14 September, 2006

Pope Benedict XVI, on his six-day visit to Germany, criticised the concept of Jihad in Islam, claiming that Islam was spread by force. He cited a 14th century Christian emperor who said that the Prophet Muhammad had brought the world “evil and inhuman” things.

In the mediaeval times, Crusades were the wars fought to conquer the Holy Land, following the plea of Pope Urban II at Council of Clermont in the year 1095. The Pope appealed for the eviction of, what he called, the “wicked race of Muslims” from Jerusalem. The principal objective was to gain booty, power and territorial expansion. This was done in the name of atonement from sins and spreading Christianity.

Ancient history of the Crusades records that the Christians captured the holy city of Bait al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) in 1099 and the Muslims recaptured it in 1187. From 1229 to 1244 it was again restored to the Crusaders. During the fourth Crusade in 1204, Constantinople, the capital of the Christian Byzantine empire (the present day Istanbul), whose protection was one of the declared aims, was sacked by the Christians themselves. Occidental Christians did not trust the Oriental Christians and wanted the treasures of the city all for themselves.

Crusades were essentially European wars against non-Christians, whom they considered heretics. They were directed initially by the Pope against Muslims. They lasted until 1291. The objective was to capture Palestine from the Muslim control. Motivated by religious zeal, greed for land, and trading ambitions, the crusades did not hesitate to exploit children to achieve their aims. In 1212, what is called Children’s Crusade took place, where thousands of children, ill-fed and ill-equipped, tried to cross Europe for the holy land, but many were captured and sold into slavery in Marseille, or died of disease and starvation. Before marching for the holy land, children were told that the sea would open up for them.

The Crusaders massacred and stockpiled hundreds of thousands of heads of Muslims in mosques. In contrast, Islam guaranteed the Jews and the Christians complete freedom to worship in accordance to their own religious creed. Islam had granted full protection to the places of worship of other religions. The magnanimous precedent set in the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad was honoured by succeeding generations.

            The tolerance of the Prophet Muhammad’s Islam is manifested in the fact that after the Muslim forces took over Jerusalem in 638 CE, the Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in perfect harmony for five centuries. This harmonious living was sabotaged when, in the words of Professor John Esposito in his excellent book Islam the Straight Path: “imperial papal power play led to century-long series of so-called holy wars that pitted Christendom against Islam and left an enduring legacy of misunderstanding and distrust.”

Being the birth place of Jesus, Jerusalem was the centre of the Christian pilgrimage. Under the Muslim rule, Churches were protected under the surveillance of the State. Jews, who were persecuted and deprived from entering Jerusalem by Christian rulers, were permitted to worship and live in Jerusalem in peace.

The Crusaders were told by the supreme religious authorities in Italy that Muslims worship Satan and not God. Therefore, they marched into Jerusalem under the impression that they were fighting the infidels – the Satan worshippers. After causing carnage on the Muslim land, the European Crusaders left with rich booty that they had looted. 

Many among the Europeans settled down in the holy land and adopted the dressing habits, customs and traditions of the people whom they had fought and sought to destroy. They witnessed with their own eyes the devotion to Almighty God in the Muslim mode of worship. All the false preaching and propaganda they had heard from their priests started backfiring. They searched for truth and the truth enlightened their soul.  

The pilgrims, who came from Europe, later on, were shocked to see the European settlers speaking Arabic, reading the Qur’an, praying in the Islamic way, and wearing turbans and cloaks and bearing Muslim names. Islam’s Jerusalem welcomed them with open heart, without any discrimination of colour or race or apartheid walls. On the alien land, they found home. In the hearts of strangers, they found love. They recognised and accepted the Islamic roots of Jerusalem and fought for its preservation. Only the Islamic Jerusalem was capable of doing justice to Jews, Christians and Muslims.   

They had crossed thousands of miles of barren land, mountains, seas and deserts to conquer, and instead, were conquered with their minds and hearts. And this is the stark reality of Islam which is overlooked by those who are born Muslims and tend to take their religion for granted. But according to the experience of the converts in the West – now and in the Middle Ages - Islam conquers hearts after the soul-searching. 

When the Crusaders invaded Jerusalem in 1099, no Muslim man, woman or child escaped mass massacre. All this was done in the name of Christ. Esposito observes: “The Noble Sanctuary, the Haram al-Sharif, was desecrated as the Dome of the Rock was converted into a Church and al-Aqsa mosque, renamed the Temple of Solomon, became a residence for the king.” 

Bait al-Maqdis or The Holy House was the first Qibla (the direction to which Muslims all around the globe, turn for prayers). It is the House from where one of the most important events in the world history of religions took place – the Me’raj – the Messenger of God, Muhammad’s ascension to Heavens. The Aqsa Mosque (Masjid al-Aqsa) was built by the Prophet of Islam, Suleiman (Solomon), the son of the Prophet of Islam, Dawood (David). The foundation of the Holy Ka’aba in Makkah was laid by the Prophet of Islam, Adam. The building of the Ka’aba was built on the original foundation by the Prophet of Islam, Ibrahim (Abraham). The patriarch was the ancestor of the great Prophets of Islam, Moosa (Moses) and Isa, Jesus, through his noble blessed mother, Maryam (Mary). May the peace and blessings be upon them all and on the Prophet Muhammad. 

Europe’s ambition for territorial expansion, economic and political manipulation, evolved from Crusades to colonisation of the eastern world. The revival of Crusades took several forms and shapes. At times, they used religious slogans to rally support of the people for their drive towards the East. At times, they promised lucrative return on the investments for raising capital for expeditions. At times, they enslaved people and used repressive measures to navigate their ships through the rough seas. But as John Esposito rightly remarks, “Christian fears were full realized as Islam became a world power and civilization while Christianity staggered and stagnated in its Dark Ages.” 

In the modern times, the status of Jerusalem has been defaced. It has witnessed betrayals and brutalities, void of human compassion and mercy. It has seen its sanctity torn into pieces. It has passed through violation in its revered position as the holy city for Abrahamic faiths.   

The evangelist Franklin Graham claimed that Islam is a “very evil and wicked religion”. His father Billy Graham had prayed at the Washington’s National Cathedral at President Bush’s swearing in ceremony. When Muslim leaders challenged Franklin Graham over his fanatical outburst, he reiterated: “The God of Islam is not the same God. He's not the Son of God of the Christian or Judeo-Christian faith. It's a different God, and I believe it is a very evil and wicked religion.”. This explains volumes about the usage of the expressions – Crusade and Islamofascists. This also explains that the Pope seems to have joined political hegemony against the Muslims.  

(The writer of this article is the author of several books, the latest is Tampering with the text and meaning of the Qur’an)