If you can't stand the missionary heat, you should get out of Abraham's spiritual kitchen

There have been times when Christians and Jews felt comfortable writing against Islam, secure in the knowledge Muslim governments would protect their security and freedom of speech. Ironically these were times when Muslims ruled much of the world. A precedent in Islamic Spain explains this.

Spain was home to a physician and religious scholar named Sheik Musa bin Maymoun. Sheik Musa spoke and wrote in Arabic. One of his many treatises was a work entitled Guide to the Perplexed.

In this book, Sheik Musa sought to compare the three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. His conclusion was clear. Judaism was superior to its sister Abrahamic faiths.

The Muslim response? Those who disagreed with Sheik Musa's views did so by writing responses. Spanish Muslims still recognised his expertise in medicine.

Sheik Musa wasn't attacked, and copies of his book were not burned until Catholic armies took back Muslim Spain.

Burning books was too uncivilised for those polished and proud Muslims.

Sheik Musa was in fact the great Andalusian rabbi Maimonides. His critique of Islam, together with his skills as a physician, led the Kurdish general Saladin to appoint him as chief medical officer to the army that eventually conquered Jerusalem from the Frankish crusader kings.

Maimonides went on to become one of Saladin's closest and most trusted advisers.

Islam was robust enough in those times to withstand criticism. Muslims could debate with their critics on an intellectual level without having to resort to violence or being reactionary to even the mildest rebuke.

I once surprised a Catholic priest with a range of questions. This priest had made public statements to the effect that the Koran preached violence.

I asked him whether he could read Arabic, given that the Koran was in Arabic. He said no. I asked him which translation he used. He said he couldn't remember.

I listed 10 translations. He still couldn't answer and in the end he became defensive.