Ahmadinejad; Graduate of the Adolph Hitler School of how to win friends and influence people.

Ahmadinejad; Hitler reincarnate.

In my previous blog I commented on Hugo Chavez's speech before the UN. I can't comment on that babbling monkey without commenting on his partner in crime, the current President of Iran.

Like Chavez, Admadinejad addressed the UN recently. Although Admadinejad attempted to present himself as a genuine, enlightened, worldly politician, the reality of his deeds do not jibe with the picture he attempts to paint.

Ahmadinejad is attempting to remake his image in the west. He would like us to forget the prominent role he played in the Tehran Hostage Debacle during the Carter Presidency. Unfortunately, Americans have a short memory so it serves us well to examine this sorry excuse for a human being.

Ahmadinejad's speech to the UN was overflowing with lies and illusions that were designed to capture the imagination of the UN membership. So, he conveniently left his Islamic-fascist ideals back in Iran. Missing from his UN speech was his call for the outright destruction of Israel. Relying on his penchant for revising history, which appeals the the left of America. He continues to try to deny the legitimacy of Israel's existence.

Also missing from his UN speech? His declaration that "Islam will conquer all the mountain tops of the world." In it's place he called for "justice, spirituality, ethics, compassion and respect for human dignity." But who are the enemies of these universal values? According to Ahmadinejad, certainly not Islamic fundamentalists such as himself! After all, Islamic fundamentalists kill most non-muslims with equal vigor and elan, be they Christian, Hindu or Jew in the name of muslim supremacy and who also murder their own people for crimes like political dissent. Of course, the enemies of these universal values are the United States, and the United Kingdom, isn't that obvious? The guilty parties are the "hegemonic powers" who abuse their "privileged" status on the UN Security Council to escape accountability for their "aggression, occupation and violation of international law."

By comparison to Chavez's clownish performance before the UN, Ahmadinejad tried to present himself as an enlightened leader, modern and inclusive. But it is exactly this hypocritical posturing that makes this megalomaniac such a dangerous man. Ominously Hitler-like, Ahmadinejad is attempting to lull the world into appeasement and passivity while he plans behind closed doors to develop nuclear weapons and finances global terror with his nation's oil profits.

This man is intelligently playing the Palestinian victim hood card before a willing international audience. But his stand boils down pretty much to this. Why should a group of European survivors of the Holocaust (which he denies ever occurred) have any right to occupy a land thousands of miles from Europe "at the expense of driving millions of rightful inhabitants of the land into homelessness? To anyone with even a general understanding of history, Ahmadinejad is telling lies wrapped in a sympathetic package of bogus claims.

If I could speak to Mr. Ahmadinejad I would tell him I'm sorry to pop your delusional bubble, but the Holocaust did happen. It is beyond disingenuous for him; in the face of overwhelming evidence to deny it happened. To deny the Nazi slaughter of six million innocent Jews, demonstrates a true madness, a calculating evil temperament and an sinister motivation.

His accusations that the Israel has no right to exist stems from his delusional mind. The Jews preceded the muslims in that region by centuries. The Jews have been living in Israel for over three millennia. The Persian, King Cyrus recognized Jew's claim to their homeland. After King Cyrus conquered the city of Babylon (central Iraq) in 539 BC, he liberated Jews held captive in Babylon for three generations and encouraged them to return to their homeland in Israel and rebuilt the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. About a thousand years later in 641 BC, the Caliph, Umar decreed that Christians and Jews should be removed from most of Islamic holy lands of Arabia, and resettled them by force in lands assigned to them in Syria and Palestine. During this time in history, followers of Muhammad themselves believed that the Jews belonged in Palestine.

In 1948, Israel was recognized as an independent state by the UN . But the Arabs rejected the presence of an independent Palestinian state. The Palestinians already living inside Israel could have stayed, as some did and became Israeli citizens. Yet it was neighboring countries who encouraged the Palestinian inhabitants to leave their homes, with the promise that they would be allowed to return in short order after the Arabs attacked and drove out the Jews. For over twenty years the Palestinians could still have had their own state on the West Bank. Israeli forces were not driven out, from there or in Gaza until the 1967 when war convinced the nation of Israel that for their security the needed to be there out of necessity.

All Israel has ever wanted is to be left alone to live in peace and openly as Jews in their own lands without interference, and they were forced to fight for it on several occasions. In so doing Israel has never suppressed the rights of others who lived in Israel to practice their own faiths, which is exactly what Islamic fascists like Ahmandinejad have refused to tolerate in muslim controlled lands regarding non-muslim faiths. Instead of peace, Israelis have faced escalating campaigns to wipe them out. His words on justice, peace and human dignity before the UN runs hollow in the face of his actual intentions. If Iran ever procures a nuclear device he will use it on Israel, I guarantee it. And that will only be the opening act of his cause of global conquest in the name of Islam.

The United States and United Kingdom have proven to be responsible members of the UN Security Council and that international peace is their prime motivator by the blood and treasure our peoples have sacrificed for those causes. The US and UK championed the formulation of the UN from the destruction of WWII and together we have kept it together with financial contributions over it's life span. The US alone pays 22% of the UN's annual regular budget and billions more for other UN functions and programs. Guess how much oil rich Iran has contributed? .15%. No member of the Organization of Islamic Conference or the African continent are even in the top ten list of contributors to the UN's 2006 budget. Considering Ahmadinejad's repeated call for the destruction of Israel, a member in good standing in the UN, Iran should be expelled immediately from the UN altogether for violating this basic UN Charter! Rather, Iran is rewarded while Israel is penalized and vilified for protecting herself. Israel pays three times the amount that Iran pays, even though Iran is rich from oil sales and it has three times the share of the world's Gross Domestic Product than Israel.

The US and other functioning democracies in the world have consistently displayed compassion for the world's poor with massive public and private donations of aid. While the pretenders like Ahmadinejad of Iran seek to exploit their plight for political advantage, it's repugnant! While the US has acted as a leader in trying to prevent new genocide, such as Dafur in the Sudan, Africa, while members of the Non-Aligned Movement and Organization of Islamic Conference have either sat on their money or have aligned themselves with those who are committing genocide against their own people.

The history of WWII must be re-taught again and again to new generations of Hitler wannabes like Ahmadinejad. But alas, it seems the world democracies who lived through that horror and conquered fascism are the only ones who possess the courage to display the moral authority to rise and challenge fascism again, in our own lifetimes.

In a revealing editorial called "Sleeping with a devil in Islamic clothing," by a Somali journalist Bashir Goth, he describes the new Islamic fascist regime in Somalia, we get a taste of the Islamic-fascist idea of peace, justice and human dignity. It is not a pretty picture. The Somalians' native culture, identity, including their language is being wiped out before their eyes, much as the Taliban did in Afghanistan and the Arab muslims have done for centuries in Persia where Ahmadinejad is the latest in a long line of Islamic fundamentalists who have tried to stamp out the native Persian language, religious beliefs and culture.

Basic human rights are being denied in Somalia, as radical Islam has done in every area it has managed to take root. "The warlords use brute force to coerce people and the Islamists use brute religion to dehumanize people" wrote Bashir Goth. Islamic law (Sharia) is being applied through brute force. People who do not dutifully pray five times a day face the death penalty, he reports. Women are shackled at home.

Bashir Goth concludes: "Allowing them (the Islamists) to fulfill their agenda under the pretext of returning Somalia to peace is not only myopic but also foolhardy and sleeping with a devil in Islamic clothing." (Source: The Middle East Media Research Institute, Special Dispatches Series - No 1290, September 15, 2006, from Awdalnews.com, August 26, 2006).

This is the kind of world that this little man, (Ahmadinejad) has in store for the world if he gets his hands on a nuclear weapon. You are a FOOL if you believe this Islamic fascist nutcase when he boldly lies and manipulates the vocabulary of Western enlightenment and democratic values as he did in his pack of lies and accusations at the UN last week.
Ahmadinejad is an evil man bent on bringing about the Islamic version of the apocalypse. He desires to hasten the appearance of the hidden Imam which is supposedly to usher in an era of Islamic domination of the world.

I say, if you give this man an inch, he will take a mile, and then you will discover too late, you were a willing fool. He will lead you to slaughter. He will smile at you and shake your hand if it brings about the downfall of everything non-muslim in the world. Ahmadinejad is as evil as they come. He is trying to use our open, freedom loving society, our compassion, our freedom of speech and our tolerance to bring about our own destruction.

THE DEVIL!

Hugo Chavez is the devil!

I watched the President of Venezuela deliver a speech to a virtually empty UN a couple of days ago. A speech in which he called President Bush "The Devil" no less than eight times. I sat on my sofa doing a slow burn as I watched theatrics the likes of which have not been seen since the days of Adolf Hitler. Somehow I think Fidel gave him some tips on his delivery during Chavez's visit to old Fidel a few weeks ago.The few UN members who bothered to stick around and listen to this chattering monkey were given quite a treat, but it was not a speech befitting the UN. It was a display of arrogance, it was the epitome of self righteous indignation. It became obvious to me that the UN members who stayed in their seats to listen to this idiot were of the same mind as Chavez, for I heard laughter, chuckles and applause throughout his inane, baseless diatribe and I took solace in the fact that most of the UN members knew that he wasn't worth their time. In short, Hugo Chavez made an absolute idiot of himself in front of the entire nation. He should have painted his face with clown makeup.

Hugo Chavez had the audacity to criticize the United States and our president, as though Venezuela is perfect. Lets just take a moment to take a look at the wonderful state of Venezuela under the dictatorship of Hugo "The Devil" Chavez shall we? Who knows, maybe we'll learn how to govern a proper democracy?

The members of the UN who graciously sat through Chavez's speech against President Bush are among the very same UN members that have urged Venezuela to repeal laws that allow for the prosecution and imprisonment of it's citizens who disrespect certain state officials, naturally including El Presidenta Chavez for up to 40 months. Additionally, Chavez's Venezuela may also prosecute citizens for "defaming" the government as well. The UN and Human Rights Watch have urged Venezuela to repeal such laws as Argentina, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Peru have done already. Chile and Panama are in the process of repealing such laws.

Human Rights Watch has also expressed concern as the Venezuelan Congress dealt a sever blow to independence by packing the country's Supreme Court with 12 new justices. Five years ago Presidential Candidate Chavez promised to enshrine the principle of judicial independence with a new democratic constitution. After his election, the Chavez government betrays that promise by expanding the court from 20 to 32 members with the 12 new members all being members of Chavez's Fifth Republic Movement. This court packing law also gave the governing coalition the power to remove judges from the court without the two-thirds vote required under the constitution.

The state effectively controls television and radio broadcasting. Through the Law of Social Responsibility in Radio and Television the state, through loosely worded rules on incitement of breaches of public order can penalize broadcasters legitimate expression of political views.

The people of the United States should be outraged by Chavez's remarks. His criticism should ring hallow for every day, he increases his power through abuse of his authority.

Chavez is a socialist, claims to embrace democracy while totally rejecting the claim he's a dictator. But if you'll recall your history, Chavez eventually was elected president after his failed coup attempt in 1992 which resulted in the deaths of 14 soldiers and over 100 civilian and military injuries. Ever wonder why Venezuela is even more divided that the United States? Chavez and his allies took it upon themselves to circumvent democracy with their coup attempt! And he now has the audacity to claim he believes in democracy? Where were his beliefs in 1992? Ultimately the president they were trying to overthrow was removed from office the next year as a result of charges of corruption, which makes it abundantly clear, the Venezuela political system was healthy and capable of dealing with such abuses through legal means, his coup was a complete waste of time, and unfortunately people died as a result.

In 1994 after serving two years in prison for his coup attempt, he was graciously pardoned as was his main ally Francisco Cardenas. In 1998 he ran a populist campaign that was funded in large measure by millions of dollars in illegal contributions by two foreign banks. During his campaign he swore to abolish the traditional political system, put an end to corruption in government and eliminate poverty in the country. In 1999, the Venezuelan Constitution was rewritten by a group of Chavez supporters. This new and "improved" constitution tremendously increased the power of the president and weakened the power of the legislature.

In 2000, Chavez was not surprisingly re-elected under the new constitution. Amazingly enough, his opponent was his chief ally, Cardenas, and between the two of them, they captured 97% of the vote. Surprise of surprises, Cardenas is now the Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations. This would seem to indicate that the voters of Venezuela had to choose between the lesser of two evils that had a mere eight years prior, been traitors to the country.

In 2004, Venezuelans attempted to recall Chavez was impeded by the government, recall supporters were subject to intimidation but eventually a recall referendum was held. Chavez, allegedly survived with 60% of the vote in his favor. That recall was endorsed by President Carter, but exit polls indicated the opposite; that Chavez was effectively recalled by 60% of the voters. The vote was marred by a lack of transparency and obstructionism during the process that led to the US News and World Report to agree that there was compelling reason to believe that Chavez only retained his presidency due to massive voter fraud!

Has Chavez made good on his campaign promise to improve the lot of the poor in his country? It seems doubtful according to most UN and Human Rights Watch reports. Chavez seems to be spending the bulk of his time and effort in office in rigging a way for him to stay in office longer than the constitutionally mandated two terms. Time will tell in that regard.

Chavez undoubtedly engaged in traitorous acts against his country, was imprisoned, accepted illegal campaign contributions from rich multinational companies while claiming to being interested in helping the poor, he created a new constitution handing him more and more power. His only subsequent election was against a coup co-conspirator of his 1992 coup attempt who is now ambassador to the UN, it is likely that he was recalled by the voters of Venezuela in 2004, his government is rife with the exact corruption as previous governments and he is already attempting to rewrite the constitution so he can continue as the president.

Chavez deserves nothing from Americans but our contempt. Over the past few years, Chavez has made headlines not through anti poverty campaigns or fighting corruption in the government, but through a domestic was-the-dog campaign in which he has attempted to convince the citizens of Venezuela that an American attack is imminent, and by a more recent international campaign that is characterized by an inflammatory anti-American message. His domestic agenda is clear, to unite Venezuelans against an imaginary American military strike, in this way he distracts the people from whatever complaints they might otherwise voice against him as the move ever closer to the election in December. His anti-American rhetoric seems to be focused on gaining prominence in the eyes of the world and to gain support for his call for Venezuela to be given a seat on the UN Security Council; which is laughable and would be an utter disaster.

If it were not bad enough to have an idiot, tinpot dictator in the western hemisphere to step into the role of Castro, Chavez is supporting Iran in their nuclear program. He has also allied himself with Syria and hopes soon to meet with the pot bellied pig in North Korea. He has threatened to stop selling oil to the US. Chavez is clearly an irrational man conducting a dangerous foreign policy that borders on brinkmanship. He is attempting to solidify a bloc of anti-American nations to oppose and undermine the US. He even went so far as to recommend that the UN be moved from the US to some other location, and naturally he offered Venezuela as an option. While he obviously hates our President, he has also made it abundantly clear that he is opposed to the "American Empire", and that does not refer to President Bush alone, he's talking about America proper. I predict that Chavez is going to be the President of Venezuela for decades, when Bush is long gone.

Many countries may not be fond of our President, but there is a difference between disliking our President and creating an anti-American alliance that will in all probability be in existence long after Bush leaves office. I tell you here and now, the only way Chavez will relinquish office is through death or political uprising at the hands of the people of Venezuela.

Americans should understand and remember that Chavez is not our friend. He is a liar who will stoop to any means necessary to bring about our downfall. Not only is he actively engaged in creating an anti-American alliance, he is forming that alliance with the most brutal and irrational governments on the face of the earth, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Cuba. At least two of these unstable countries is in or about to join the nuclear club. And all are safe haven to state sponsored terrorists. This week for example, Iran and Venezuela signed an agreement to produce gun powder and small aircraft in Venezuela, why gun powder? Does Iran intend to use it for their peaceful alternative power program too?

My fellow Americans, we have our differences, and regardless of how you feel about President Bush, that fact is Chavez is opposing him to curry the favor of those who do not support him. Do not let Chavez fool you into thinking he is your friend. Remember the reality of how Chavez got to the presidency. Remember he is a socialist, his lack of attention to his campaign promise to alleviate the suffering of the poor, who constitute 50% of the population of Venezuela by the way. And remember the fact that he is trying to recruit rogue states into an alliance against our country.

Think about this, Chavez hangs onto his power by using the tactics that many accuse Bush of using regarding election fraud. It is reasonable to conclude that those who make these kinds of accusations against the President of the United States should hold Chavez to the same standard, should they not? Yet, some who accuse Bush excuse Chavez. In so doing, they do a disservice to the democratic principles they claim to hold in such esteem.

In the 1980s the US treated an Iraqi dictator as a friend because he was opposed to the US's enemies in the region; Iran. Ten years later, he became our enemy and the conflict that ensued has torn our unity apart. Some Americans that approve of Chavez are the same ones that accuse past administrations of stupidity in supporting Saddam in the early years. But these same people have not learned an important lesson from that mistake; That the enemy of your enemy is not always your friend. Just because Iraq stood against Iran did not make Saddam any less brutal. Likewise, certain Americans need to come to the realization that the fact that Chavez opposes Bush does not make him a friend of the American opponents to Bush.

We have far more things in common with one another than we do differences. One thing, one man that should unite us, is that cackling monkey, Hugo Chavez.

Christiandom stirring?

Once again my friends, we are treated to the spector of peaceful muslims on the march in western cities, over the reading of statements uttered during a religious war that occured over 500 years ago. Pope Benedict is now the target of vicious attacks, from verbal insults to threats of death.

Pope Benedict's merely reading a historical quote has touched off yet another firestorm of muslim protest, yet another round of red faced, frothing at the mouth protests as well as murder, vandalism and threats.

My friends; think, think about what has transpired. It is high time that westerners, whether religious or not, begin think about what we are faced with.

I will not belabor the fact that Islam is full of contradictions, which is really where it derives it's strength. That Islam easily lends itself to the justification of violence and making war. That once a person becomes a muslim, he is fairly considered a slave to the religion. That politics and Islam walk hand in hand. In the Islamic world, everything is based on Islam, the law, government, worship, dress, diet, personal conduct, there is no such thing as free will in Islam; one does indeed "submit" to the religion. Read more about Islamic teachings here.

A fellow blogger who happens to be a Catholic attended mass this past Sunday. After the mass was concluded and he was leaving historical Westminster Cathedral was met with about 100 muslim protestors. You can read his account here.

An Italian nun was shot in the back in retribution in Mogadishu.
Pope threatened with suicide attack.
Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza Attacked.
Pope apologizes, but violence continues.
Transcript of the Pope's speech.

My friends, if it is not now patently obvious to you then you are purposely hiding from reality. There is an element within the Isamic world community that while finding it perfectly legitimate to comment on Christianity, indeed to openly condem and criticize it, they cannot and will not tolerate the same.

What does the future hold in store regarding Christian/Muslim relations? I do not know, but the consequences are quite ominous. It is my hope that moderate muslims will soon speak out and that the radical element be effectively marginalized and be squeezed out.

Voices of reason from Muslim leaders.

Muslims are to blame for the Crusades.

I offer you the Crusades.

The Crusades are often cited a major justification for terrorism, especially by the tall dog, Osama bin Laden who never fails to describe the American war against terrorism as a new Crusade against Islam. It is this kind of historical ignorance that contributes to the sad situation and feeds the fire burning in the Islamic world. Muslims seem predisposed, indeed eager to believe this tripe. And it appears, so do many of us in the west. I have heard this statement so many times that I began reading about the Crusades extensively and what I found indicates that the Christians did not strike Islam first. It is often said that those who do not understand the past are doomed to repeat it. That is a relevant statement, for it appears we in the west do not understand that Islam has been a religion of violence since it's inception and throughout history. Let us take a few moments to examine the history of the Crusades.

It begins with the holy book of Islam, the Koran. According to the Koran. In my research I discovered some passages in it, that indicate to me that Islam is a religion based on not only submission, but violence and warfare! Take a look for yourself:

"Slay them wherever you find them...Idolatry is worse than carnage...Fight against them until idolatry is no more and God's religion reigns supreme." (Surah 2:190-)

"Fighting is obligatory for you, much as you dislike it." (Surah 2:216)

"The only true faith in God's sight is Islam." (Surah 3:19)

"Believers, do not make friends with any but your own people...They desire nothing but your ruin....You believe in the entire Book...When they meet you they say: 'We, too, are believers.' But when alone, they bite their finger-tips with rage." (Surah 3:118, 119)

"If you should die or be slain in the cause of God, His forgiveness and His mercy would surely be better than all the riches..." (Surah 3:156-)

"Seek out your enemies relentlessly." (Surah 4:103-)

"The Jews and Christians say: 'We are the children of God and His loved ones.' Say: 'Why then does He punish you for your sins?" (Surah 5:18)

"Believers, take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends." (Surah 5:51)

"Believers, when you encounter the infidels on the march, do not turn your backs to them in flight. If anyone on that day turns his back to them, except it be for tactical reasons...he shall incur the wrath of God and Hell shall be his home..." (Surah 8:12-)

"Make war on them until idolatry shall cease and God's religion shall reign supreme." (Surah 8:36-)

"If you fear treachery from any of your allies, you may fairly retaliate by breaking off your treaty with them." (Surah 8:51-)
"...make war on the leaders of unbelief...Make war on them: God will chastise them at your hands and humble them. He will grant you victory over them..." (Surah 9:12-)

"It ill becomes the idolaters [non-Muslims] to visit the mosques of God..." (Surah 9:17)

"Fight against such as those to whom the Scriptures were given [Jews and Christians]...until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued." (Surah 9:27-)

"It is He who has sent forth His apostle with guidance and the true Faith [Islam] to make it triumphant over all religions, however much the idolaters [non-Muslims] may dislike it." (Surah 9:31-)

"If you do not fight, He will punish you sternly, and replace you by other men." (Surah 9:37-)

"Prophet make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal rigorously with them. Hell shall be their home." (Surah 9:73)

"Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Deal firmly with them." (Surah 9:121-)

"Fight for the cause of God with the devotion due to Him...He has given you the name of Muslims..." (Surah 22:78-)

"Muhammad is God's apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another." (Surah 48:29)

"Shall the reward of goodness be anything but good?...Dark-eyed virgins sheltered in their tents...They shall recline on green cushions and fine carpets...Blessed be the name of your Lord..." (Surah 55:52-66-)

So, you see, the Koran demands, orders, compels muslims to seek the destruction of all who will not bow to Islam. I didn't bother to post the Koran's guidance about the issue of owning slaves, marrying more than one wife, etc. I think these passages are enough to illustrate my point. Islam is a religion of domination.

You might ask yourself, why not all muslims pick up the rifle and fight? I submit to you, that violence is not the only option available to muslim crusaders. Take a look at the immigration rates of muslims to Europe, how about the use of oil as a weapon? The use of the media to spread propaganda, brainwashing their children? Give it some thought, you'll find that the muslim crusader is quite devious. But, the goal is the same, to make Islam the dominate religion on earth.

To further illustrate my point take a look at this:

Omar M. Ahmad founder of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) said:"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant" he said. "The Koran, the Muslim book of scripture, should be the highest authority in America , and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth," he said.

Are you paying attention now?

Misconceptions about the Crusades are all to common. The Crusades are generally portrayed as a series of holy wars against Islam led by power hungry popes, fought by fanatical Christians. They are often further defined as having been an early breed of imperialists bent on forcing western ways on poor peaceful muslims in the Middle East.

To begin, the Crusades were in every sense, defensive wars, a response to muslim aggression. The Crusades were an attempt to defend against muslim conquests of Christian lands!

The Christians of the eleventh century weren't paranoid religious fanatics. The muslims were attacking them, invading and conquering their lands. During this period in history, Islam was spread almost exclusively by the sword! Muslims divide the world into two abodes, the abode of Islam and the abode of war. No other religion, in the eyes of Islam has an abode. As a rule, Christians and Jews can be tolerated but only in a muslim state, dominated by Islam! But by traditional Islamic teaching, Christian and Jewish states must be destroyed, their lands conquered and their people subjugated, converted to Islam, or killed. In the seventh century when Mohamed was waging a war against Mecca, Christianity was the predominant religion of the region.

Islam struck against the Christians shortly after Mohammed's death. They achieved successes in Palestine, Syria and Egypt which were at the time, the most heavily Christian areas of the known world, but the were vanquished quickly. By the eighth century, muslim soldiers had conquered all of Christian North Africa and Spain. In the eleventh century, the Seljuk (Turks) conquered Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), which had been Christian since St. Paul. The Roman Empire, known then as Byzantine, was reduced to little more than Greece. Out of these desperate circumstances, the emperor in Constantinople sent word to Christians in western Europe that they would fall next without their intervention.

This is what gave rise to the Crusades. It was not the brainchild of a power hungry pope or rapacious knights seeking plunder. It was an understandable response to more than four centuries of muslim aggression, and by that time they had conquered two-thirds of the old Christian world. At some point, Christians had to defend themselves or be subjugated by Islam. The Crusades were that defense!

Pope Urban II, called upon the knights of Christiandom to push the muslims out during the Council of Clermont in 1095. The knights responded. Thousands took the vow of the cross and prepared for battle. The generally accepted portrayal is that they were eager for plunder, that they were nothing more than lackeys of the pope. But think about this. Scholars verify that most of the crusading knights were generally wealthy men with more than enough land and money to last a lifetime. Nevertheless, they willingly gave up everything to undertake what they thought was a holy mission. Since crusading was not cheap, many of the Crusaders financed the campaign with their own money and assets, many impoverished themselves in the effort. The Crusaders believed in the cause and did believe it was a holy cause. Each of the Crusading Knights were well aware of their sins, the sinful nature of man. Some volunteered for the Crusades as a sort of penance to cleanse themselves of sin. Europe is littered with thousands of medieval charters attesting to these sentiments, charters in which these men still speak to us today, if we will only listen! Yes, some Crusaders became rich from the campaign, but the vast majority of them returned with nothing!

Pope Urban gave them two goals, both would be central the effort. First, rescue the Christians of the East. The second goal, to liberate Jerusalem and other holy places made holy during the life of Christ.

Consider the writings of Pope Urban II's successor, Pope Innocent III who wrote:

How does man love according to divine precept his neighbor as himself when knowing that his Christian brothers in faith and in name are held by the perfidious muslims in strict confinement and weighed down by the yoke of heaviest servitude, he does not devote himself to the task of freeing them? Is it by chance that you do not know that many thousands of Christians are bound in slavery and imprisoned by the muslims, tortured with innumberable torments?

Professor Jonathan Riley-Smith, an expert on the era says "Crusading" was understood as an "act of love," in this case, the love on one's neighbor. The Crusades were seen as an errand of mercy to right a terrible wrong. As Pope Innocent III wrote to the Knights Templar, "You carry out in deeds the words of the Gospel, "Greater love than this hath no man, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Pope Innocent also speaks to us from the past, through his writings:

Consider most dear sons, consider carefully that if any temporal king was thrown out of his domain and perhaps captured, would he not, when he was restored to his pristine liberty and the time had come for dispensing justice look on his vassals as unfaithful and traitors...unless they had committed not only their property but also their persons to the task of freeing him? And similarly will not Jesus Christ, the king of kings and lord of lords, whose servant you cannot deny being, who joined your soul to your body, who redeemed you with precious blood condemn you for the vice of ingratitude and the crime of infidelity if you neglected to help him?

Indeed, the Crusading Knights believed their mission a holy one.

The fact of the matter remains, and it is a fact; the reconquest of Jerusalem, was not imperialism, or colonialism, but an act of restoration and an open declaration of one's love of God. Medieval men knew, that God had the power to restore Jerusalem himself. But they interpreted his refusal to do so, a test, a blessing on them.

So, we can see that the motivation of the Crusading Knights, saw their mission as holy.

It is also often assumed the the goal of the Crusades was the forced conversion of the muslim world. But nothing could be further from the truth. From the perspective of medieval Christians, muslims were the enemies of Christ and his church. It was the Crusader's task to defeat and defend against them. That was all. Muslims who lived in Christian lands were allowed to retain their property, and livelihood, and always their religion. Throughout history it has been the muslims who demanded that others convert to Islam.

I don't need to drive the issue into the ground. But it is obvious to me, and I hope to you also and if not, I hope that you will reflect upon the history of the Crusades with all of the intellectual honesty you can muster.

A total of five Crusades were launched to free the holy land, but the first Crusade was the only one that realized the goal of freeing Jerusalem and Christians who lived there. It is also interesting to note, that upon taking Jerusalem, no campaign to convert muslims to Christianity was undertaken. Christianity is about forgiveness, Islam is about submission.

Looking back over time, it is too easy to look in disgust at the Crusades. Religion is a poor excuse for war after all. But we should at least be honest with ourselves as to why the Crusades occurred. We should also be ever mindful, that our ancestors would have been just as disgusted at us for fighting wars over political ideologies. But, both the medieval knight, and the modern Soldier fight for their own world and everything in it, for things important to them. Both are willing to suffer in service to something they hold dear, something greater than themselves. Whether or not you choose to admire the Crusaders or not, it is an undeniable fact that the world as we know it today would not exist without their sacrifices. The ancient faith of Christianity, with forgiveness as its core value, with it's respect for women, disdain for slavery not only survived the muslim onslaught, but flourished. Without the Crusades, Christianity might well have followed Zoroastrianism, another of Islam's rivals, into extinction.

In the year 2006, we find ourselves once again at odds with Islam. And as it was in medieval times, it is today. The west is defending itself from a religion predisposed to violent behavior, with world domination at it's goal. It would do us well to recall the Crusades and remember throughout history, just who has been attacking whom?