Homework due by Saturday, March 28: Jihad

Note: the final version of the full timeline will be due on Saturday, April 4th. 

Throughout the Islamic world, Muslims are told that the Crusades were a series of unprovoked, vicious attacks against peaceful Muslims. They are told that the crusade mentality has always existed in the western world. Western powers have always sought to wage aggressive war against the Muslim 'nation', known as the Umma. 

What we call terrorism, many Muslims believe are acts of justified self-defense! Not only are Muslims told this by their religious leaders and politicians, but our own western universities have been telling  the same story to generations of Canadian and American youth. It has the effect of creating a sense of shame and lack of confidence in western, Christian civilization.

We will jump forward from the Carolingian empire of the 9^th century in Europe to the era of the crusades beginning in the 11^th century. Later we’ll come back and pick up the European story where we left off.

While you are at home, I’m going to assign you to read lectures, probably two per week. These are all under the heading "Early Middle Ages: all lectures" on the right of the blog.

Today, I want to introduce a perspective about the spread of Islam, which is that it has always been driven by the teaching of Jihad. 

Read the chapter from the book, “Sword and Scimitar—14 centuries of war between Islam and the West” by Raymond Ibrahim, a scholar of Islamic history and doctrine.

Read this: 


Jihad: the roots of conflict

Here are the questions for the above linked chapter on jihad:

https://innovaacademy-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/ktopalian_innovaacademy_ca/EazpVDC0ob1AlDjp7ZDXCNsBzAaGrjOWb1ZTji3eCb7r5g?e=3sANFV

Save your document as "(your name) jihad 1". You may save it on onedrive and email me the link or just attach the document to your email. ktopalian@innovaacademy.ca