AHC: Islamic Scandinavia by 1000

Todays challenge is to have Scandinavia, or at the very least the majority of at least one of the realms traditionally making the region up, to be a majority Muslim by the year 1000 AD. The particular denomination of Islam isn't important, though if you can come up with a scenario that fits, explain what if any differences there might be based on which branch the nation or region follows.
 
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At first I thought maybe Vladimir of Kiev decides to accept Islam and somehow it spreads north...but he'd never go for that with all no-alcohol policy etc. So...maybe Volga Bulgaria-wank? They were Muslim in the early 10th century and could possibly become powerful enough to take over today's West Russia and then some conqueror could move to Scandinavia and bring Islam while Christianity still isn't too strong. But than again, how would the Vikings go on pillaging, burning and raping without a proper drink to keep them warm in the cold north? :D
 
I'm pretty sure they weren't Christian before 1000.

In fact, I'm pretty sure Egypt was still majority Copt in this period.
So, going by OPs demands as is, I'm gonna say impossible.

Unless you mean year 1000 by Muslim reckoning...
 

GdwnsnHo

Banned
Well, if you create a magnificent Volga-Wank that inspires the Norse to give up their faith, or outright conquer the Norse, then you could have a Scandinavia of Sunni persuasion.
 
Does that cover mead too?

There's a lively debate about this. The text prohibits drinks made from grain or grape; mead falls outside of this. There's also a firm camp of "nice try, we all know the text is referring to alcohol." Some Sunnis will; other Sunnis and most Shia will not.
 
I think it couldn't happen, the Scandinavian's, because they would have the same logic has Kievan Rus:
- No to islam from volga-bulgar, why? you can't eat pork and drink alcohol,
If you try to take away vodka from the Finns you better be ready for a fight:D
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You just have to interpret the text as saying "Do this in moderation, don't get drunk." Do not forget the Persian Wine Tradition.
 
Before this thread goes deriled against about alchol bans(seriously, this ah.com full of compulsive drinkers or something, sorry if offense but as muslim that always awed me and bug me off). this will be but people would still drink but will be enforced etc.

The rest, maybe as say, early expasion form russia and arabic traders, maybe viking founds arabs a nut hard to cracka nd some adopt the faith and bring it back to scandinavia, the rest would play naturally just a chief lord slowly expanding it.
 
There's a lively debate about this. The text prohibits drinks made from grain or grape; mead falls outside of this. There's also a firm camp of "nice try, we all know the text is referring to alcohol." Some Sunnis will; other Sunnis and most Shia will not.

Say that by some ASB miracle it does convert...maybe another, alcohol-drinking branch of Islam could come up?
 

Zlorfik

Banned
alcohol...
not even close to an argument, people

that's a meme that really needs to die. if converting to islam were advantageous, the russians could easily have adapted to drinking moderately

there were lots of voluntary conversions to islam IOTL. the umayyads, for example, weren't exactly big on proselytizing. and yet, avoiding the jizya (and hopes of upward mobility and such) was a good enough reason for many christians to accept islam and with it the muslim stance on alcohol

what a surprise. it's almost as if alcohol isn't a major geopolitical force :rolleyes:
 
alcohol...
not even close to an argument, people

that's a meme that really needs to die. if converting to islam were advantageous, the russians could easily have adapted to drinking moderately

there were lots of voluntary conversions to islam IOTL. the umayyads, for example, weren't exactly big on proselytizing. and yet, avoiding the jizya (and hopes of upward mobility and such) was a good enough reason for many christians to accept islam and with it the muslim stance on alcohol

what a surprise. it's almost as if alcohol isn't a major geopolitical force :rolleyes:

You're right...but still, even if Islam gets there and they do convert and accept all the alcohol stuff and so on and so on eventually a Crusade would crush them. Scandinavia wasn't very populated and even though it has rough climate and territory I see a Crusade there much more successful than in Palestine. No way the Christians would let them be so close to their lands...look at what the Teutons did...Only this crusade would be much shorter and bloodier
 
alcohol...
not even close to an argument, people

that's a meme that really needs to die. if converting to islam were advantageous, the russians could easily have adapted to drinking moderately

there were lots of voluntary conversions to islam IOTL. the umayyads, for example, weren't exactly big on proselytizing. and yet, avoiding the jizya (and hopes of upward mobility and such) was a good enough reason for many christians to accept islam and with it the muslim stance on alcohol

what a surprise. it's almost as if alcohol isn't a major geopolitical force :rolleyes:

the finnlandball meme was a joke but you can argue the alcohol part in conversion

If Scandinavia was going to convert to Islam it would be about the same time kievan rus converted to orthodox Christianity, and they would follow a similar approach to conversion.

The closest Muslim state was volga bulgaria and envoys from rus' say that they only saw a people full with sorrow and stench. And apparently the Bulgar's follow a line of islam with taboos on alcohol consumption and that part, and the taboo on pork, didn't attracted the rus'.

So i dough it would attract the scandinavians
 
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