Part 13

Hence when the idea of a crusade was suggested to Pope Urban II (471-491 AH/1078-1097 CE), he saw it as a great opportunity to put an end to the dispute between the two churches and to dominate the Eastern Orthodox church and incorporate it into the Western church under his leadership, on the basis that this would all be done under the cover of fighting the Muslims, protecting the Byzantines and 'taking back' the holy lands in Palestine.38 This was in addition to many other aims that the papacy wanted to achieve through carrying out a holy war, such as putting an end to the power and influence of the feudal lords in the West and at the same time putting an end to ongoing feudal wars by diverting those energies and exploiting them in a conceited holy war that might create opportunities for petty rulers to enjoy a better life in the east without disputes.39 Opinions differ as to the nature of the crusader movement and its hidden motives. Some think that the motive was materialistic; others think that it was the offspring of the zealotry and religious fanaticism that were common in Europe during the Middle Ages, and that the true motive behind these wars was in fact religious fervour mixed with other aims, such as the desire to establish new kingdoms and acquire great wealth. The majorities of historians, both classical and contemporary, regard these wars as religious wars, and believe that the religious factor was the primary motive behind them, with the aim of taking back the supposed sepulchre of Christ and the holy lands from the Muslims. Others regard that as one of the manifestations of economic and colonialist expansion in the Middle Ages. In fact the Crusades were the result of the interaction of all these factors, because they were undertaken for political, economic and social reasons, and used religion both as fuel and as a means of concealing the motives mentioned.40 It is impossible to underestimate the religious factor in these wars in any way. There follows a detailed discussion of the motives and causes: Religious motives The religious motive was the primary motive that drove the Crusader masses into battle. The symbol of the Crusades, which demonstrates the importance of the religious aspect, was the cross which they put on their weapons and luggage when they headed for Palestine in particular.41 A religious revival movement had appeared in Western Europe in the tenth century, and reached its peak in the eleventh century, strengthening the position of the papacy and stirring up religious fervour in the people's hearts. The church exploited this fervour, finding an external outlet for it. When the idea of a crusade emerged, the churches took Western Europe as a vast arena in which to exploit this suppressed energy and raging fervour.42 This was done in the name of saving Jerusalem from the 'infidel' Muslims.43 The most famous of those who adopted the call for a crusade was Pope Urban II, who is regarded as being primarily responsible for propagating the war against the Muslims and inciting the first campaign against Greater Syria. Circumstances were ripe, so he hastened to hold a meeting in the city of Clermont in France. The meeting lasted for ten days and was attended by more than three hundred churchmen,44 as well as princes from different parts of Europe, envoys of the Byzantine Emperor and representatives of the Italian city-states. The pope was able to stir up the fervour of his audience and the cry reverberated through all sectors of society: "Deus vult (God wills it)!" Those present hastened to take the cross as a symbol.45 The Pope also pointed out what he called the 'Islamic danger' that was threatening Europe from the direction of Constantinople; he declared that the Christians in the East were suffering from Muslim oppression, and that churches and monasteries had been destroyed; he urged his listeners to take revenge on the Muslims.46 In fact, what the Pope said about the Eastern Christians being persecuted were false claims; such persecution is not in accordance with the spirit of Islam or the nature of its message and the care that it shows to Christians.47 One of the slogans of this war was that the Christian pilgrims had been subjected to persecution and aggression en route to Jerusalem just before the Crusades began. This was also a false claim.48 A prominent European historian says that isolated cases of persecution to which Christians were exposed in Muslim lands, especially in the Near East, cannot be taken as a valid reason for the Crusader movement under any circumstances, because Christians in general enjoyed a good share of religious and other freedoms under Muslim rule. Not only were they allowed to keep their old churches, they were also allowed to build new churches and monasteries, in the libraries of which they collected theological works of all sorts.49 The claims of churches and monasteries being destroyed or confiscated were not based on any evidence; they were just rumours, a fact which highlights the role of false propaganda in opening up this front against the Muslims.