, talked to people in the Underground who told him to fight Hitler.

[MR-dmgx]

Cathars followed The book of James the founder of the Jerusalem church.

[jeangatti]

historical research proves that the city of Mecca could not have existed as a large commercial caravan city in the years 600 AD
Main reasons for this fact are:
1) Mecca is not an oasis, so there is no surface water (only a well, known as zamzam which is clearly unsufficient and inappropriate for watering many caravan camels)
2) Mecca is not shown on any map at that time or even previously
3) Mecca is located down of Hidjaz plateau and could therefore not be located on the caravan route which is located more than 1000 m above on the plateau (eg the city of Taeef is located at an altitude of ca 2000 m while Mecca is at 300 m)
4) there were no archeological remains or artefacts (coins, potteries, ruins, bones etc) discovered in Mecca dating from before circa year 700
5) no agriculture whatsoever is possible in this wild rocky desert location, how could a large city survive in such hostile environment ?