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Historical & Theological

FOCUSON: ISLAM

THE CRUSADES:

ISLAM - RELIGION OF PEACE?

BY PATRICK LAWLER

POSTED BY: WEB TEAM    |    06.09.2016

The Jesuit Priest in charge for one particular study day (at a Westminster Archdiocese CCRS course, Ed.), described the Crusades as, “Western colonialism” and lamented the "racism and religious bigotry” behind them and caused by them. He stated that the Crusades are “a stain on Christianity and the West in general,” for which we should never tire of apologising. I, a history teacher by profession, suggested that he could not be serious about what he had just said about the Crusades and asked where he had picked up such historically inaccurate views, as not a word of what he had said had any basis in historical fact. The Jesuit fell back on the standard first line of defence of a liberal caught telling lies, "That’s a matter of opinion, isn’t it?"

 

"No, it isn’t." I countered, "It’s a matter of historical fact; the First Crusade was only called after some 450 years of unprovoked and unremitting Muslim aggression against Christendom." The Jesuit asked me to explain what I meant. "Well, for instance," I patiently explained, "Mohammed died in 632 AD; exactly 100 years later, in 732 AD, Muslim invading armies reached Tours in the northern half of France. That’s a hell of a long way from Mecca! Plus, in the ninth century Rome was besieged and sacked by another Muslim army and the tombs of both Saints Peter and Paul were desecrated, and the Pope was forced to pay vast sums of protection money”

 

"Well, I think there is a great deal of debate to be had on the subject" muttered our befuddled Jesuit, now on the defensive, "and I don’t really know a great deal about that. But I think, in general, the Crusades were a bad thing." There you have it, "I don’t really know a great deal about that,” yet this self-confessed ignoramus was still eager to propagate his anti-Catholic prejudices, and maintain it immune to any correction from actual historical facts.

 

As this brief conversation progressed, he actually began backing away from me and making warding-off gestures with his hands as if I were advancing on him with a broken bottle!

 

This is a classic example of the fake and manipulative narrative (contraeducation) that has been propagated by modern academia, apologists for Islam and the Western left for decades.

 

We should all know it off by heart by now: “The peace loving, advanced multicultural Muslim civilisation was minding its own business (planting gardens, inventing modern medicine, reading Plato, holding interfaith dialogues with Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, etc) when along lurched the thuggish, illiterate, racist European Christian murderers; driven by religious bigotry and greed who launched a totally unprovoked religious war. They slaughtered hundreds of thousands (some say millions), forcibly converted more and set up western imperialist colonial enclaves where the in- 16 digenous Muslim peoples of the region were treated appallingly. After two centuries of oppression, a noble leader, Saladin, arose, united the oppressed ["oppressed" - such a lovely emotive liberal buzz word, isn't it?] peoples and cast out the brutish European Christian primitives, all the while displaying a nobility, intelligence and cultural sensitivity that throws into stark relief the barbaric, mass-murdering cultural, religious and economic imperialism of his enemies. This monstrous attack on an entire culture and civilization, naturally, traumatised the Muslim world for a millennium and began the deep and totally understandable fear and mistrust of western Christendom felt by the Muslim East to this day. It was a chapter in history so heinous, that the West should constantly feel guilt and grovel and ask for forgiveness.”

 

There is just one small flaw in this narrative .... not a single word of it is true. If you are honestly interested in history, as opposed to ideological anti-Catholic dogma, you might want to acquaint yourself with a few relevant facts omitted from this story. So, in order to do our bit for genuine education, here is a handy cut-out-and-keep little primer to help you next time you encounter another historically illiterate, logic-and-reason-disabled, contraeducated, two-a-penny, leftist, politician, student or Jesuit Priest.

 

We all know the modern day “Muslim World”, well, guess what? It used to be the Christian World. According to the Ahadith of Bukhari (regarded by Muslim religious authorities as the most authoritative compiler of Islamic traditions), towards the end of his life: "the Prophet of Allah wrote to Chosroes (King of Persia), Caesar (Emperor of Rome) [actually Heraclius, Emperor of Byzantium], Negus (King of Abyssinia) and every (other) despot, inviting them to Allah, the Exalted to embrace Islam and you will be safe." None of them did, and none of them were safe. The following is for those who would like to know what actually happened.

 

 

 

Anyone notice something of a pattern emerging here? I mean, we'd hate to be thought of as Islamophobic, but doesn't it seem as if the Muslims sort of......well......kind of.........just attacked, conquered and subjugated everyone? I mean, not just their neighbours - Tours is after all a hell of a long way from Mecca. And we haven't even touched on the invasion, slaughter and subjugation of the Hindus, Buddhists and Animists of what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Let's fast forward (We are missing out quite a lot of slaughter, enslaving, conquest and subjugation at this point).

 

 

So, let us recap. After 450 years of unremitting Muslim aggression against Christian countries; the invasion and occupation of large areas of Europe; centuries of pillage, rape, kidnapping and slave-trading; after 450 years of totally unprovoked religious warfare; when Christian pilgrims were denied access to the Holy Land and to Jerusalem (the centre of their faith), Catholics finally fought back. Memorise or print the above and you can enjoy yourself causing hyperventilation and accusations of racism and Islamaphobia at liberal gatherings everywhere!

635 A.D.

636 A.D.

637 A.D.

638 A.D.

639 A.D.

642 A.D.

Three years after Mohammed's death, Muslim forces captured Damascus (where St. Paul was heading when he had his dramatic conversion).

A year later Muslim forces take al-Basra, southern Iraq.

A year later Muslim forces take Antioch ( near the modern city of 17 A.D. Antakya, Turkey) where the disciples of Jesus were first called, “Christians” 

A year later Muslim forces take Jerusalem, the Holy City of both Christianity and Judaism.

Muslim forces invade Egypt, at the time a largely Christian country.

Muslim forces take Alexandria, the second largest city in Egypt, deliberately destroying its famous Great Library in the process.

Muslim forces take Cappadocia (in modern day Turkey).

650 A.D.

652 A.D.

Muslim forces launch attacks against Sicily, they eventually conquer it in 827 A.D.

668 A.D.

Muslim forces launch the first siege of Constantinople (Byzantium), many more were to follow.

Muslim forces begin the invasion of the Iberian Peninsula (modern day Spain).

711 A.D.

715 A.D.

Spain conquered by Muslim forces (an occupation that would last for more than 700 years), they begin to press on into France.

732 A.D.

Muslim forces finally stopped at Tours, Northern France, by Charles Martel, the Frankish statesman and military leader.

792 A.D.

Muslim forces launch a jihad (called by Hisham, Muslim ruler of Spain) against France, but are turned back after sacking several cities, killing many and enslaving even more.

838-972 A.D.

Muslim forces take Frejus, near Cannes and use it as a base to raid France and Northern Italy. Christian pilgrims to Rome are frequently robbed, murdered and kidnapped by Muslim slave traders operating in the Alps.

846 A.D.

After nearly two centuries of increasing raids on southern Italy, Muslim forces sack Rome, desecrating the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul, destroying many churches and carrying off hundreds of slaves.

848 A.D.

A third Muslim army crosses the Pyrenees and invades France, once again destroying towns and cities, killing and enslaving before being driven back.

870 A.D.

Muslim forces capture the island of Malta.

873 A.D.

Muslim forces launch massive slave raids in Calabria, Northern Italy, leaving the province devastated and depopulated.

878 A.D.

Muslim forces destroy the city of Syracuse, a historic city in Sicily, killing almost all of its inhabitants and enslaving the survivors.

935 A.D.

Muslim forces capture the city of Genoa, Northern Italy.

976 A.D.

The Fatimid Caliph of Egypt sends repeated military expeditions to Southern Italy for slaves and booty.

The sixth Fatimid Caliph, Abu Ali al-Mansur al-Hakim, destroys thirty thousand Christian churches, seizing their lands and possessions.

Muslim raiders increase attacks on the Italian West coast, including Pisa and Rome, from their base on Sardinia.

1003-09 A.D.

1004-14 A.D.

1009 A.D.

Hakim destroys the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (in Jerusalem), he orders Christians to wear heavy wooden crosses and Jews to wear heavy wooden calves around their necks.

1010 A.D.

Hakim orders Christians and Jews to accept Islam (convert) or leave his dominions.

1010 A.D.

Muslim forces capture the city of Cosenza, in Southern Italy.

1056 A.D.

Three hundred Christians are expelled from Jerusalem and European Christian pilgrims are denied access to the (rebuilt) Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

1071 A.D.

Muslim forces crush the Byzantines at the battle of Manzikert, taking the Byzantine Emperor, Romanus IV Diogenes, prisoner.

Muslim forces (Seljuk Turks) conquer Syria, a Christian country at that time.

1076 A.D.

1077 A.D.

The Seljuks take Jerusalem, slaughtering over three thousand Christians and Jews.

1077 A.D.

Onwards, the Seljuks attack Christian pilgrims, killing and enslaving thousands and denying access to the Holy Land to European Christians.

1095 A.D.

The Byzantine Emperor, Alexius I Comnenus, sends a letter to Pope Urban II, asking for help.

1095 A.D.

The First Crusade: at the Council of Clermont, Pope Urban II calls for European Christians to defend Constantinople and reopen access to the Holy land, especially Jerusalem.

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