When George W. Bush used the word crusade against terrorism after 11^th September incident, it reminded the Muslims throughout the world the time when the Western Christians launched series of campaigns in the 11^th century to take back the Holy land which was conquered by the Arabs during the period of Caliph Omer. On November 26, 1095, Pope Urban ii delivered an emotional speech at Clermont in France urging the faithful to” enter upon the road to the Holy Sepulcher, wrest it from the wicket race and subject it”. There was such an impact of his speech on the audience, that they rallied around him and cried ‘Deus le volt’-God wills it.

It was the beginning of crusades against the Muslims. Religion was used to arouse the emotions and feelings of hatred to fight in the name of God and to fulfill His mission. The first wave of crusade was successful because the Muslim rulers of Syria were fighting against each other. They were defeated by the hoards of crusaders and. Jerusalem, the holy city, was captured by the Christians in 1099.What happened to the city is described by Ibn al-Athir, a Muslim historian, in these words:

”In the Masjid al Aqsa the Franks slaughtered more than 70,000 people, among them large number of imams and Muslim scholars, devout and ascetic men who had left their homelands to live lives of pious seclusion in the holy place. The Franks stripped the Dome of the Rock of more than forty silver candelabra.”

A Christian eye witness later on wrote that: “When Raymond later that morning went to visit the Temple area he had to pick his way through corpses and blood that reached up to his knee.”

The success of first crusade inspired the holy warriors to launch the second in 1144.However, it failed to get any significant results. In the third crusade, there was Muslim reaction under Sultan Salahuddin, who fought against them and finally expelled them from Jerusalem in 1187.Instead of killing the defenders and inhabitants of the city, he gave general amnesty and allowed them to leave with their property and belongings” The Grand Patriarch of Frank left the city with treasures from the Dome of Rock, the Masjid al Aqsa, the Church of Resurrection and others, God alone knows the amount of the treasure; also took an equal quantity of money. Salahuddin made no difficulty, when he was advised to sequestrate the whole lot for Islam, replied that he would not go back on his words.” Writes Ibn al Athir.

The most tragic of these crusades was of the children from Germany and France who marched in 1212 towards the Holy land but dispersed on their way. As a result, most of them died of starvation or exhaustation while rest of them were enslaved by warlords. Finally, the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt defeated the last campaign of crusaders. They expelled them from Syria and the Holy land and restored the Muslim rule. However, the Pope found the concept of crusade useful to crush the dissident and heretic sects of Christianity. There were number of campaigns against them in Europe in which the followers of heretic sects were mercilessly slaughtered. It shows that the Crusade was not only against the Muslims but also against the Christian heretics as well.

Modern historians, after analyzing the whole episode, have reached to some interesting conclusions. The contemporary historical sources explain that though the Christian powers ruled over the Holy land nearly two centuries but except a part of the Middle East the rest of the Muslim world remained unaware or unconcerned to the occupation of al-Quds by the infidels and, therefore, not attempt was made to rally the Muslims for Jihad to liberate it. It is in the modern period that the crusade episode has emerged as a conflict between East and the West, and subsequently, every move of the West is now regarded symbolically crusading against the Muslims. Even there are scholars who think that the establishment of the state of Israel is an extension of crusade to dominate the Muslim world. They also believe that as the rule of crusaders came to end after two centuries, Israel would face the same fate. She cannot survive surrounding by the Arab countries in a warlike situation. and a day would come when, after exhausting her energies, she would succumb to death.

Secondly, historians say that the crusades were not undertaken for religious reasons; on the contrary, there were political and commercial motives. As result of the law of primogeniture in Europe, the eldest son inherited the property leaving the others sons to earn their own livlihood. The crusades provided an opportunity of those who were deprived of property and territory to earn and carve their principalities in the Holy land. The hunger for land and territory was the leitmotif of the crusades. Moreover, there were commercial motives. That was why Italian merchants heavily invested in the campaign to take their share in the war booty

There were some positive results of the crusades. For example, trade routes were opened for the European merchants. The lust of profit was so strong that even during the battle the usual business was conducted by the traders. Ibn Jubayr, an Arab travelers, witnessed these activities and remarked that:” At time two armies face up each other and form up in battle order; but caravans of Muslims and Christians come and go among them without being stopped.”

However, the crusades were not only military clash but it had cultural and social impact on both sides, especially the Western society influenced and affected culturally. First of all, the crusaders were shocked to find that their adversaries were more civilized and cultured than their priests and princes told them. After living two hundred years side by side, they imbued the oriental culture and took number of things back to Europe to enrich their society. For example, they introduced the system of hospitals, public baths, perfumes, windmills, rugs, carpets, tapestries, muslin, damask, velvet, silk, satin, powder, rosary, compass, custom of illumination on ceremonial days and organising knightly sport tournaments. They improved the taste of food by using spices, especially sugar which changed their sweet dishes. In architecture and agriculture, they also leaned new techniques. In literature, the Arabian Nights and kalila way damna influenced the European writers. Medicine was also another important branch of knowledge that helped them to combat with diseases. There was also racial assimilation. Intermarriages brought both the East and West to come closer with each other.

The crusade, therefore, was not only military clash but also cultural integration and assimilation that brought religions and cultures closely. Attempts were made on both sides to learn lesson from bloodshed and find out ways to live peacefully.

Though the Muslim emerged victor and survived as a result of this upheaval, but they became very sensitive of the word crusade and believe that the west has not forgotten the humiliation and, therefore, always looks for opportunity to take revenge of their past defeat. When they look their present plight and misery in Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir, Bosnia, and now in Afghanistan, they become concern of their safety and believe that the West is again on the path of crusade. Philip Hitti writes that:” Throughout the Near East they bequeathed a legacy of ill will between Moslems and Christians that has not been forgotten.” That is why George W. Bush use of crusade upset the Muslims.