Crusades
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Featured:  Illustration: Portrait fantaisiste du marquis de Sade (1866) by H. Biberstein |
Use of the word crusade for a campaign on behalf of a noble cause may be inadvisable for international use. The medieval Crusades were wars waged by Christians on Muslims. A “crusade” against, say, the deadly disease smallpox may be inappropriate in some parts of the world.
The Arabic word jihad has connotations in reverse; it may be used for totally worthy causes, and also for religious wars. The comparison is helpful for understanding why crusade may be contentious in some parts of the world, but it is a superficial comparison and should not be taken literally. Both involved armed conflict in the name of religion, but on closer examination, are very different in scope and meaning. This comparison is inappropriate except in a rhetorical sense.
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