You can find rivalry in many ways. Sometimes it is brought on by one’s particular choice in a professional team, there can be yearly rivalry or there can be a rivalry that has been passed from generation to generation because of an event that took place in history. You find this long term rivalry usually between high school sports teams. Most of us don’t choose where we attend high school; it’s based upon where we live. However while embracing and attaching our names to a school we usually inherit a sportsman like hatred towards one opposing team that has been passed on for generations. So many years have passed that most students have no idea why the abhorrence for that particular team over the others is there.

In the book “Christian Jihad” by Ergun and Emir Caner, they take you through what can be described as some of Christian’s darkest periods. The book brings the reader a sense of shame if they are Christian, until they realize that the people committing these horrific acts truly didn’t deserve to hold to the name Christian. Everyone someway or another has heard the ruthless things done throughout the Christian Crusades, however most of us have never done the research to know exactly what took place. The Caners use history to bring out and turn Christians little dark secrets in their closet, to a well lighten understanding of truth behind exactly who and why they did what they did. The book goes on to discuss several things about the church and pacifism, the church working it’s way into the military, church and state together and it’s troubles, 1st 2nd and 3rd crusades, church persecution within and from without of the church, and the war between Christendom and Islam.

Learning exactly the events that took place during the 1st crusade or should I say “Christian Jihad” against the Muslims, I have a better understanding of the imbedded hatred that Muslims have towards Christians. The reasoning behind the crusades was not only to recapture Jerusalem and come to the aid of suffering believers, but it was said by church leaders that they would receive the remission of their sins. During the battle for Jerusalem in 1099 the Christian crusaders showed no mercy to their Muslim foes. “Some of our men…cut off the heads of their enemies; others shot them with arrows, so that they fell from towers; others tortured them longer by casting them into flames…At nightfall, the Crusaders’ hands were still bloody when they folded them in prayer and knelt at the Church of Holy Sepulchre, sobbing for excess joy.” (Brehier, Histoire anonyme de la premiere croisade, pg 241) Our early church fathers didn’t look at their Muslim foes as lost souls that needed saving but rather as a pagan sect that deserved to be slaughtered.

“Christian Jihad” is a book that will make you question your own personal beliefs on war. Many a time people follow ones direction on an issue based on affiliation, instead of seeking truths. The truth of the matter is that even though “Christians” declared that “God wills it”, most Christians today would disagree with the decisions made during the crusades. Only time and true Christianity will heal the Muslim’s defense against Christians for I believe that it isn’t a hatred that is aware of the past misfortunes bestowed upon their families, but like a high school rival hatred that has been pasted down from generation to generation because of an event long forgotten. My fear as American Christians is that today we can look back to 9/11 and see a Muslim terrorist group who we hate, and let history repeat itself. That if we allow hatred to embed our generation from one act, then many generations from now they too will look at Muslims with hate instead of someone who needs a Savior.