According to one tenth-century Christian account, when Omar read Leo’s response, “the Caliph was very confused.” But eventually the “letter produced on him a very happy effect. From this moment he commenced to treat the Christians with much kindness. He ameliorated their state, and showed himself very favorable towards them, so that on all hands were heard expressions of thankfulness to him.”67 That he was assassinated some two years after his exchange with Leo lends some credence to this claim. The official Muslim story is that Omar initiated a series of altruistic reforms that significantly
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