jane abraham
2006-10-10 00:10:15 UTC
The Pope joins the bandwagon of Crusades
By Mahmood Y Abdullah
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.
Ali Bardakoglu, head of the state-run religious affairs directorate in
Turkey, said that the Pope was "full of enmity and grudge" against
Islam. He told the NTV news channel today (14 September 2006) that the
Pope carried the same mindset as that "of the Crusades", reports
al-Jazeera.net.
Quite understandably, there must be a cause of worry for the Catholic
Church that day by day it is losing customers. But still, it does not
justify an outright squabble. Who is to be blamed for the Catholic
Church's complicity in covering up the scandals of the paedophile
celibate priests, who abused boys and girls? Ever since the scandal
first rocked the Catholic Church about 25 years ago, the ordinary
members of the Church were bound to ask themselves: For how many
centuries has this abuse of trust been going on? It was as if the
Church had stabbed them in the back. His Holiness should have known
more than anybody else that if Islam had spread by force, then who is
forcing scores of new converts in America and Europe today into Islam?
There must be something that the advisors of His Holiness have sadly
missed.
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." (http://www.msnbc.com/news/659057.asp?cp1=1). This
explains volumes about the usage of the expressions - Crusade and
Islamofascists. This also explains that the Pope seems to have joined
the political hegemony over 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).
By Mahmood Y Abdullah
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.
Ali Bardakoglu, head of the state-run religious affairs directorate in
Turkey, said that the Pope was "full of enmity and grudge" against
Islam. He told the NTV news channel today (14 September 2006) that the
Pope carried the same mindset as that "of the Crusades", reports
al-Jazeera.net.
Quite understandably, there must be a cause of worry for the Catholic
Church that day by day it is losing customers. But still, it does not
justify an outright squabble. Who is to be blamed for the Catholic
Church's complicity in covering up the scandals of the paedophile
celibate priests, who abused boys and girls? Ever since the scandal
first rocked the Catholic Church about 25 years ago, the ordinary
members of the Church were bound to ask themselves: For how many
centuries has this abuse of trust been going on? It was as if the
Church had stabbed them in the back. His Holiness should have known
more than anybody else that if Islam had spread by force, then who is
forcing scores of new converts in America and Europe today into Islam?
There must be something that the advisors of His Holiness have sadly
missed.
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." (http://www.msnbc.com/news/659057.asp?cp1=1). This
explains volumes about the usage of the expressions - Crusade and
Islamofascists. This also explains that the Pope seems to have joined
the political hegemony over 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).