The article “This is Not the Crusades: There’s Nothing Medieval about ISIS,” discusses how recent politicians tend to portray ISIS and its behavior as similar to what occurred during the Crusades in the medieval times. In even more disturbing turn of events, many groups and countries use the thought that ISIS is acting like the medieval times, as a means of rationalizing that this violence is tolerable. According to the article, “ISIS perpetuates a myth of an Islam always in conflict with the Christian West. If history teaches that such conflicts can never be resolved…all Muslims will have to join their campaign of terror” (Perry 2). The author goes on to note that such thoughts are not based on history, but instead are utilized by radical activists to further their unholy cause. I find this argument extremely convincing in that by calling the actions of ISIS medieval and relating them to the Crusades, which were considered holy wars, people are trying to defend these actions. Yet, these actions should not be justified by history. As stated in the article: Knowing history matters. …show more content…
While this was a good and important goal, and some participated in the Crusades for holy reasons, there were many other motivations for fighting in the Crusades. Some of these non-holy reasons included a great desire for fame and fortune, the chance to become landowners, the opportunity for adventure and excitement, and just plain greed. The Crusades are a well-known time in history because “we’ve endlessly romanticized the story of the Crusades” ( ). In fact, Pope Urban II initially called for the Crusades. However, the results of the Crusades were not stellar. The Crusades were devastating wars with lasting negative consequences. The goal of controlling the Holy Land was a failure, along with creating great bitterness and intolerance between Christians, Muslims, and