“It is enough for Islamic State –may Allah restore it– to be proud that it fought Crusader Europe in defence of Islam and Muslims.”
Thus speaks the hysterical defender of the Islamists, biased in their favour, and falls silent. His words reveal his ignorance of history, merely repeating phrases he has memorised without understanding.
What he has been indoctrinated with is the notion that the world at that time was divided into two unified blocs at war with each other: the Islamic bloc and the Christian — “Crusader” as he calls it — bloc led by the Pope and the kings of Europe, who fought Muslims solely because they were Muslims.
This is an extremely naive and superficial view, both of the events of that era and of history in general.
I’m not here to defend the Crusades or condemn them. I mention them within their historical context, away from Islamic falsehoods and deliberate left-leaning Western distortions that hate Europe’s history.
The “Anti-Western” has been a fundamental aspect of Islamic identity since its inception.
This animosity began with Byzantium. When Muslims established their administrations, they closely mimicked the administrative system of the Byzantine state, as well as organising their armies similarly.
Even when “Fatih Sultan Mehmed, the Ottoman Sultan at the time,” conquered Constantinople, his first act was to proclaim himself “Caesar of the Romans.” Not “Caliph”?!
In Arab school history textbooks, you’ll notice that the Mongol invasion of Baghdad and the end of the “Islamic civilisation” are often treated briefly, perhaps with a page and a half or 2 pages in the entire history book. In contrast, “the Crusades” are allocated lengthy chapters filled with details, exaggerations, and enthusiastic descriptions, despite the fact that the casualties of the Mongol invasion were much greater than those of these Crusades.
The neglect of the Mongol invasion compared to the prominence of the Crusades can be attributed to several reasons. Firstly, with the disappearance of the Mongols, it has become challenging to assess and discuss their impact with the same level of detail as current powers. Secondly, after the Mongols embraced Islam and justified their subsequent invasions under the guise of “jihad,” categorising them as a direct enemy of Islam became complex.
On the other hand, the Christian West remains present to this day, maintaining economic, political, social, scientific, and cultural superiority. Therefore, highlighting the Crusades from centuries ago serves as a means to accuse the current West of past actions.
This presents a challenge for Muslims in understanding and analysing history. It appears they selectively use history to fit their current agendas, shaping narratives of “hatred” to align with their perspectives. Rather than delving into an independent understanding of past events, history is manipulated to justify animosity towards the West.
“The Crusades”: Action or Reaction “Jihad Timeline”?
630 A.D — Muhammad conquers Mecca from his base in Medina with 30.000 men.
632 — Muhammad dies in Medina. Islam controls the Hijaz.
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636 — Muslim conquest of Syria, and the surrounding lands, all Christian — including Palestine and Iraq, and Antioch.
637 — Muslim conquer Iraq (some date it in 635 or 636)
638 — Muslim conquer and annex Jerusalem, taking it from the Byzantines.
638–650 Muslim conquer Iran, except along Caspian Sea.
639–642 Muslim conquer the Christian cities of Egypt.
641 — Muslim control Syria and Palestine.
643–707 Muslim conquer North Africa.
644–650 Muslim conquer Cyprus, Tripoli in North Africa, and establish Islamic rule in Iran, Afghanistan,and Sind.
673–678 Arabs besiege Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Christian Empire.
691 — Dome of the Rock is completed in Jerusalem, only six decades after Muhammad’s death.
710–713 Muslim conquer the lower Indus Valley.
711–713 Muslim conquer Spain and impose the kingdom of Andalusia/Al-Andalus. The Muslim conquest moves into Europe.
718 — Conquest of Spain complete.
732 — Muslim invasion of Franceis stopped at the Battle of Poitiers / Battle of Tours. The Franks, under their leader Charles Martel (the grandfather of Charlemagne), defeat the Muslims and turn them back out of France.
762 — Foundation of Baghdad.
785 — Foundation of the Great Mosque of Cordova.
789 — Rise of Idrisid amirs (Muslim) in Morocco; Christoforos, a Muslim who converted to Christianity, is executed.
800 — Autonomous Aghlabid dynasty (Muslim) in Tunisia.
807 — Caliph Harun al — Rashid orders the destruction of non-Muslim prayer houses & of the church of Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem.
809 — Aghlabids (Muslim) conquer Sardinia, Italy.
813 — Christians in Palestine are attacked; many flee the country.
831 — Muslim capture Palermo, Italy; raids in Southern Italy.
837–901 Aghlabids (Muslim) conquer Sicily, raid Corsica, Italy, France.
869–883 Revolt of black slaves in Iraq
909 — Rise of the Fatimid Caliphate in Tunisia; these Muslim Crusaders occupy Sicily, Sardinia.
928–969 Byzantine military revival, they retake old territories, such as Cyprus (964) and Tarsus (969)
937 — The Church of the Resurrection (aka Church of Holy Sepulcher) is burned down by Muslims; more churches in Jerusalem are attacked.
960 — Conversion of Qarakhanid Turks to Islam 969 — Fatimids (Muslim) conquer Egypt and found Cairo.
973 — Israel and southern Syria are again conquered by the Fatimids.
1003 — First persecutions by al — Hakim; the Church of St. Mark in Fustat, Egypt, is destroyed.
1009 — Destruction of the Church of the Resurrection by al — Hakim (see 937)
1012 — Beginning of al — Hakim’s oppressive decrees against Jews and Christians.
1050 — Creation of Almoravid (Muslim) movement in Mauretania; Almoravids (aka Murabitun) are coalition of western Saharan Berbers; followers of Islam, focusing on the Quran, the hadith, and Maliki law.
1071 — Battle of Manzikert, Seljuk Turks (Muslim) defeat Byzantines and occupy much of Anatolia 1071 — Turks (Muslim) invade Palestine.
1073 — Conquest of Jerusalem by Turks (Muslim)
1075 — Seljuks (Muslim) capture Nicea (Iznik) and make it their capital in Anatolia.
1076 — Almoravids (Muslim) (see 1050) conquer western Ghana.
1086 — Almoravids (Muslim) (see 1050) send help to Andalusia/Al-Andalus, Battle of Zallaca.
1090–1091 Almoravids (Muslim) occupy all of Andalusia/Al-Andalus except Saragossa and Balearic Islands.
1094 — Byzantine emperor “Alexius Comnenus I” asks western Christendom for help against Seljuk (Muslim Turks) invasions of his territory.
1095 — Pope Urban II preaches first Crusade;they entered Jerusalem in 1099
This timeline suggests that the Crusades were not merely an aggressive action by the Christian world but a response to centuries of Muslim conquests and expansions into traditionally Christian territories.
The call for the Crusades issued by the Pope at that time also aimed to have the European armies heading east impose the unification of the Eastern and Western churches, as the Byzantine Church was Orthodox, separated from its Roman Catholic counterpart.
Even the term “Crusade” wasn’t associated with those campaigns until later, specifically with the First Crusade, when some fervent individuals during papal councils tore pieces from their robes and fashioned them into crosses, distributing them to those who decided to join the war to sew onto their garments. Some reliable historians even suggest that the term “Crusade” is a prime example of an “irreversible error” that became so ingrained that it couldn’t be corrected, used simply because it was popular and widespread.
Contemporary Muslim historians, who witnessed these campaigns under Abbasid, Fatimid, Seljuk, Zengid, and Ayyubid rule, with the Mamluk Sultanate ultimately bringing them to an end, recognised this fact. They did not refer to these warriors as “Crusaders” or even discuss them in religious terms; rather, they described them as “Franks.”
The Crusades were not aimed at spreading Christianity, capturing slaves, or conquest.
There were additional reasons for them, as mentioned earlier, including the liberation of Jerusalem and other holy sites in Christianity, such as the Church of the Nativity and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
After their victories in the early campaigns and the recapture of Christian cities such as Riha الرها /Harran (currently southeastern Turkey), Antioch (southwestern Turkey), and Tripoli (Lebanon) by the Crusader knights, it is worth noting that these knights returned to their homelands and did not rule over Muslim lands!
This indicates that they did not have colonial intentions as Muslims claim. They did not spread Christianity.
Their role was limited to securing the routes for Christian pilgrims to the Christian holy sites and restoring those holy sites to them.
Unlike Muslims who invaded Christian lands and ruled over them for hundreds of years, and continue to do so to this day!
More than seven different campaigns have occurred, each with its own set of details. In some of these campaigns, including the third one, yes, there were numerous transgressions, and many exploited these campaigns for their personal gain, a fact that was not hidden from anyone. Some impoverished feudal lords infiltrated these campaigns, seeking wealth through war, while adventurous knights aimed to establish kingdoms or emirates in the East to immortalise their names. Additionally, younger sons of feudal lords, who had lost their inheritance -due to the laws of that time-, desired to build their own fortunes.
Many of them openly declared, “We are merchants then Christians,” as the Pope criticised them for continuing their trade with Muslims (even going as far as providing assistance to Muslims by supplying them with essential goods for weapon production!).
Instead of being directed towards safeguarding holy sites and preventing violations against Christians, some exploited the call for their personal and worldly objectives.
Also, they did not comply with the Pope’s orders when he requested them to return to reclaim “Harran,” where the Muslims had invaded again. Instead, they went to other places, and they disagreed among themselves.
However, they hid from us that before that the Muslims had attacked the entire Western world and wanted to eliminate Europe and convert it to Islam, and they wanted to seize the capital of the Christian world at that time — Constantinople.
They hid from us that the Muslims demolished the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Holy Tomb.
They hid from us that the Muslims attacked Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem, cut off their route, and imposed huge taxes on them & many of them were killed.
They hid from us that the Muslims persecuted Christians with the utmost severity.
The Muslims depicted themselves as content in their homes… Then the “infidel Christian West..” attacked them in what is known as the Crusades, portraying it in our minds as associated with aggression, killing, looting, and seizing them wealth.
They portrayed it to us as Western colonisation against them, and that “Salah ad-din Al-ayyubi” is the “saviour”, the liberator who defeated the Crusaders and saved the Muslims from their aggression and liberated Jerusalem!
No one told us that Jerusalem remained under Islamic rule for 492 years until the Crusades began. The Crusades were not a response to Muslim invasion but rather a reaction to continuous violations by Muslims.
Let’s assume, for example, that “Mecca” or “Medina” were under the authority of a Christian or Jewish state. Would Muslims remain silent about it? (Even if they were treated well and received good treatment)?
There were no “crusades”! Road signs in Saudi Arabia prohibit non-Muslims from entering “Mecca” and “Medina” in compliance with the command of Allah and Muhammad;
“O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Ḥarām after this, their [final] year. And if you fear privation, Allāh will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Wise.” Quran / At-Tawbah 9:28
As is happening currently, Muslims are focusing their efforts on gaining control of Jerusalem and justifying killings of Israelis, while condemning Christians’ defence of their holy sites in the past.
This is evident in the slogans of millions and millions of Muslims worldwide who demand the conversion of Jerusalem to Islamic rule, considering it the “third” holiest site after Mecca and Medina, while overlooking that Jerusalem is considered “The first” holiest site for Christians and Jews. They also ignore that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Temple are “the holiest sites” as well.
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| Road signs in Saudi Arabia prohibit non-Muslims from entering “Mecca” and “Medina” in compliance with the command of Allah and Muhammad |
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| Road signs in Saudi Arabia prohibit non-Muslims from entering “Mecca” and “Medina” in compliance with the command of Allah and Muhammad |
Those campaigns were not mere actions but rather reactions to decades of violations, invasions, and ongoing evil.
It’s impossible for a single article to encapsulate it all. We haven’t even touched upon the enslavement of Christian European women by Muslims, known as the “White Gold” — read here”, nor have we discussed the widespread culture of military slavery throughout Islamic history. It reached a point where in the early 13th century, they established their own caliphate: the Mamluk Sultanate, which emerged from the ranks of slave soldiers of Christian origins “Greek, Coptic, Balkan,” and Circassian. They were enslaved by Muslim caliphs over the centuries to exploit them in their military campaigns.
It is worth mentioning, The Pact of Umar has served to govern the relations between the Muslims and “the people of the book,” such as Jews, Christians, and the like, down to the present day.
In addition to the conditions of the Pact listed below, the Jews, like the Christians, paid a head-tax in return for protection, and for exemption from military service. Jews and Christians were also forbidden to hold government office. This Pact, like much medieval legislation, was honored more in the breach than in the observance. In general, though, the Pact increased in stringency with the centuries and was still in force in the 20th century in lands such as Yemen. The Pact is in Arabic.
It is important to read it and learn about one of the reasons for the Crusades.
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate!
This is a writing to Umar from the Christians of such and such a city. When You [Muslims] marched against us [Christians],: we asked of you protection for ourselves, our posterity, our possessions, and our co-religionists; and we made this stipulation with you, that we will not erect in our city or the suburbs any new monastery, church, cell or hermitage; that we will not repair any of such buildings that may fall into ruins, or renew those that may be situated in the Muslim quarters of the town; that we will not refuse the Muslims entry into our churches either by night or by day; that we will open the gates wide to passengers and travellers; that we will receive any Muslim traveller into our houses and give him food and lodging for three nights; that we will not harbour any spy in our churches or houses, or conceal any enemy of the Muslims. [At least six of these laws were taken over from earlier Christian laws against infidels.]
That we will not teach our children the Qu’ran [some nationalist Arabs feared the infidels would ridicule the Qu’ran; others did not want infidels even to learn the language]; that we will not make a show of the Christian religion nor invite any one to embrace it; that we will not prevent any of our kinsmen from embracing Islam, if they so desire. That we will honor the Muslims and rise up in our assemblies when they wish to take their seats; that we will not imitate them in our dress, either in the cap, turban, sandals, or parting of the hair; that we will not make use of their expressions of speech, nor adopt their surnames [infidels must not use greetings and special phrases employed only by Muslims]; that we will not ride on saddles, or gird on swords, or take to ourselves arms or wear them, or engrave Arabic inscriptions on our rings; that we will not sell wine [forbidden to Muslims]; that we will shave the front of our heads; that we will keep to our own style of dress, wherever we may be; that we will wear girdles round our waists [infidels wore leather or cord girdles; Muslims, cloth and silk].
That we will not display the cross upon our churches or display our crosses or our sacred books in the streets of the Muslims, or in their market-places; that we will strike the clappers in our churches lightly [wooden rattles or bells summoned the people to church or synagogue]; that we will not recite our services in a loud voice when a Muslim is present; that we will not carry Palm branches [on Palm Sunday] or our images in procession in the streets; that at the burial of our dead we will not chant loudly or carry lighted candles in the streets of the Muslims or their market places; that we will not take any slaves that have already been in the possession of Muslims, nor spy into their houses; and that we will not strike any Muslim.
All this we promise to observe, on behalf of ourselves and our co-religionists, and receive protection from you in exchange; and if we violate any of the conditions of this agreement, then we forfeit your protection and you are at liberty to treat us as enemies and rebels.
Additional sources:
- The Crusades and their impact on relations between East and West — “Dr. Aziz Suryal Attia.”
- A Brief History of the Crusades — René Grosset.
- History of the Crusades — “William Surry”.
- The Crusades as seen by the Arabs — “Amin Maalouf.”
- The concise history of the Crusades — “Thomas Madden”.
- Ibn Hazm.
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