Irredentist deathmatch: Mexicans vs. Muslims

Old news, but fun. HNN asks, “Did Muslims discover America?”

The evidence? Compelling.

Columbus landed on a small Bahamian island on Oct. 12, 1492. Although Columbus renamed it, the island was called Guanahani by the native Mandinka islanders. Guanahani is believed to be a corruption of two Arabic words, brought to the island by early Muslim visitors who remained in the Caribbean and intermarried with the Native Americans. Guana means brothers and Hani is a traditional Arab name, giving rise to the idea that the island name meant “Hani Brothers.” Nearby in Honduras lived a tribe of natives known as Almamy, a corruption of the Arabic word Al-Imam, person who leads in prayer.

There are artifacts, too, including a precolumbian carving that supposedly says, in Arabic, “Yasus bin Maria.” Archaeologists and historians who have looked at the findings deem them … unpersuasive.

LGF has covered this idiocy off and on for years. Here’s Charles’s post from 2004 describing how a Muslim advocacy group concocted a story about Arab explorers siring Algonquin tribal chiefs — and promoted it as part of a school textbook. (HNN mentions the incident; full background is at FrontPage.) More timid revisionists allege that while Muslims might not have preceded Columbus, they were part of the crew aboard the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. You will be shocked to learn that among those revisionists, for a time, was our very own State Department. Robert Spencer weighed the evidence at NRO.

But here’s my favorite claim of all, one which, with reconquista in the news of late, is worth revisiting. Turns out “Aztlan” is actually a corruption of two Arabic words: “Azt”, which means “irredentist,” and “lan”, which means “retard.” Wait ’til MEChA finds out. Muslims versus Mexicans in a war to reclaim Cal-al-fornia sounds like the premise for (a) a really bad dystopian sci-fi action movie, or (b) a really good Harry Turtledove novel. Either way, Allah can’t wait.

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