Well, medieval Islam was MORE repressive than modern Iran, by a cosmic margin(and Iran is far less repressive than, say, Indonesia or countries in Arabian peninsula).
Iran is repressive, but can't do it as much is leaders want because the people here see itself as more civilized than Arabs (and is, but it's only my though) and is always near revolt. Add the Iran leaders don't even control the East of the countries (who is in the hands of the local mafias.)....
Searchers were despised (and still are) in medieval islam countries. Even peoples know today as "great muslims scientists or philosophers" were often not even muslim (for example, nearly all the progress made by the caliphate in VI-X century were made by christians and jews - and zoroastrians - and copying from byzantine texts - the famous "texts translated from greek" - by non-muslims as well).
And all, they always feared for their live, even the muslims ones (most of muslim philosophes were Greek fans and used ancient greek philosophy for build their own. Some paid with their live).
The "pure" muslim scientists were not really scientist in a modern sense, or even philosophers in a Grek sense.
Nearly always, their "science" was just "this is against the Coran, then it's false. This is as say the Coran, then it's true".
The Catholic Church was not more responsible than others for the progress in Europe. A lot of the progress were made by workers. In fact, the medieval era IS an era of insane progress in Europe. The XIII century was even call the Europen Golden Age.
It's the XIV century that was called "dark age" in comparison (and was really one).
Even in the Church, nearly all the progress were made in monasteries (but here there is a lot, that's true).
Iran is repressive, but can't do it as much is leaders want because the people here see itself as more civilized than Arabs (and is, but it's only my though) and is always near revolt. Add the Iran leaders don't even control the East of the countries (who is in the hands of the local mafias.)....
Searchers were despised (and still are) in medieval islam countries. Even peoples know today as "great muslims scientists or philosophers" were often not even muslim (for example, nearly all the progress made by the caliphate in VI-X century were made by christians and jews - and zoroastrians - and copying from byzantine texts - the famous "texts translated from greek" - by non-muslims as well).
And all, they always feared for their live, even the muslims ones (most of muslim philosophes were Greek fans and used ancient greek philosophy for build their own. Some paid with their live).
The "pure" muslim scientists were not really scientist in a modern sense, or even philosophers in a Grek sense.
Nearly always, their "science" was just "this is against the Coran, then it's false. This is as say the Coran, then it's true".
The Catholic Church was not more responsible than others for the progress in Europe. A lot of the progress were made by workers. In fact, the medieval era IS an era of insane progress in Europe. The XIII century was even call the Europen Golden Age.
It's the XIV century that was called "dark age" in comparison (and was really one).
Even in the Church, nearly all the progress were made in monasteries (but here there is a lot, that's true).