What Happened with the Muslim Majority of Sicily
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Date: 2026-07-10
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Comments and reviews: 20
tedsaylor6016
When people speak of the Sicilian Mafia they think of a criminal (bad) organization - however go thru the pages of Sicily History and its a story of invader after invader taking over the (very strategic) island. So at some point the locals said, F this - we'll do it our way, and formed a secret government. Cosa Nostra translates to our thing - and it's no surprise that the island tacitly accepted this taxation/governance over the revolving door of outsiders. And its why when it moved to the americas they only really wanted actual Sicilians for leadership because that history drilled into you the value of keeping your mouth shut to outsiders - at least for a generation or two.
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When people speak of the Sicilian Mafia they think of a criminal (bad) organization - however go thru the pages of Sicily History and its a story of invader after invader taking over the (very strategic) island. So at some point the locals said, F this - we'll do it our way, and formed a secret government. Cosa Nostra translates to our thing - and it's no surprise that the island tacitly accepted this taxation/governance over the revolving door of outsiders. And its why when it moved to the americas they only really wanted actual Sicilians for leadership because that history drilled into you the value of keeping your mouth shut to outsiders - at least for a generation or two.
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davidgarrido1291
You forgot to mention another remnant of the Sicilian Muslims, one that persists to the present day, which is the Maltese people. Malta had been depopulated by the continuing wars between Muslims and Byzantines, and, after the Muelim Conquest of Sicily, was repopulated by Muslim settlers coming mainly from the big island. After the Norman Conquest and, especially in the Hohenstaufen period, most of the Muslim population converted to Catholicism, but maintained their Siculo-Arabic dialect, which eventually evolved into the Maltese language of today, the only Semitic language official in the European Union.
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You forgot to mention another remnant of the Sicilian Muslims, one that persists to the present day, which is the Maltese people. Malta had been depopulated by the continuing wars between Muslims and Byzantines, and, after the Muelim Conquest of Sicily, was repopulated by Muslim settlers coming mainly from the big island. After the Norman Conquest and, especially in the Hohenstaufen period, most of the Muslim population converted to Catholicism, but maintained their Siculo-Arabic dialect, which eventually evolved into the Maltese language of today, the only Semitic language official in the European Union.
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TheEmmaLucille
Sicily was CONQUERED by Muslims armies. Just like Spain and all other countries in North Africa, Middle East, Turkey etc. All of these countries were not empty territories devoid of civilization. They were part of the Byzantine Empire or were formerly part of the Roman Empire.
Sicily was only Muslim because of that conquest. Funny how they Christians are ALWAYS portrayed as the aggressors when they were the victims first.
In the South of France and Corsica, you still can visit the remnant of fortifications because populations had to fight Muslims armies and pirates for centuries.
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Sicily was CONQUERED by Muslims armies. Just like Spain and all other countries in North Africa, Middle East, Turkey etc. All of these countries were not empty territories devoid of civilization. They were part of the Byzantine Empire or were formerly part of the Roman Empire.
Sicily was only Muslim because of that conquest. Funny how they Christians are ALWAYS portrayed as the aggressors when they were the victims first.
In the South of France and Corsica, you still can visit the remnant of fortifications because populations had to fight Muslims armies and pirates for centuries.
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Clearwood_
Maps zooming in and to the east I see Byzantine Empire. Looks like Knowledgia needs some knowledge about the Roman Empire during this time. It can be frustrating when you know history and others don't that there is a difference between the Byzantines of Byzantion and the later Romans that lived in Byzantion after it's annexation into the Roman Empire. So much history in this region and it all gets overshadowed by us stealing the name from another people that came before. This will probably still be a great video albeit a little misinforming with the map being incorrect.
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Maps zooming in and to the east I see Byzantine Empire. Looks like Knowledgia needs some knowledge about the Roman Empire during this time. It can be frustrating when you know history and others don't that there is a difference between the Byzantines of Byzantion and the later Romans that lived in Byzantion after it's annexation into the Roman Empire. So much history in this region and it all gets overshadowed by us stealing the name from another people that came before. This will probably still be a great video albeit a little misinforming with the map being incorrect.
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decongeniato
The overall population of Sicily in the 9th and 10th centuries was around 500, 000 inhabitants, not only Muslims (Arab elites, Berbers, and converts, who were moreover concentrated mainly in the western part of the island, with an almost complete absence in the area corresponding to today’s province of Messina.
The other ethnic groups were: Greekspeaking (descendants of the GrecoSicels and the Byzantines, who formed the majority; Latinspeaking Romanized communities; Jews; and slaves and prisoners of war.
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The overall population of Sicily in the 9th and 10th centuries was around 500, 000 inhabitants, not only Muslims (Arab elites, Berbers, and converts, who were moreover concentrated mainly in the western part of the island, with an almost complete absence in the area corresponding to today’s province of Messina.
The other ethnic groups were: Greekspeaking (descendants of the GrecoSicels and the Byzantines, who formed the majority; Latinspeaking Romanized communities; Jews; and slaves and prisoners of war.
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JamesScotti-r3y
Between 1223 and 1245, Frederick II deported tens of thousands of Sicilian Muslims to the mainland city of Lucera to temporarily eliminate the presence on the Sicilian mainland, where they served as farmers, craftsmen, and archers. This settlement thrived for about 75 years until 1300, when Christian forces captured the city and its inhabitants were killed or sold into slavery, permanently ending the Muslim presence in the region so the muslims were expelled officially
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Between 1223 and 1245, Frederick II deported tens of thousands of Sicilian Muslims to the mainland city of Lucera to temporarily eliminate the presence on the Sicilian mainland, where they served as farmers, craftsmen, and archers. This settlement thrived for about 75 years until 1300, when Christian forces captured the city and its inhabitants were killed or sold into slavery, permanently ending the Muslim presence in the region so the muslims were expelled officially
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xHASSUNAx
Why the hell in every video when Jizya is mentioned does no one bring up the fact that:
a) those who paid Jizya did not get drafted and all their wars and squabbles against their neighbouring enemies were fought on behalf of them by the Muslims
And b) Muslims pay their own tithe (2. 5% of all accumulated wealth, 10% land tax) and the Shias pay a khums literally meaning 1/5th, 20% of all accumulated profit after essentials where deducted
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Why the hell in every video when Jizya is mentioned does no one bring up the fact that:
a) those who paid Jizya did not get drafted and all their wars and squabbles against their neighbouring enemies were fought on behalf of them by the Muslims
And b) Muslims pay their own tithe (2. 5% of all accumulated wealth, 10% land tax) and the Shias pay a khums literally meaning 1/5th, 20% of all accumulated profit after essentials where deducted
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HistoryfortheAges
History professor of 3 decades here. Very detailed material, thank you for sharing. I cover much of this in both my Western civ and History of the Middle East courses. The constant back and forth between various powers for control of the lands. It always helps to have a chronological history. My lectures are there as a free resource for anyone who wants to watch. David and History for the Ages
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History professor of 3 decades here. Very detailed material, thank you for sharing. I cover much of this in both my Western civ and History of the Middle East courses. The constant back and forth between various powers for control of the lands. It always helps to have a chronological history. My lectures are there as a free resource for anyone who wants to watch. David and History for the Ages
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MisterJovke
5: 20 George Maniakes brought Albanians from Sicily to Blakan. Before that, today's Albania was mostly inhabited by Slavs, as evidenced by the mass of toponyms throughout today's Albania.
Today's Albanian language is basically a Romance language, with a lot of borrowings from the Serbian and Turkish languages.
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5: 20 George Maniakes brought Albanians from Sicily to Blakan. Before that, today's Albania was mostly inhabited by Slavs, as evidenced by the mass of toponyms throughout today's Albania.
Today's Albanian language is basically a Romance language, with a lot of borrowings from the Serbian and Turkish languages.
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GernaGames-o7m
Christian-Muslim relations weren't damaged by the crusades but by the Muslims invading Spain and their attempts to bring down the Byzantine Empire.
It's not like Muslims wanted to be friends and Christians didn't want to. Muslims wanted to expand and Christians didn't want them to expand in their lands
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Christian-Muslim relations weren't damaged by the crusades but by the Muslims invading Spain and their attempts to bring down the Byzantine Empire.
It's not like Muslims wanted to be friends and Christians didn't want to. Muslims wanted to expand and Christians didn't want them to expand in their lands
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N-mq8hm
My people At the very least, my paternal line originates from Northern Italian Lombards families who helped re settle Sicily during and after the Norman conquest. Aside from our surnames, many of us Sicilians retain the lighter eyes and hair genes from them. Thanks from the video of this topic.
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My people At the very least, my paternal line originates from Northern Italian Lombards families who helped re settle Sicily during and after the Norman conquest. Aside from our surnames, many of us Sicilians retain the lighter eyes and hair genes from them. Thanks from the video of this topic.
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knowledgia
From northern Italy:
Water and oil don't mix. Furthermore, the city of Lucera was besieged during a crusade commanded by Charles of Anjou and requested by the Pope.
The surviving Muslims, who terrorized the surrounding area, were once again expelled and disappeared.
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From northern Italy:
Water and oil don't mix. Furthermore, the city of Lucera was besieged during a crusade commanded by Charles of Anjou and requested by the Pope.
The surviving Muslims, who terrorized the surrounding area, were once again expelled and disappeared.
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joedino5774
As someone of sicilian descent thank god it belongs to Christianity again. Also the narrator made an error he said Christian and muslim relations where strained elsewhere because of the crusades. The crusades only happened in response to muslim aggression. knowledgia
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As someone of sicilian descent thank god it belongs to Christianity again. Also the narrator made an error he said Christian and muslim relations where strained elsewhere because of the crusades. The crusades only happened in response to muslim aggression. knowledgia
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hossainmahmud4456
ok if we think about alternate history. if sicily still a muslim majority today than what would be modern geopolitics look likei mean i 100% sure fascist italy absorb sicily in mussolini rule and thus we still had only one muslim majority state of italy sicily
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ok if we think about alternate history. if sicily still a muslim majority today than what would be modern geopolitics look likei mean i 100% sure fascist italy absorb sicily in mussolini rule and thus we still had only one muslim majority state of italy sicily
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tariqrahman6918
They became the mafia and forced converted to fake Christian- it wasn’t byzentyne was it - would have been Roman or Latin western hunick turken and Frankish goths - they have their Muslim culture today and think it’s Christian / fake ness
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They became the mafia and forced converted to fake Christian- it wasn’t byzentyne was it - would have been Roman or Latin western hunick turken and Frankish goths - they have their Muslim culture today and think it’s Christian / fake ness
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juanzulu1318
Christians were left alone I consider this highly implausible. Even today minorities have a very hard stand in muslim majority countries. I dont see a reason to think that this was different in the middle ages.
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Christians were left alone I consider this highly implausible. Even today minorities have a very hard stand in muslim majority countries. I dont see a reason to think that this was different in the middle ages.
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lambert801
What happened to the Zoroastrian majority of Iran What happened to the Christian majority of Egypt What happened to the Buddhist majority of Afghanistan What happened to the Hindu majority of Pakistan
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What happened to the Zoroastrian majority of Iran What happened to the Christian majority of Egypt What happened to the Buddhist majority of Afghanistan What happened to the Hindu majority of Pakistan
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alisheikh4698
The bots in the comments crying about Muslim invasions forgot that it was the Romans who invaded and waged war on the middle east and North Africa for centuries and wiped out Semitic civilizations.
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The bots in the comments crying about Muslim invasions forgot that it was the Romans who invaded and waged war on the middle east and North Africa for centuries and wiped out Semitic civilizations.
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Mohammad-Iqbal-786
Ye badi dukh ki baat hai ke ye island aj bi Christian kafiru ke pass he uske baad aj bi Muslim is island ko kafiru se wapis nahi la paye aj 2026 ka deta ke matabic muslim population 0. 01% he
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Ye badi dukh ki baat hai ke ye island aj bi Christian kafiru ke pass he uske baad aj bi Muslim is island ko kafiru se wapis nahi la paye aj 2026 ka deta ke matabic muslim population 0. 01% he
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wankawanka3053
funny how people try to make up stuff like the crusades, reconquista and reconquest of sicily as crimes and never talk about who started it all by taking these christian lands in the first place.
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funny how people try to make up stuff like the crusades, reconquista and reconquest of sicily as crimes and never talk about who started it all by taking these christian lands in the first place.
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