[agere_contra]

Agreed, but with respect I think your point would be clearer if you eschewed the strange phrase “Mohammedan crusades”.

They’re not sewing crosses onto their tunics after all. We should just call their actions “Jihad”, which is what they call them.

[Nathan Zachary]

You can call their murderous plundering "Jihad", but it is a crusade just the same. The word isn't exclusive. and what's with the 'sewing on crosses' dig about? You should know that the "christian crusades" as they are so often wrongly called did not have well trained armies which were required to sew a cross on their overcoats. That "cross symbol" was exclusive to armies belonging to certain rulers, not of the church.

The Crusades, of which there were many, but only three which were petitioned by the pope, were defensive in nature, a response to the Mohammadan crusades, or "jihad' if you like. They were sent to retake the holy lands. The third crusade never even materialized.

[cake_crumb]

Jihad is crusade. Crusade is a valid word, not just several historical events.

[jmcenanly]

The Crusades were an attempt to rescue the Holy land from Muslim invaders. Before the advent of political correctness, this was seen as a noble aim, if not often nobly executed. Now any attempt by western civilization to defend itself is seen as an atrocity.