It does not seem fair to claim that Islam is a purely “warrior” religion, considering its doctrine as a whole. Such a misinterpretation mostly comes from the fact that contemporary jihadists are motivated by a selective view of fundamental Islamic writings (Qur’an, Sunna) and chronology (Daniel, 1958). They consider themselves believers and guardians of “true” Islam. They saw no distinction between the conflict between the Muslim community and the Christian Civilization and the Crusade era. In the past century, Muslim intellectuals have mainly embraced this concept.
It is evident in Ahmad Halwani’s widely read 1991 work, which explores the part played by Ibn Asakir of Damascus in support of warfare versus the Crusaders, and Said Ashur’s important 1963 study on the annals of the Crusades. Both experts compare the conflict facing Muslims now to that they faced throughout the Crusader era (Daniel, 1958). Because they fought and inspired the Muslims to conduct jihad over the Crusaders and the Muslim allies, leaders like Saladin – and thinkers like Ibn Asakir – are venerated today.
In reality, the “holy war” is a more complex and sophisticated phenomenon that requires a more thorough historical approach. In fact, the Crusades are depicted differently in medieval Muslim texts. There is no question that they tell of endless conflicts, but they also talk about numerous governmental and military alliances, the methodical sharing of holy sites, business dealings, and the interchange of technology and concepts involving both Muslims and Crusaders. For example, Ibn Wasil, a Muslim writer and historian, spent the first two years of the 1260s on a diplomatic trip in southern Italy when he wrote a work on logic.
Moreover, Emperor Frederick II, who led the 6th Crusade, frequently wrote to Muslim scientists seeking scientific information and negotiated a settlement with Sultan al–Kamil that let the Muslims and Crusaders coexist in Jerusalem. Whereas the Muslims continued to maintain authority over their holy sites in the capital and the nearby villages, the Christians enjoyed complete authority over their religious locations. In this context, the phenomenon of Islamo-Christian culture through the medieval period can be considered real (The song of Roland, n.d.). The described interaction between the two worlds resulted in a particular cultural heritage of the period.
Unfortunately, modern historians barely sometimes accept any of this intricate reality, and when they do, they only do so to highlight how aberrant it is. Modern research on the Crusades has been driven by an emphasis on violence (the subject most studied by academics is the Crusader martial commands and Holy war/Jihad) (Daniel, 1958). Hence, contemporary intellectuals (and the media) unintentionally, for the most part, have given terrorists and hate organizations a very useful story to use as an anchorage and to disseminate the idea that a collision of civilizations is imminent. As a consequence, there is an anti-Muslim and Islamophobic attitude in the West as well as “Westophobia” (hatred of the West) and fear in the Muslim countries.
Thus, in the theoretical dimension, similarities between the Christian and Islamic “holy wars” come down to the fact that they are not founded merely on conducting war against religious non-followers. During the medieval period – as evident from the provided examples – both worlds also sought cooperation in the cultural context. This allows the assumption that Christian-Muslim cultural heritage took place within the scope given.
Reference
Daniel, N. (1958). Holy war in Islam and Christendom. Blackfriars, 39(462), 383–391.
The song of Roland. (n.d.). Ablongman.com. Web.