Question

How did the crusades impact the relationship between christians and muslims?

Answer 1

Answer:

To provide some background, the Crusades happen over a period of approximately 200 years in the middle ages. They were 'holy war' sanctioned by the Pope of the Catholic Church  with the intention of strengthening the Church by recapturing Jerusalem (the holy land) from the Muslims.

The impact of the Crusades on the relationship between the Christians and the Muslims may thus be summarised as follows:

• about 10% of the population of Europe then (Christians and Muslims alike) died during the Crusade. The actual figure is estimated at 6 million people.

• a polarisation of the East and West based on religious differences.
• an increase in xenophobia and intolerance between Christians and Muslims, and between Christians and Jews, heretics and pagans.
• the use of a religious historical precedent to justify colonialism, warfare and terrorism.

• Once the era of crusading warfare had begun, there was seemingly no way to stop it, and with recurring periods of conflict grew the distrust, misunderstanding, and often outright hatred between followers of the two religions.

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