925th Anniversary of Call for Crusades an Opportunity for Peace
Declare Peace Jerusalem
The term “Crusades” is normally a trigger point for enmity in the Middle East. It need not be. The 925th anniversary offers a chance to transform a painful memory into a catalyst for dialogue and reconciliation. The “Reconciliation Walk” movement of the 1990’s shows how.
Note 2nd August 2021) We have now added an interpretation of this statement in Turkish.
(LONDON) (November 26th, 2020) – Close observers of the Middle East know that the Crusades continue today. They continue in headlines and speeches, they continue in the passionate conversations of millions, and they continue in the theological statements of Islamic militants. And in the western world the narratives and icons of the Crusades fuel the claim of culture warriors.
Consider the words of Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “The Crusades were not finished nine centuries ago in the past! Do not forget, the Gallipoli campaign was a Crusade!” For the Turkish president, this First World War attempt to land allied forces near Istanbul is part of an ongoing holy war.
Erdoğan’s take is by no means unusual. Major newspapers across the region use this language as a matter of course and Turkey’s example is not at all exceptional in the broader Islamic world. So what exactly are Muslims talking about?
The defining moment was November 27, 1095—925 years ago. That’s when Pope Urban II commissioned a campaign to take Jerusalem. Promising the remission of sins and every holy warrior a place in heaven, his plea was a rip-roaring success. Europeans responded by the tens of thousands, many believing that the Last Days were upon them.
It began with attacks on Jews in Europe, continued with a march across Turkish Anatolia, and ended in a bloodbath with the conquest of Jerusalem in July 1099. Mad with millenarian zeal, the Crusaders hacked down every Muslim they encountered—man, woman and child. Then, driving all the Jews into the synagogue, they burned it down.
The Crusades are still all about Jerusalem. Erdoğan is clear on this too. Speaking to parliament this year he reminded Turks that “the Jerusalem matter is not an ordinary geopolitical problem for us…. Jerusalem is our city, it is a city belonging to us.”
And Muslims are not alone. Jerusalem remains a priority for many vocal Christians and it is a necessity of faith for religious Zionists. Even Iran has a sacred holiday dedicated to Jerusalem and its restoration to Islamic rule.
But if the term “Crusades” is often a trigger point for enmity, it need not be. As the 900th anniversary loomed in 1999, a diverse group of Christians crossed the Middle East in step with the Crusaders’ who went centuries before. Numbering some 2,500, they came from 27 nations and a wide range of Protestant and Catholic backgrounds. Their goal was to take this inflammatory subject and transform it into a catalyst for dialogue and reconciliation.
As the “Reconciliation Walk,” they bore an apology for Crusader atrocities. Cathy Nobles, a leader in the effort, is now Training Director at St. Mary’s Centre for Peace and Reconciliation in Luton. “Listening to others’ views about the Crusades showed me the historical hurts and barriers that stood between us. Real historical and current pain. A simple ‘I am so sorry’ seemed to open the door to deeper discussions. We wanted to listen and to understand how we could build a new future between Western Christians and Muslims and Jews.”
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The gesture was well received:
In Turkey, Istanbul mayor Erdoğan’s office honoured the first group to arrive. Deputy Mayor Ali Müfit Gürtuna spoke for the government: “This project is very important to Turkey. You can see how much it means to the Turkish people when they line both sides of the road and applaud the walkers as they pass through!”
Mehmet Ali Yılmaz received the message as Turkey’s senior Muslim clergyman. He expressed hope that this marked a tuning point in Christian-Muslim relations, responding that he “was very moved.” Citing the problem of historical grievances, he stated, “We have no right to hold you responsible for something from the past.”
The government of Lebanon endorsed the effort too, opening doors to dozens of prominent religious leaders. They encouraged their followers to take the message to heart and respond in a spirit of Abrahamic fellowship. Syria’s government likewise opened its doors.
After three years, the project reached its conclusion in Jerusalem on July 15, 1999. This was exactly nine centuries after the Crusaders massacred Jerusalem’s Jews and Muslims. As hundreds of Christians gathered at its ancient walls, the divided city’s spiritual leaders responded in unison with open hearts.
Ekrima Sa'id Sabri accepted the message as overseer of the Haram as-Sharif (Temple Mount). At the same time, Israel’s Chief Rabbi, Yisrael Meir Lau, welcomed hundreds of ‘walkers’ in the Great Synagogue. “This evil century in which we are living started with those events 900 years ago,” Lau stated. “We hope this is the end of it…where nobody lifts up his hand to bring pain. Blessed are you who come in the name of the Lord!”
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat also personally received the message of reconciliation. Quoting the Bible, he greeted the group with “Glory to God in the highest and peace to men on earth.” He added his own words: “Peace will come to our land when more people like you come with a message of peace.”
The observance of Pope Urban’s launch of the Crusades marks a new season of remembrance. Approaching Jerusalem’s 925th anniversary in 2024, we have an opportunity to help each other reflect on these events in a better way. This can be a time to think afresh on the dynamics of holy war and the possibilities of peace.
As we approach Jerusalem, the place that Muslims, Jews and Christians see as the symbol of divine judgment, let it be a place of penitence for all, a place where we are not rivals in the contest for domination, but brothers and sisters bowed in humility before a greater power.
This project is in association with Marys Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, and has developed as we document and are inspired again by The Reconciliation Walk. For information on the Centre and those involved please go to the Centre website.
Contact Details:
NAME: PETER ADAMS
TELEPHONE: +44 7979 510709
EMAIL: peter.adams@stmarysforpeace.org
WEBSITE: www.stmarysforpeace.org