Many people respond to criticism of Islamic Jihad by saying “What about the Crusades?” They think in terms of moral equivalence, but this attitude is historically illiterate and completely indefensible in the face of the facts.
Not only has Jihad continued against Christian (and other non-Muslim) civilization for 1400 years, but even since 9/11 (2001) and up to July 29,2022, Islamic jihad has carried out more than 41,884 deadly terror attacks. The single month of July 2022 has seen 28 jihad attacks, 158 killed, 74 injured, and 2 suicide blasts – in ten countries. [SOURCE for these statistics: thereligionofpeace.com.]
By contrast, the Crusades were few and lasted only a fairly short period; and they were essentially defensive, not aimed at enslaving Muslims.
Professor Bill Warner, Director of the Center for the Study of Political Islam, has made a five-minute video contrasting Islam’s war against Classical (Western) Civilization with the Crusades. Watch it and you might be surprised at the FACTS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_To-cV94Bo&feature=youtu.be
This first map shows battles fought by Islam against the West up to the early thirteenth century:
By the second half of the eighteenth century, these wars had conquered all of southeastern Europe, much more of northern Africa and Central Asia, and also India. The conquest of India was the bloodiest episode in the history of the world.
To put “What about the Crusades?” in perspective, here is a summary:
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE PERIOD BEFORE THE CRUSADES
630 Muhammad conquers Mecca from his base in Medina.
632 Muhammad dies in Medina. Islam controls the Hijaz (western Saudi Arabia).
636 Muslim conquest of Syria, and the surrounding lands, all Christian – including Palestine and Babylonia/Mesopotamia (Iraq).
637 Muslim Jihadists conquer Iraq (some date it in 635 or 636).
638 Muslim Jihadists conquer and annex Jerusalem, taking it from the Byzantines.
638 – 650 Muslim Jihadists conquer Persia (Iran), except along Caspian Sea.
639 – 642 Muslim Jihadists conquer Egypt.
641 Muslim Jihadists control Syria and Palestine.
643 – 707 Muslim Jihadists conquer North Africa.
644 – 650 Muslim Jihadists conquer Cyprus, Tripoli in North Africa, and establish Islamic rule in Iran, Afghanistan, and Sindh.
673 – 678 Arabs besiege Constantinople, capital of Byzantine Empire.
691 Dome of the Rock is completed in Jerusalem, only six decades after Muhammad’s death.
710 – 713 Muslim Jihadists conquer the lower Indus Valley.
711 – 713 Muslim Jihadists conquer Spain and impose the kingdom of Andalus. The Muslim conquest moves into Europe.
718 Conquest of Spain complete.
732 Muslim invasion of France is 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 Jihadists) in Morocco; Christoforos, a Muslim who converted to Christianity, is executed.
800 Autonomous Aghlabid dynasty (Muslim Jihadists) 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 Jihadists) conquer Sardinia, Italy.
813 Christians in Palestine are attacked; many flee the country.
831 Muslim Jihadists capture Palermo, Italy; raids in Southern Italy.
837 – 901 Aghlabids (Muslim Jihadists) conquer Sicily, raid Corsica, Italy, France.
869 – 883 Revolt of black slaves in Iraq.
909 Rise of the Fatimid Caliphate in Tunisia; these Muslim Jihadists 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 Sepulchre) is burned down by Muslims; more churches in Jerusalem are attacked.
960 Conversion of Qarakhanid Turks to Islam.
969 Fatimids (Muslim Jihadists) conquer Egypt and found Cairo.
973 Palestine 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 Jihadists) movement in Mauretania; Almoravids (aka Murabitun) are coalition of western Saharan Berbers; followers of Islam, focusing on the Qur’an, the Hadith, and Maliki law.
1071 Battle of Manzikert, Seljuk Turks (Muslim Jihadists) defeat Byzantines and occupy much of Anatolia.
1071 Turks (Muslim Jihadists) invade Palestine.
1073 Conquest of Jerusalem by Turks (Muslim Jihadists).
1075 Seljuks (Muslim Jihadists) capture Nicea (Iznik) and make it their capital in Anatolia.
1076 Almoravids (Muslim Jihadists) (see 1050) conquer western Ghana.
1086 Almoravids (Muslim Jihadists) (see 1050) send help to Andalus, Battle of Zallaca.
1090 – 1091 Almoravids (Muslim Jihadists) occupy all of Andalus except Saragossa and Balearic Islands.
START OF WESTERN CRUSADES
It was only after sustained Islamic aggressive invasions that Western Christendom launched its first Crusades.
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 capture Jerusalem in 1099.
SOURCE for statistics on Jihadi killings: thereligionofpeace.com .
