SCHLUSSEL: "Kingdom of Heaven," Bin Laden's Slanted Crusade Movie

DebbieSchlussel.com ^ | May 5, 2005 | Debbie Schlussel

[Cool Chick]

“Kingdom of Heaven”: Bin Laden’s Slanted Crusade Movie May 5, 2005 By Debbie Schlussel

Mark Twain said, “History tells us that the truth is not hard to kill, but a lie told well is immortal.”

“Kingdom of Heaven,” Ridley Scott’s extremely boring movie version of the Crusades, is Twain’s words in action. Scott is serial killer of truth—giving immortality to 1,000 lies—in this propaganda film.

The wannabe-epic is being panned for its lack of accuracy by a host of Islam experts, like Robert Spencer. Crusades expert Jonathan Riley-Smith says it’s basically “Osama bin Laden’s version of History.”

But the folks at HAMAS-front group CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) and ADC (American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee) just love “Kingdom.” That speaks volumes, since both groups never met an Islamic terrorist group they didn’t like.

Perhaps Scott is doing penance for having the chutzpah to make “Black Hawk Down,” about which they still whine incessantly.

But one needn’t be versed in the history of the Crusades to see that this Riefenstahl-esque drama is agenda-laden fiction.

Here’s the Cliff’s Notes version:

Christian Crusaders are crass, violent murderers. They lie, sleep around with multiple women, and father multiple illegitimate, abandoned children. They are stupid, foolish, power-hungry, and vengeful. They are boors warring for land, not principles, and kill fellow Christians—even priests—over nothing.

Muslims, especially Saladin, are honorable, devout, decent, peaceful people. They just want to be left alone and only attack when attacked upon. They are wise, honest, kind, generous, and even offer Christians safe passage.

[Eagles6]

Now that,ladies and gentlemen, is revisionist history.

[OXENinFLA]

http://www.americanthinker.com/

[tfecw]

"Now that,ladies and gentlemen, is revisionist history."

wrong

[Tribune7]

Debbie is generally on my wavelength when it comes to films. I doubt if I'll see this.

I never was a big Scott fan anyway.

[big'ol_freeper]

Ping

[dennisw]

bttt

[Theophilus]

• Kingdom of Heaven (2005) ???

• Matchstick Men (2003) Have not seen

• Black Hawk Down (2001) Loved It!!!

• Hannibal (2001) Have not seen

• Gladiator (2000) Loved It!!!

• G.I. Jane (1997) Hated It!!!

• White Squall (1996) Have not seen

• 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) Have not seen

• Thelma & Louise (1991) Interesting But Not Loved

• Black Rain (1989) Have not seen

• Someone to Watch Over Me (1987) Have not seen

• Legend (1986) Have not seen

• Blade Runner (1982) Loved It!!!

• Alien (1979) Have not seen but is a classic.

• The Duellists (1978) Loved It!!!

[dennisw]

Both Muslims and Christians are equally guilty of horrible atrocities during the Crusades.

So nice of you to be neutral. Go to a Muslim nation and try to find such even handedness. You won't.

[Alouette]

I don't get Orlando Bloom. they want him to be a star so much, but I think he's just SOOOO boring.

Eye candy for teenage girls.

[dennisw]

I'm no apologist for the Muslim world, but folks just need to keep this stuff in its proper perspective and remember that classical Islam was far different than the Islam of today.

You would have been a dhimmi Christian in that era. An overtaxed, brutalized peon under the thumb of Muhammadanism.

[Blzbba]

"So nice of you to be neutral. "



So nice of you to ignore history. Your fantasies of what you prefer to think happened are just that. I don't care what Muslims or Christians think when the answer to this can be found in history books. And it's not kind to either side.

[Alouette]

All the reviews that I have read of this film describes how the Muslims and the Christians are portrayed. How does the film portray Jews? Or are there no Jewish characters in the film?

[Minus_The_Bear]

Vile things were done by both sides during the Crusades. Christianity has gone through many changes (reformation etc) since then while Islam hasn't progressed out of the 9th century.

[dennisw]

Smarten up. You live in the Christian West. You live under the shield of Christian civilization. Islam is to blame for conquering Christian and Jewish lands and communities. The Crusades were a belated response to this Islamic aggression. Also to ensure safe passage of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land. You are probably an atheist anyhow.

[COBOL2Java]

Vile things were done by both sides during the Crusades. Christianity has gone through many changes (reformation etc) since then while Islam hasn't progressed out of the 9th century.

At least this much is irrefutable. As far as advancing civilization, Islam hasn't done squat.

[Blzbba]

"Vile things were done by both sides during the Crusades."


Yep. I already posted that.


"Christianity has gone through many changes (reformation etc) since then while Islam hasn't progressed out of the 9th century."


Hell, in many ways, Islam is WORSE off than it was in the 9th century. Not a fan of Islime am I.

[Nachum]

Thank you so much for the American Thinker link. Great read.

[Blzbba]

"Smarten up. You live in the Christian West. You live under the shield of Christian civilization. "


Which doesn't mean I get to rewrite or sanitize history, even if it is offensive to Christians or Muslime. Sorry - history doesn't work like that.


'Islam is to blame for conquering Christian and Jewish lands and communities. The Crusades were a belated response to this Islamic aggression. Also to ensure safe passage of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land."

Also to make the leaders of Europe extremely wealthy off the conquered lands and captured booty. The motivations were not all altruistic, contrary to your rose-colored beliefs.


"You are probably an atheist anyhow."

My religious beliefs have no bearing on what happened in history, nor do yours. Muslime committed atroicites as did Christians. Your apparent denial of this is humorous in its ignorance and I thank you for amusing me.

[Tallguy]

That’s the other interesting point “Kingdom” conveniently omits. At the time of Saladin, the 12th Century, there were Muslim Crusades in Spain and North Africa.

This is curious since the History Channel reported that the movie was filmed in Spain at an authentic "Crusader Castle." Now how you 'spose a "Crusader Castle" got installed in the Pyrennes Mountains? Even the History Channel glossed over that one!