Comparing the Islamic jihad and the Christian crusade is useful for understanding both historical and ideological issues regarding religiously motivated conquest. The reason for the above notion is based on concepts and actions that have been carried out by these religious groups historically and in recent past. There is need to point out that the Islamic jihad and the Christian crusade could be said to have similar ideologies based on the fact they are carried out with the intent of ensuring the spread of both religions among people who do not belong to or practice the religion. At this juncture, there is a need to note that the easy is developed to carry out a vivid differentiation between Islamic jihad and a Christian crusade. The study will also look at the modern perception of what jihad is and how specific Islamic groups justify what they do.
Having provided the above background for the study, there is need to point out that a Christian crusade can be defined as a series of religious wars carried out and sanctioned by the Latin church of the then medieval era. The wars are mainly carried out by Christian based a deep affiliation for the attainment of specific goals such as the suppression or complete removal of paganism, the destruction of heresy, political and territorial advantages and another concept such as the resolution of conflicts that was profound among the catholic group in Rome. An excellent example of the prominent Christian crusades in history took place from 1096-1099 know as one of the eastern Mediterranean crusade, (Mayer, H1972).
The jihad simply means struggles or efforts with a praiseworthy connotation. As at the time of the development of the concept of jihad is was considered as an effort put in place to attain the betterment of the society however it always associated with heated conflicts and wars. Therefore in classic Islam jihad is referred to as a struggle against unbelievers, however in modern time it is considered as defensive military warfare. An excellent example of Islamic jihad is known as the spread of Rashidun caliphate and it last of a century, (Peters, 2005).
Having pointed the meaning of these concepts and also mentioned specifics example of jihad and Christian crusade in history, there is need to begin a vivid differentiation of these models as discussed above. The era of the spread of the Rashidun caliphate was characterized by the spread of Islamic religion from the borders of India and that of China. The holy war led to the conquest of some territories in such region leading the spread of Islam as profound religion practice in such regions. Medieval Arabic authors were of the opinion that such conquest was commanded by God and hence the need for the dedication of zeal and might towards the attainment of the will of God. However, modern writers are of the opinion that hunger and increased desertification was a factor the inspired such conquest rather than jihad. The struggle saw the establishment Rashidun caliphate which implemented and enacted Islamic laws and governance, (Bonner, 2008)
The eastern Mediterranean crusades consisted of nine specific expeditions in a bid to regain the control of Jerusalem and the capture of several other territories there were little or no Christian presence at the time. The expeditions were well-coordinated actions as they were directly launched by the then church leadership most especially the pope. As these expeditions continue, the notion of regaining the holy land was no longer the primary objective of the crusader's other factors such as economic, social, and political were integrated into such crusades. For the discussion in the section, there is need to look at the first’s crusade which was launched by the then Pope Urban. The action was a bid to call for the help of eastern Christian to restore the lands that were already captured by the Muslims, and it took place from 1096-1099, (Riley-Smith, 2014).
There is need to point out there is distorted view as regarding the modern perception of jihad. In recent times, there have been events where modern terrorist have hijacked the concept of jihad to attain their objectives and goals. The modern perception of jihad in recent times is associated with an action such as racial behavior among Muslim youth and Islam in general. The terms have been connected and supported by misinterpreted verses in the Quran in a bid to attain ulterior motives and hidden agendas. Jihad in recent times has been associated with combating fighting, killing, abduction which is on the contrary to initial positive notion of jihad, i.e., a struggle for a good cause, (Jackson, 2002).
In conclusion, there is need to point out that there many radical Islamic groups currently operational in the world today; an excellent example of such groups is the al-Qaida. Over the years this group has been able to convince itself and its member that their actions are justified; hence pointing out their actions are profoundly motivated by the need to emancipated members of the Islamic world form foreign influence. However, based on popular opinions, this above justification remains controversial and it is widely considered to be untrue.
Reference
Bonner, M. (2008). Jihad in Islamic history: doctrines and practice. Princeton University Press.
Jackson, S. A. (2002). Jihad and the modern world. J. Islamic L. " Culture, 7, 1.
Mayer, H. E. (1972). The crusades. Oxford University Press.
Peters, R. (2005). Jihad in classical and modern Islam: a reader. Markus Wiener Publishers.
Riley-Smith, J. (2014). The crusades: A history. Bloomsbury Publishing.
