Formatting fix for reddit post 6zsj1e

(Note: This was originally intended for r/sifting. Apparently, I'm supposed to post here to get it un-removed?)

So yesterday was the 16th anniversary of 9/11, one of the worst terrorist attacks in history and arguably *the* most defining moment in the 21st century. Not only did the attack take the lives of nearly 3000 people, it also ushered in the ideological "War on Terror", leading to invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq (both of which claimed civilian casualties into the [millions](http://www.psr.org/assets/pdfs/body-count.pdf)), lead to multiple incredibly unstable regime changes that quickly erupted into multiple bloody ongoing [civil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%93present\)) [wars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Civil_War_(2014%E2%80%93present\)), as well as a new era of [drone](https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2017-01-01/drone-wars-the-full-data) [warfare](http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/oct/15/90-of-people-killed-by-us-drone-strikes-in-afghani/), [curbing civil liberties](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/terrorism/homeland/patriotact.html), [NSA spying](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/black-budget-summary-details-us-spy-networks-successes-failures-and-objectives/2013/08/29/7e57bb78-10ab-11e3-8cdd-bcdc09410972_story.html?utm_term=.15cc17df051a), [and skyrocketing deportations](https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/yearbook), among other [unpleasantries](http://www.snopes.com/rumors/cool.asp). So it doesn't come as a surprise that for most of us, the anniversary of 9/11 is a day to be somber, and remember the lives of the people who were taken not only on that day but the many days that followed, all over the world. It's a day to remind ourselves of the devastation that occurred, and the change it brought.



Unless...



Unless of course...



You're a r/T_D regular.



Then for you 9/11 is a wonderful excuse to write long incoherent paragraphs about dem evil [insert Muslims/Brown people/Arabs/Jooz/Israelis/ or big bad spoopy Gov't], often bridled with layers upon layers of badhistory and some *really shitty* grammar. Luckily for me, I'll be the one sifting through the garbage heap, finding heaps and heaps of the glorious stuff this subreddit loves.


This year's r/T_D badhistory posts on 9/11 can be found [here](http://np.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/6zg56s/since_911_there_have_been_35000_deadly_islamic/) and [here](http://np.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/6za0ln/can_you_imagine_a_world_without_islam/). I'll just be skimming over the comments for R5.

(Side Note: Oh yeah, I'm nerfing some of the comments because there's a lot of stuff I really shouldn't repeat in there)


Let's start with the second most popular comment [here](http://np.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/6za0ln/can_you_imagine_a_world_without_islam/dmtnxzh/)


> Afghanistan would be a Buddhist nation instead. It's hard to imagine isn't it? It wouldn't even be named Afghanistan. [+840]

Well... perhaps one of the reasons it's so "hard to imagine" is because ***Afghanistan has never been a Buddhist nation in the first place?***

There was never a purely Buddhist nation/kingdom that covered all/most of Afghanistan?

The [Maurya Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurya_Empire), the [Greco-Bactrian Kingdom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Bactrian_Kingdom), and the [Kushan empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushan_Empire),

Buddhism *was* a major religion in the Hindu Kush Mountain region, yes, but it was practiced alongside Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, and Hellenism. It was never the sole religion there.

Also, I'm really confused about where he got the "It wouldn't even be named Afghanistan" from. From what I read [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_(ethnonym\)) the term Afghan comes from a 3rd century Sassanian name of an eastern tribe called Abgân.

There was also mention of Afghans by Buddhists themselves:

> Hiven Tsiang, a Chinese Buddhist pilgrim visiting the Afghanistan area several times between 630 and 644 CE, speaks about the native tribes inhabiting the region. According to scholars such as V. Minorsky, W.K. Frazier Tyler, and M.C. Gillet, the word Afghan has appeared in the 982 Ḥudūd al-ʿĀlam, where a reference is made to a village.

> "Saul, a pleasant village on a mountain. In it live Afghans"

And considering *stan* means "land of the", it's not a stretch to say that's what they still probably would have called the country: "Afgan - istan"

I mean, if you're going to get made about changing demographics, at least get mad over ***real demographics***. And considering this person has a TN flair, he/she should be the last person getting mad over countries violently changing religions. Along with every other North American, South American, Australian, and European.

* -

> The Crusades were in response to centuries of Islamic invasion, yes. [+164]

> You mean to tell me that within 100 years of its founding islam was laying seige to the heart of Christendom, and had already invaded all of northern Africa, Spain, the Levant, Iraq, and Persia? /s [+94]

> You mean to tell me after 20 generations of oppression under Muslims , white people fought back???? How dare Christians [+54]

> The Crusades was a fight against muslims. I'm glad they won.
>> I'm glad we won too. [+5]

> At least the crusades were somewhat justified. They only recaptured land that was taken by Muslims. Islamic terrorism on the other hand, will NEVER be justified.

Wow! A subreddit talking about how "uniquely" violent Islam is brought up Crusade Apologitism. *Never* saw that one coming /s

Crusader apologists have already covered extensively in this subreddit, so I won't be too big here, however, I will ask anyone reading this to think back on the extensive "Islamic invasions" responsible for the:

* Albigensian Crusade

* Lithuanian Crusade

* Livonian Crusade

* Byzantine Crusade

* Hussite Crusade

* Prussian Crusade

* Various other Baltic/Northern Crusades.

**Oh yeah, there wasn't any.**

Anyways, Spain and Persia weren't "Christian nations" that's a bunch of revisionist bullshit. Spain was ruled by the Visigoths and Persia by the Sassanids.

And the Crusaders clearly lost? They were successful in some of the early campaigns but overall Muslims kept them out of Jerusalem and Egypt for centuries

Also, isn't the "heart of Christendom" St. Peter's Basilica? I've seen this phrase numerous times, but these people seem to be referring to something else? Because I sure am certain the Basilica was never "taken by the Muslim horde".

* -

> Libs will point out arabic math in the 1200's, ignoring that we already had and forgot that math... So we can say fine, since the crusades, what good has Islam done? WWI? Yeah that kind of sucked. Armenian genocide? That sucked too. The truce that created two states, israel and Jordan that the palestinians immediately ignored and demanded that Israel be split again? Yeah not so good. I could go on, should I? [+42]

[DAFUQ?](https://i.giphy.com/3o72F8t9TDi2xVnxOE.mp4)

*Yes*, PLEASE go on and explain to me just how fucking ***WORLD*** **WAR ONE** was one of Islam's many contributions to human history.

I can handle his mix-up on the years, I can handle his complete dismissal of the importance of Medieval Islamic contribution to European Mathematics, I can handle his faulty logic (hey genius, how exactly did you "already have and forget" mathematical concepts that Muslims had just developed [several centuries prior?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics_in_medieval_Islam) Wouldn't that still make Islam important?), I can handle his implication that both WW1 and the Armenian Genocide are purely Islam's fault, I can even handle his one-sided view of the Israeli conflict, but **what I can NOT handle is how utterly smug he fucking is**. **The fact that he is so confident, so damn proud, that what he just spewed on his keyboard is anything other than asinine bullshit makes me want to friggin fight an Oak tree**

***AND 42 PEOPLE UPVOTED THIS***

Oh, and Islam's as much to blame for the Armenian ethnic cleansings as Christianity is to the Circassian Genocide.

* -

> yeah... Islam hasn't done anything except kill people [+48]


[yeah... seeing Islam is a theology which exists in a book and various oral traditions, is unable to do *anything*, much less kill people](https://i.giphy.com/3oKIPB6gL95MEAeSEE.mp4)

* -

> Without Islam the ME would be Christian and peaceful [+24]


[TIL: Without Islam, one of the most religiously diverse and historically violent regions in the world would be completely "Christian" and "peaceful" ](https://dannimcgriffith.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/0769.png)

Byzantine vs. Sassanid wars no real. No scratch that, insert literally **any** 1) Christian or 2) pre-Islamic ME violence

* -

> Technology has given us skyscrapers and jet airplanes, but it took Islam to bring them together. [+367]

[Yes because Muslims invented flying planes into stuff](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/73205000/jpg/_73205991_kamikaze-attack.jpg)

* -


> The Library at Alexandria would still be in existence. It was the largest library in the world and said to hold over one half million scrolls. In 620, when Caliph Omar conquered the city, he burnt them all. It is written that it took over six months to burn all the scrolls. He destroyed all the texts by using them as kindling to burn the bathhouses in the city. He said, "If those books are in agreement with the Quran, we have no need of them; and if these are opposed to the Quran, destroy them." [+34]

MUH LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA

The library was literally in ruins before Islam became a thing.

No one knows exactly if the story with Caliph Omar is true, [seeing as it was written centuries after he died](http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-great-library-at-alexandria-was-destroyed-by-budget-1442659066)

* -

> Japan has strict immigration laws against islam. I love Japan [+35]

> Poland has 0 islamic refugees and 0 terrorist attacks.
Same with Japan.
Must be a coincidence! [+38]

> Still waiting for the next terrorist attack in Japan. Oh nvm they banned islam [+12]

~~Oh for the fucking love of God you could have literally spent 7 seconds to google any of the above to easily find out it's not true before typing but nooo continue to base your knowledge off shitty memes~~

This isn't badhistory. This is just straightforward ignorance

* -

> I lived all my life without it. 9/11 was my only real direct exposure to 'Islam' Ban Islam. Ban Sharia. Exile Democrats. [+105]

I believe you. Your comment is *exactly* what I'd expect from someone who's only view of Islam is through 9/11.

* -

> Hell, the entire religious violence of islam started because their prophet went up to Jews in Mecca, tried to preach to them, the Jews said "lol no" and he got pissy about that.

[Hmm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEndTn5KfCg)

I thought it started back when his followers were being beaten and killed for 15 years and they fled to another city to avoid being wiped out. Nvm, this clearly enlightened Reddit comment is much more accurate than all those early Islamic chronicles! /s

Besides, a number of prominent early Muslims were Jewish, like Abdullah ibn Salam for example.

* -

Well, that's enough for Muslims/Islam, get ready for the **really** weird shit I found within these pages.

> Fun Fact: Muhammad the prophet of Islam was white.

**WHAT**

> Not surprised
These cracker Arabs are filthy and disgusting 

**STOP**

> thank you   i am leaving islam too after reading the bible.....i was brainwashed as a child  i see that now   jesus is the truth the way and the life...god bless you

**NO**

Oh, and yeah, sure thing "Mary Viola".

* -

>  NEVER FORGET 9/11
The best intro you will ever find: 9/11 A CONSPIRACY THEORY (Watch full series of Corbett report)
Here's what really happened on 9.11 -- James Perloff
Seek the truth, spread the word! [+221]

Oh, I'm *certain* that nothing in this websi-[clicks](https://jamesperloff.com/2017/06/30/911-simplified/)

> What’s wrong with the following math equations?

> 3 + 3 = 68
 98 – 7 = 2
 58 X 7 = 35

> What’s wrong, of course, are the 8s. Take away the 8s and each equation reads correctly.
  I believe that, when it comes to resolving the mystery of how 9/11 was executed, the Truth Movement suffers from a major “8” (in addition to
  any individual doses of cognitive dissonance that have been deliberately sprinkled in). I believe that “8” is:

> 9/11 was an inside job.


So far so good-


> I believe a far more correct rendering is:

> 9/11 was an outside job, done by Israeli operatives, but with consent and cooperation at the highest levels of the U.S. government.


[SCREAMS INTERNALLY](https://orig02.deviantart.net/d5e2/f/2014/327/8/0/internal_screaming__gif__by_rainatraina-d87d4z2.gif)

-

So after learning that a lot more than 0 people in T_D believe in such conspiracy theories, (being a tad strange considering they spent the entire last day bemoaning about Muslims), I decided to search around a bit and found... [this](
(http://np.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/6zo2yi/previous_thread_was_quickly_slid_proof_inside/)

DANCING JEWS???

ON 9/11???

I JUST CAN'T ANYMORE.

**I AM OUTTA HERE**

(PS: I'm new to Reddit so can someone help with the whole "Reddit no participation thing"? Thank You)