Ibn García Literature of al-Andalus, c. 1060-1170

[Atreyu]

In 1068 Sa`id ibn Ahmad, qadi of Muslim Toledo, wrote a book in which he classified civilized nations of the world. The inhabitants of the extreme north and south he dismissed as barbarians; white Europeans (including Slavs) owed their coloring and mental deficiencies to being undercooked in the womb, while black Africans, being overcooked, were stupid and violent. (Arab babies, needless to say, were done to a turn.)[14] His theory of the relationship of climate to racial characteristics seems to represent one generally accepted view among Muslims,[15] although there is evidence in hagiographic literature and elsewhere for a growing association of lighter coloring with positive qualities.[16]

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