you're wrong

Submitted by jimbob (United Kingdom), Oct 16, 2007 at 14:30

i'm not a muslim, i'm against religion full stop, as a concept, its dated in my opinion. but your comment, 'muslims burnt down christian churches prompting christians to respond with the crusades,' is utter nonsense. There is no evidence to suggest christians were persecuted in jerusalem under islam (with the exception of one mad caliph who persecuted muslims as well in fact, he did burn a few churches but the people of jerusalem, including the muslims ensured they were rebuilt). they were allowed to practice christianity and live their own lives provided they paid a tax.

christians even rose to positions of power within this state of affairs. the first crusade is considered generally to be an unprovoked attack, sparked at the council of clement by a pope whos probable intention was to rid the west of fratricidal wars and constant conflict between landed gentry by focusing the intentions of the knightly class on a new part of the world and a new enemy. there is no evidence that christians in jerusalem asked for help, or indeed that they WANTED help. it was the crusaders who massacred people when they sacked the city...the crusaders were more concerned with glory and loot than the fate of christians in the holy land.

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