Whisper it softly, but many Greeks, including clergy, welcomed the Ottomans. On the whole Muslim rulers have been much more tolerant of infidels than their Christian counterparts have. As long as their subjects paid taxes and provided recruits to the harems and armies of the Sultan, they could have whatever religion they liked. Only when they joined religion with revolt did scimitars and stakes come out. Orthodox Christianity was under far greater threat from the Roman variety imposed by Venetians and Franks and Catalans. Jews too were safer from pogrom under the crescent than the cross. This is not a line of thought that goes down well in Greek company. .John Mole
About This Quote
This quote is generally used to denigrate the relationship between Christians and Muslims in the Middle Ages. The implication is that Christians, who were the majority in the region, were regularly forced to live under Muslim rule, while Muslim rulers were regularly tolerant of Christianity. These comments are perhaps unfair, however. The Ottomans, like their predecessors before them, ruled over a vast empire where many different religions were practiced. Many of these people did not necessarily embrace Islam, but rather followed their own particular faiths.
Source: Its All Greek To Me!: A Tale Of A Mad Dog And An Englishman, Ruins, Retsinaand Real Greeks
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