Originally Posted by devilish

http://searchmalta.com/surnames/race/

Prior to the 200 years of Arab domination, Malta had been Roman (later part of the Eastern Empire) from 216B.C. to 869 AD-just short of 11 centuries. Contrary to popular belief, the Arabs, wherever they occupied were on the whole fairly benign; they did not go in for mass slaughter of their defeated foes (which is more than can be said for many 'Christian' European powers); people who refused to convert to Islam were subjected to a special tax. When the Arabs expelled the Byzantine rulers they did not put the Maltese population to the sword or in any way try to deport them from the islands. It is true that they tried to convert as many as possible to Islam; the degree of this conversion has still to be


It is in Europe that Malta's roots and destiny lie.