[Irish Rose]

I posted this because it provides a unique perspective of the War on Terror. It is hard on Islam and Muslims, and thoroughly grounded in Christianity. Whether you agree or not, it provides food for thought.

[Noachian]

One knows the tree by its fruits.

This one phrase say a lot about Islam the "religion of peace".

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Considering that at the time that was written, it had been less than 40 years since Ferdinand and Isabella had kicked the Jews out of Spain, and the Ottoman Sultan Beyazid had taken in as many of them as he could get (including one of my ancestors), my sympathies may well have been with the Turks at that time.

That said, I don't think the parallel between the War on Terror and the Crusades is that close. The main cause of the War on Terror (as presently conducted) are the attacks of 9/11. Not the Crusades.

For that matter, it seems many of the Muslims who are not leaders are not dismayed to see the U.S. act as they had. The rise of democracy in Iraq and the movement towards the same in many other Arab Islamic countries is putting paid to the canard that Islam, itself, has it in for the west.

[Kozak]

The Kozaks of the Dnieper to the Sultan of Turkey: Thou Turkish Satan, brother and companion to the accursed Devil, and companion to Lucifer himself, Greetings! What the hell kind of noble knight art thou? The Devil voids, and thy army devours. Never wilt thou be fit to have the sons of Christ under thee: thy army we fear not, and by land and on sea we will do battle against thee. Thou scullion of Babylon, thou wheelwright of Macedonia, thou beer-brewer of Jerusalem, thou goat-flayer of Alexandria, thou swineherd of Egypt, both the Greater and the Lesser, thou sow of Armenia, thou goat of Tartary, thou hangman of Kamenetz, thou evildoer of Podoliansk, thou grandson of the Devil himself, thou great silly oaf of all the world and of the netherworld and, before our God, a blockhead, a swine's snout, a mare's ass, a butcher's cur, an unbaptized brow, May the Devil take thee! That is what the Kozaks have to say to thee, thou basest-born of runts! Unfit art thou to lord it over true Christians! The date we write not for no calendar have we got; the moon is in the sky, the year is in a book, and the day is the same with us here as with thee over there, and thou canst kiss us thou knowest where!

[Dark Skies]

Thanks for posting this article...Food, indeed!

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Martin Luther was a very wise man. His words about Islam are as true today as they were 500 years ago.

[lightman]

"Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word"
by Martin Luther, 1483-1546

1. Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy Word;
Curb those who fain by craft and sword
Would wrest the Kingdom from Thy Son
And set at naught all He hath done.

2. Lord Jesus Christ, Thy power make known,
For Thou art Lord of lords alone;
Defend Thy Christendom that we
May evermore sing praise to Thee.

3. O Comforter of priceless worth.
Send peace and unity on earth.
Support us in our final strife
And lead us out of death to life.

Hymn 261
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: John 8: 31
Author: Martin Luther, 1541

The second line of the first stanza orginally included "curb thou the murd'rous Turk..."

[cake_crumb]

Maybe we shouldn't be so hard on Muslims just because their culture hasn't evolved in 1300 years. Old Europe obviously isn't much better. Luther's insights into the political dogma of the 16th century sounds almost exactly like what we've been hearing for the past four years.

[gaijin]

marking

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

You may be interested to know that Muhammad had no use for the Turks either:

Hadith Bukhari,
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 179:
Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Turks; people with small eyes, red faces, and flat noses. Their faces will look like shields coated with leather. The Hour will not be established till you fight with people whose shoes are made of hair."

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/052.sbt.html#004.052.179

[hosepipe]

Ummmm... could be an interesting thread..
Jews, Protestants and Roman Catholics all get pricked...
not to speak of Muslims of every stripe..
will stand alert for the reparte'..