Mauao Man

Myth 20: “Islam Has Always Been a Victim of Western Aggression”

📉 The Reality: Islamic Empires Were Aggressors and Colonizers Long Before the West Responded

The widespread narrative that Islam has only been a victim, constantly defending itself from Western imperialism and aggression, is a gross historical distortion. The reality is that Islamic empires aggressively expanded and colonized large swaths of non-Muslim lands centuries before the Crusades or European colonialism began. Islamic military and political dominance was a historic fact across the Middle East, North Africa, Southern Europe, and parts of Asia — often marked by conquest, subjugation, and cultural domination.

🕌 I. Early Islamic Conquests: Offensive and Expansionist by Design

After Muhammad’s death in 632 CE, the Rashidun Caliphate launched rapid military campaigns, invading Byzantine and Sassanian territories.
These expansions were not defensive; they were preemptive invasions aimed at territorial acquisition and the spread of Islam by the sword.
Historical records document the fall of Jerusalem (637 CE), Egypt (640 CE), Syria (636 CE), and Persia, achieved through sustained military campaigns, sieges, and battles.

⚔️ II. Islamic Conquest and Colonization of Europe

Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain):
In 711 CE, Muslim armies led by Tariq ibn Ziyad crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, conquering most of the Iberian Peninsula within a few years. This was a full-scale invasion, displacing or subjugating the existing Visigothic Christian rulers.
Sicily and Southern Italy:
Muslim forces captured Sicily in 827 CE and controlled it for over two centuries, extending raids into mainland Italy.
France:
Muslim armies pushed into southern France, reaching as far north as Poitiers in 732 CE, where the Frankish leader Charles Martel halted their advance.
These invasions were marked by military occupation, imposition of Islamic law, forced conversions, and demographic changes.

🏰 III. Islamic Imperialism in Africa and Asia

The Ottoman Empire, which began in the late 13th century, aggressively expanded into Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, ruling vast non-Muslim populations under Islamic law.
The Ottomans besieged Vienna twice (1529 and 1683), threatening Central Europe with full conquest.
Other Islamic powers, such as the Mughals in India, established empires through conquest and subjugation of large non-Muslim populations.

🕰️ IV. The Crusades and Western Response

The Crusades (starting 1095 CE) were a reaction to Islamic expansion, initiated to recover Christian territories.
The portrayal of Islam as solely a victim ignores centuries of prior Muslim conquests that established Muslim political dominance in the Mediterranean and Middle East.
The Crusades themselves were military campaigns, but they came after Muslim powers had aggressively expanded and settled in Christian lands.

🗺️ V. Modern Imperialism: Colonialism as a Separate Phenomenon

European colonialism and imperialism in the 18th–20th centuries were distinct from medieval Islamic conquests and had different motivations and methods.
Muslim empires, while later colonized or diminished by Europeans, were previously imperial powers themselves, not passive victims.

🧠 VI. Political Use of the “Victim” Narrative

The myth of Islam as a perpetual victim of Western aggression serves modern political and ideological purposes, including justifying Islamist militancy and anti-Western sentiment.
It obscures the aggressive historical reality of Islamic conquest and empire-building.

❌ VII. Final Analysis: The Victim Myth Ignores Centuries of Islamic Imperialism

Claim	Reality
Islam has always been a victim	Islamic empires expanded aggressively for centuries before Western colonialism
Muslim lands were peaceful until the Crusades	Muslim conquests actively displaced and ruled over Christian and other non-Muslim populations
Western imperialism is the root cause of Islamic conflicts	Islam’s own history includes centuries of imperial warfare and colonization

🚫 Conclusion: The Narrative of Islam as Perpetual Victimhood Is a Historical Whitewash

Islamic history is not a story of constant victimization by the West. It is a history of empire, conquest, colonization, and political dominance over non-Muslim peoples and territories long before European powers rose to prominence. Acknowledging this is essential for honest, evidence-based understanding of historical and contemporary conflicts involving Islam.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------About the Author

Mauao Man is a blog created by a New Zealand writer who believes in following the evidence wherever it leads. From history and religion to culture and society, Mauao Man takes a clear, critical, and honest approach — challenging ideas without attacking people. Whether exploring the history of Islam in New Zealand, the complexities of faith, or the contradictions in belief systems, this blog is about asking the hard questions and uncovering the truth.