As I show in my forthcoming book The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS, the Crusades were not a gratuitous imperialistic venture, but a late and small-scale defensive reaction to 450 years of imperialist jihad aggression that had conquered and Islamized what had been half of the Christian world, and threatened the life of the Christian empire, the Byzantine empire. The College of the Holy Cross students and faculty show know this, but it is doubtful that such truths have been taught there in many a year. And so the West continues its cultural self-abnegation in the face of the chimera of “Islamophobia,” a propaganda neologism designed to make people ashamed of defending themselves and their homeland against a newly aggressive Islamic jihad.
“‘Crusaders’ mascot succumbs to ‘Islamophobia’ concerns,” by Sandor Farkas, College Fix, March 16, 2018 (thanks to the Geller Report):
After a month of indecision, the College of the Holy Cross has decided to cease using a Christian knight as its mascot despite a Board of Trustees decision to retain the “Crusader” moniker.
Students first voted to adopt the Crusader name in 1925, replacing two concurrently-used Native American symbols, and later changed the name of the student newspaper from The Tomahawk to The Crusader in 1955.
“Over the coming months, the College will gradually phase out the use of all knight-related imagery.”…
The students, spurred to outrage by a letter-to-the-editor signed by 48 faculty members, also complained that the newspaper’s name promoted “Islamophobia” and argued that the 2016 election necessitated a change in both the paper’s name and the college’s mascot—also the Crusader.
The mascot’s defenders, however, pointed out the historical reality that the Crusades were a conflict between expanding Muslim empires and declining Christian powers that had already been fighting each other over land for centuries, arguing that the contemporary inclination to disparage the Crusaders overlooks the fact that both sides committed atrocities.
The school’s president, Fr. Philip Boroughs, nonetheless announced in September that he “had convened a working group” to explore whether “the Crusader moniker and mascot are appropriate, or inappropriate, representations of the college, given our mission, values, and identity.”…
One day later, after hearing the working group’s report, the Board of Trustees decided to continue using the Crusader name, acknowledging that while the Crusades were “among the darkest periods in Church history,” the college considers its students and staff “Crusaders for human rights, social justice, and care for the environment; for respect for different perspectives, cultures, traditions, and identities; and for service in the world, especially to the underserved and vulnerable.”
In a video accompanying the announcement, Boroughs explained that the college would “assess” how this understanding aligns with “the ways in which we depict” its Crusader identity, stating in another letter that the administration had assessed “all visual representations of the Crusader, to ensure they align with our definition of what it means to be a Holy Cross Crusader.”
Boroughs reported that “the visual depiction of a knight, in conjunction with the moniker Crusader, inevitably ties us directly to the reality of the religious wars and the violence of the Crusades.”…
jihad3tracker says
FOR THE RELENTLESS PRIVILEGE-GUILT IDIOTS THAT MANY OF US HAVE IN OUR FAMILIES & FRIENDS —
Please do a web search for this: “Dynamic Battle Map” of the Crusades on Dr. Bill Warner’s web site (www [dot] politicalislam [dot] com.
He extensively cites how, as Robert writes in this post, Islamist jihad FORCED A PUSHBACK against slaughter, rape, pillage — in desperate hope of Western Jewish-Christian culture prevailing.
gravenimage says
Yes–the Crusades were largely *defensive* wars against Islam.
Indiana Tom says
If you do not stand for something, you will fall for anything.
College of the Holy Jellyfish.
J D S says
Well,well,well..Not long now and in the making……crosses, steeple,bell towers, and then next the church itself will be removed.
I’ve been on God’s earth many,many years now and I can’t believe our government can’t see what’s coming…what’s already here and have not taken action….Will it take another wake up call to return America to its former self …DEAR GOD I pray not. Pray like you never have, that God will intervene.
mortimer says
The Crusaders were really the DEFENDERS of Europe and of its Roman and Christian civilization that gave so much progress to the ancient world.
The reason the Dark Ages occurred is because Muslims DESTROYED BOOKS and working systems everywhere they went. The educated fled for their lives if they were able.
The first five centuries of Islam were nothing but raiding, plundering, enslaving, extorting and destroying. The next nine centuries of Islam were centuries of pushback. In the 21st century, Europeans have lost their minds and decided to commit collect suicide by inviting the destroyers inside the gates.
The ‘Islamophobia’ portmanteau word, Franken-word, is the Strawman Fallacy or a Cheap Shot or a Conflation of the Legitimate Dislike of an Ideology with an Unfair Prejudice against People or the Self-Righteousness Fallacy (which self-righteous the accuser does have to prove) or a Question-begging Strategy to declare victory even prior to discussion, in order to prevent ALL reasoned debate about Islamic ideology from occurring.
In the ‘Definition’ Fallacy, a propagandist defines the terms in the argument so as to create prejudice against his opponent, thus giving himself an unfair advantage even before the opponent’s full ARGUMENT has been presented.
Furthermore, ‘Islamophobia’ is also a FRANKEN-WORD, an occasional synonym for a “portmanteau word”. It combines two UNRELATED thoughts in order to create a shorthand term that bypasses a lengthy explanation and intellectual and ethical scrutiny. In other words, ‘Don’t listen to that person who is a MONSTER.’
‘Islamophobia’ is a word that bypasses the proof that the person who is slandered is guilty of a crime. ‘Islamophobia’ allows the judges to simply skip the whole trial process and go directly from an accusation of a crime to the sentencing, leaving out the requirement to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt prior to applying condemnation and punishment.
‘Islamophobia’ is a way of saying someone is guilty without a trial or a proper hearing of the case. That is why it is pronounced with such triumphalism. Smug people who use the term want to escape from the burden of having to prove whether their accusation of bigotry is valid or not. Whoever protests the term is taken by the denial to be guilty.
The ‘Islamophobia’ Strawman fallacy is like the medieval witch test: if the alleged witch was thrown bound into a pond and floated, she was guilty, but if she sank and drowned, then she was innocent. Either way, the witch died. That’s the technique modern Leftards are using to stop debate about Islamic supremacism.
Pet Charles says
Europeans have not lost their minds. It is obvious to the whole world that Europe is a warlike continent. No peace loving people would invite a hostile people into their lands who openly profess that their goal is to not assimilate but to conquer that land and convert the people. And those people have immediately launched terrorist attacks and are making good on their pledge every day. Only a people who want long protracted civil wars, pogroms and genocide would encourage that.
gravenimage says
Most people in Europe are still in denial over Islam being violent, as you must know.
Indiana Tom says
To promote World Peace, I propose all of us convert to the Religion of the Floating Jellyfish. We can all be an undefined shapeless blob carried by whatever world currents that are in vogue in a spasmodic moment in time.
Prebanian says
The College of the Holy Cross is terrified. Western Civilization is lost to the barbarians. The comforts of civilization have a way of attracting barbarians. And Islam adherent never forget and never fail to following the Jihadist verses of the Koran.
Frankz says
What else would you expect a college with the mentality of a social club to do?
gravenimage says
College of the Holy Cross axes “Crusader” mascot to avoid “Islamophobia”
…………………….
More sickening dhimmitude.
Japetto Danatelli says
If this mascot is too offensive then is anything safe from leftist bigotry for islam? Is this how it goes then? our cultural and institutional symbols destroyed like artifacts blown up by ISIS?
Incidents like this show all too well, our culture and freedoms are under attack at the smallest level for islam. We’re teaching our young to be ashamed of our own Christian heritage and to self-loath everything that makes us unique as a nation and people. We are bending over backward to appease people who would never make the same concessions for us. Muslims move in and set up their own quasi-independent society right under our noses, nothing changes for them.
We, however, must change our traditions, withhold our opinions, sacrifice our welfare, our children to muslim rape, our neighborhoods to enclaves, pay billions in added security, be humiliated at airports, wage war against their allah atrocities… but hey, that game-time costume of a brave Christian warrior has to go. We wouldn’t want to give muslims the impression that we aren’t willing to give up every damn morsel that makes us who we are. To this very day Christians all around the world, the middle east particularly, are killed, tortured and run out of town by muslim hate. Why in the hell are we straining so hard in our own country to please muslims who are dispensing genocidal religious hatred toward others? Political correctness has become the bludgeon of every nihilist and self-hating lefty who’d rather destroy our freedom than risk offending the sensibilities of a violent and hateful religion.
I can’t say this too much, this is how we’re going to lose freedom in America. Dark forces in this country have aligned with the islamic agenda. They want to destroy us from within and they’re succeeding. Our nation is looking more and more like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water. Europe is already cooked, and the fires of islamic hate are licking our feet.
Reject islam! save America!
Lydia Church says
The retreat advances…
KP says
Although the Crusades against the Muslims were defensive in nature, the Baltic Crusades (The Northern Crusades) were crusades of aggression and conversion of pagans by the sword. Just like the Muslims, the Christians believed in and practiced converting people by the sword for more than 200 years. The Lithuanians were the last pagans to be so converted.
CogitoErgoSum says
Will the Christians impose the death penalty if any of them go back to being pagans?
gravenimage says
Nope. There actually is a small neo-pagan movement in Europe–no violence from Christians, needless to say.
Niemoller says
It’s not unusual or unexpected for the persecuted to at times take up the methods of their persecutors. For instance, the Spanish were tortured by their Moorish Muslim occupiers; they then started the Inquisition shortly after liberating Spain. The key to understanding the difference is to determine which side started the violence, and whether the use of genocide, torture, rape and slavery are part of their theological canon and normal practice. With Islam, it attacked first (jihad) and it exceeds the violence standard by a wide margin over Christianity or any other major religion.
Martin says
They shall henceforth be known as the Holy Cross “Doves of Saint Francis.”
MFritz says
And now waiting for a muslim school to remove their jihadist idol… forever.
LeftisruiningCanada says
Yes, and we can be sure that this show of penitence and sensitivity will tug at the consciences of ISIS fighters so much, that they will remove the sword from their black flag.
Phil Copson says
The “islamophobes” – (or “islamofools”) – are those like Philip Boroughs – people who are frightened of what Islam might contain, and too frightened to find out, let alone say “No” to it.
His Board of (untrustworthy) Trustees, and the 48 signatories to their declaration of surrender have an aptly-named leader; “Burrows” is a very suitable name for a rabbit….
Wellington signs off quite often by saying that he’s closing down his keyboard and grabbing a few beers – it’s a bit early for me to do that, as it’s morning here, and I have to head off to Bury St Edmunds in heavy snow to collect a nice old-fashioned roll-top desk, but on my return I shall certainly have a couple of pints in a nice little village pub near me – “The Saracen’s Head”….
gravenimage says
Nice pub name–and a not uncommon one.
Baucent says
If they really want to be inclusive they would need to drop that “Holy Cross” as well, as it sure is offensive to muslims. But this is really a nonsense story. You can find much more “inappropriate imagery” in Spain in parades commemorating the defeat of the Moors.
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
Mr Spencer, you mean the genocidal killings led by the church are justified. ï could not See cogent and irréfutable historical evidence on series of muslims killing christians within those 450 years to justify revenge by churchmen where more than 20 million muslims brutally killed in the name of mithraist Christ.
MFritz says
Never a word on Nigeria, because you are not from Nigeria. You are a liar and a criminal. DON’T FEED THE TROLL! DON’T SUPPORT THE CRIMINAL!
Niemoller says
You’re not entitled to make up facts. A bunch of knights on horseback mostly stuck in hilltop redoubts and short of supplies didn’t kill more than the nazis in WWII, but Muslims did certainly did mass murder tens of millions because Islam’s inventor Muhammad put words into God’s mouth commanding them to do so. More than 80 million Hindus murdered in the Islamic invasion of India alone.
Niemoller says
And to make the point why it’s relevant today–Muslims are still mass murdering all over the world, wherever Islam exists. Ancient history is irrelevant, but Muslims committing extreme violence in the name of Islam is not ancient history, it’s the daily news across the globe.
gravenimage says
Ibrahim itace muhammed always makes up his own facts.
Grrrrrrr....... says
Most likely the Crusaders saved Christianity and thus all of western civilisation.
All what we have accomplished and what we have and enjoy is based on this. If not for them our countries would be islamic with the totalitarian ruling of the death cult of Islam and no progress since 1400 years.
gravenimage says
True.
FYI says
“the History of Jihad from muhammed to isis”.
Will you just look at the praise it is getting!
“An excellent,superbly written book from someone who knows the subject.
Why would anyone want anything to do with islam?I mean,It is not even one of my religions!”
Highly recommended **********
GOD
“Oy vey,oy vey!About time.We Jewish and authentic prophets of God are fed up with this nonsense that muhammed was a prophet and islam is a religion of peace.Meshugagh:Enough already!”
{Moses,Elijah and Jesus Christ of the Jewish Biblical Society of ACTUAL prophets}
“farq off amrikan bastages with your “land of free” sheeth,your infidel God,evil Zionist plots and feelthy, well researched,bestselling books that tell the truth about islam.
farqing joos and Israelis .. always plotting against me”
allah
“Oh no don’t be drawing cartoons of me..you feelthy holy spirit satan mithrists depicting me in cartoon form llke sinful great satan,mickey mouse.
sory for bad spelign.Unlike GOD,allah an me only be speking arbic ”
muhammed
{Author of “The Jizya method:how muslims can get rich quickly by stealing from infidels and by murdering them all “}
Tim says
I wrote this letter to the president of a local (Cincinnati) high school whose nickname is “The Crusaders”
Dear Mr. Hyzdu,
Perhaps you are aware that the College of the Holy Cross has eliminated their long standing mascot “The Crusader”.
Today we see this obsequious behavior endemic throughout the Western world. Europe has all but surrendered to Islamic supremacy and Western Civilization and Christianity will disappear from Europe within the lifetime of your students.
You are a busy man with considerable responsibilities and may well be only haphazardly informed about the threat that we all face in this century. “Terrorism” is but a symptom of this threat, the threat is much bigger than this overt expression, the threat is also insidious, opaque, devious, unrelenting and very, very real.
When Urban II launched the first Crusade in 1095 Western Civilization had been under attack by Islam for the preceding 463 years. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre had been destroyed in 1066. The Crusades were defensive in nature or, at “worse”, they were the first counteroffensive offered by Europe against Islamic aggression.
If Moeller’s nickname has not already been threatened it will be, rest assured. Please, do not weaken and cave-in to any efforts to eliminate your school’s history. Stand strong.
If my knowledge may be of additional help please let me know.
Frederick Middleton says
I thought to Crusade just meant an inner spiritual struggle, getting the kids to school on time, going to the gym etc.
Wellington says
The very name of the school, “College of the Holy Cross,” is offensive to Islam since Islam denies (right in Sura 4 of the Koran) that Jesus was ever crucified. So, what’s next? A name change to the “College of the Subservient Dhimmi?”
gravenimage says
+1
Hogdude says
Islam blasphemes the Holy Cross and all it stands for. Stand up for Christ, not against Him.
Wellington says
“Islam blasphemes the Holy Cross…..”
Yes it does and there is no longer any excuse for any Christian not “getting” this.
John D.Alder says
I see no reason why I should give a damn what Muslims or Jews like or don’t like. I think it’s disgusting to see people sucking up to them and grovel before them and for what?!
Wellington says
Huge difference, John D. Adler, between Muslims and Jews. The former adhere to a belief system that thinks war should be used to eventually make sure all the world bends its way. The latter have no such directive in their theological blueprint. Moreover, Judaism has a Golden Rule for all. Islam has a Golden Rule only for fellow Muslims. Additionally, while the Old Testament is often only descriptive, the Koran is always prescriptive. I would more or less finish here by rhetorically asking you how many Jewish suicide bombers there are per capita as compared with Muslim suicide bombers?
My God man, I don’t think you even comprehend that Israel is the only beacon of light in that dark corner of the world known as the Middle East. Israel is the canary in the coal mine of Western Civilization. As Israel goes, so goes the West. Or don’t you get this?
gravenimage says
Spot on, Wellington. Also, no Jews are demanding that this school change its mascot.
Mark A. says
One wonders what kind of mascot will replace the knight.
I’m sure it will be something the SJW’s approve of and the rest of us find ridiculous.
gravenimage says
Mark, they are just doing away with the Knight mascot, and not replacing him with anything:
https://www.holycross.edu/crusader-moniker-and-mascot/update-crusader-imagery
https://www.holycross.edu/crusader-moniker-and-mascot
Sounds as though they actually will continue to use the “Crusaders”, though.
gravenimage says
Yes–appalling. You can say whatever you want, but if Muslims don’t like it they will murder you.
LR says
I hope ‘all you Christians’ out there slam this school with nice, polite, but fervent letters….
Knights weren’t always pleasant fellows, but I think it’s a great mascot for a college with this name…This self-effacing gesture makes me sick…
Geez, Stand up for yourselves Holy Cross…Those wishing to keep the mascot need to keep pestering for it.
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
Niemollar,mughal muslim rulers of Indian were Indians, not foreign invaders like British. How do you get the figure of 80 million Hindus killed by Muslims ? From the Satan Who invented mithraist christianity and Idol worships ? By that time the whole population of India was less than 80 millions. How did Hindus survived and now more than 800 millions ? Present your data and analysis for us to verify scientifically. Idiot !!