Christians And Muslims During The Crusades example essay topic

I spoke; and at once the Crusaders have multiplied to infinity. Villages and towns are now deserted. You will scarcely find one man for every seven women. Everywhere you see widows whose husbands are still alive". -St. Bernard of Clair vaux St. Bernard was referring to the reaction to his calling for a Second Crusade. The Crusaders were Christian men who gathered together as an army and went to the Middle East on a series of attacks known as the Crusades.

The Crusades were a series of attacks on Islamic warriors who were invading Christian cities in the Middle East during the Middle Ages. The Islamic invaders' reason for invading the cities was to help spread Islam throughout the world, and to destroy the Christian religion. Four characteristics of both Christians and Muslims during the Crusades demonstrate the actions of these religions groups during times of conflict The first similarity is that both sides claim to have been acting honorably (Delort 287). The Islamic fighters were fighting to promote the spread of Islam, and to eradicate the Christian belief. The Muslims believe it is honorable to fight against / destroy other religions because of several verses n the Koran that tell them to do so.

Islamic men who die in acts of jihad are believed by Muslims to be blessed by Allah in the afterlife. The Christians, on the other hand, were on the defensive side trying to defend / reclaim the destroyed Christian cities throughout the known world (Delort 285). The Crusaders believed that they were serving the Lord in their acts of warfare against the Muslim invaders. (16: 827) They also believed that they would be blessed by God in the afterlife for their acts of service in his name. Basically, both sides of the conflict consisted of men who fought honorably for their beliefs.

The second similarity is that both parties in the conflict were religions. Islam is the predominant religion in Southern Asia. Islam was founded by Muhammad Atta. Islam is a religion that is known to have violent roots.

This statement can be backed up via the Muslim holy book. Here are two excerpt verses from the Koran. "Kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from wherever they drove you out... ".

- Surah 2: 191 "Fight those who do not believe in God and the last day... and fight People of the Book (Christians and Jews), who do not accept the religion of truth (Islam) until they pay tribute by hand, being inferior". - Surah 9: 29 Although all Muslims are not violent, it is clear that the basic Muslim religion is extremely violent. The Christian religion was founded by Jesus Christ, hence the name Christianity. Christianity was founded in c.

26 B.C. upon the beginning of Jesus Christ's ministry. Christianity holds its roots as a peaceful religion. Here are some verses from the Bible as evidence of this statement". Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets".

-Matthew 7: 12 "Thou shalt not kill". - Exodus 20: 13 Thirdly, both religions were under attack. The Christians were the first to come under attack (16: 827). Jewish and Christian cities throughout the Middle East were taken over by the Muslims. The Muslims did not have any disagreements with the Jewish people other than the fact that they were of a different religion. The Christians were incredibly outraged by this, and so they sent their men to fight against the Islamic warriors (16: 828).

The Christians did not attack the Muslims like the Muslims attacked they Jews, the Christians simply stole the items that the Muslims had originally stole from the Jews. One example of this is the city of Jerusalem that was taken by the Muslims was stolen back by the Jews. In other words, the Christians were only trying to take back / defend what was originally theirs. The fourth similarity is that both sides were fighting a holy war. "Jihad" is the Islamic term for holy war. The Koran calls for jihad to promote / protect the status of Islam.

One recent Islamic call to jihad was after the United States' troops entered Islamic territory in the Gulf War. The results of this declaration (among radical Islamic groups) were several terrorist attacks and bombings including the attacks on the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York. The Muslims in the Middle Ages were trying to promote the status of Islam throughout the world. They did so via attacking Jewish and Christian cities to claim them for themselves. Once the Roman Catholic Church had heard about these attacks, they called for an army of soldiers to fight off the foreign invaders (3: 764).

The Christians were on a mission that they believed was a holy mission to save the Christian world. The Islamic invaders, on the other hand, were on a jihad mission to convert / kill anyone who is not Islamic. (16: 293) There are many similarities between Islam and Christianity if they are merely glanced at. Both Christians and Muslims are devoted religious people who are willing to fight and die for their beliefs. The Muslims demonstrated this in their willingness to go to war for their religion, and the Christians demonstrated it in their quick defensive reaction to the news of the invaders. Although it may seem that Islamic and Christian people are similar, this could not be farther from the truth.

Christians and Muslims have not agreed for over a thousand years, and there is currently no sign of this disagreement ending. Perhaps Shakespeare is best fit to sum these differences up. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare wrote, "Villain and he be many miles asunder", and these words hold true in the statement, "Christians and Muslims be many miles asunder."Crusades". Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2 vols. 15th ed.

2002. Delort, Robert. Life in the Middle Ages. Trans. Robert Allen.

New York: Edit a Lausanne, 1973.