In the Name of God
assalam o alaikum …
the idea of developing “a triple vison” on the sensitive topic of Crusades, i.e from a Jewish, Christian and Muslim perspective, was the task that Karen Armstrong set for herself when she began the work
Holy War - The Crusades and their Impact on Todays World, Anchor Books, isbn 0-385-72140-4
in a way the task is difficult, since it is set to explain a historic phenomenom that transpired 1,000 years ago, with a realization that much of the turmoil in the middle east owes it existence to the perceptions of the Jews, Christians and Muslims of one another. how these “perceptions” are part and parcel of the collective identity that each group ascribes to another, tracing the chain of causility to the cause of all causes, i.e The Crusades.
i think that it is important for Muslims to realize that the first casaulty of the Crusadic fervor, were infact not the Muslims, but the “Jews”.
having said that, Karens work is also a beginning in exploring “point” of views held by each group. The muslim perspective is sought from Norman Daniel (author of Islam and the West, a mandatory read), Francesco Gabrieli (Arab Historians of the Crusades) and Amin Maalouf (The Crusades Through Arab Eyes). More recently the name of James Reston (Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade) comes to mind.
abu Kumayl
[email protected]