Since the creation of the twenty-four hour news cycle, the globe has witnessed a multitude of political spectacles and history altering events. Such events include the Apollo 11 moon landing, evacuation of the U.S. Consulate in Saigon, and in more recent history the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Since this act of terrorism, the number of destructive events undertaken in the name of Allah has risen drastically. This holy war, or jihad, has been compared to the Crusades undertaken by Christians back in the early 11th through the 13th centuries, with the United States President Obama saying, “Lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ.” This comparison between the two holy wars is inaccurate and deceptive. To understand the illegitimacy of this comparison, the history and motivations of the Crusades and jihad must be assessed and contrasted. Only through this type of examination can these holy wars be accurately compared with one another. To acquire a comprehensive understanding of the history of the Crusades, it is imperative to examine the history of Europe in …show more content…
As head of the Catholic Church, Urban was responsible for the spiritual well-being of all people in Latin- Christendom . With Orthodox Christianity about to succumb to Islamic forces, Pope Urban II saw an opportunity to unify the two factions of Christianity under one leader. By saving eastern Europe from Islam, the Pope could unify Christianity under one Holy Father and place himself upon the throne. This would have given Pope Urban II power and dominion over all Christianity within European states as well as European colonies and territories. However, Pope Urban II had motivations other than his thirst for power for beginning this religious