July 12, 1999. Copyright 1999. Graphic News. All rights reserved.

CRUSADER PEACE MARCH

LONDON, July 12, Graphic News: A SMILING group of westerners have arrived in Jerusalem to apologise to Jews, Muslims and Eastern Orthodox Christians for bloodthirsty attacks by Crusader forces that took place 900 years ago.
Wearing black and white T-shirts and caps with the words Òwe apologiseÓ in Arabic and English, they said ÒsorryÓ for the military expeditions carried out by Christian power in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries to capture the Holy Land from the Muslims.
Four hundred Christians taking part in the ÒReconciliation WalkÓ belong to the Lutheran church in the United States, the Episcopal church in France and the Anglican church of England. They plan to arrive in Jerusalem on July 15, the 900th anniversary of the sacking of the city when Crusaders killed tens of thousands of its mainly Muslim inhabitants.
A larger group of 1,000 similar volunteers from 25 Western countries have already visited other regional countries such as the Lebanon and Syria, where some of them held talks with the Mufti, the countryÕs highest Muslim religious authority.
Mike Niebur, the groupÕs co-ordinator, said: ÒPeople donÕt know how terrible the Crusaders were. They ripped open pregnant women and burnt people alive.Ó
The Crusades began in 1095, when Pope Urban II called upon Western Christendom to take up the sword to Òliberate the Holy LandÓ after Muslim invaders had effectively cut off Jerusalem to Christian pilgrims.
Knights in armour and foot soldiers of the first Crusade Ð identified by red crosses sewn to their coats Ð marched across Europe, through Turkey, Syria and Lebanon to Jerusalem.
The Holy City was under siege for five weeks before the heavily fortified walls were scaled. The ensuing occupation resulted in the slaughter of some 40,000 Muslims and Jews and the looting of the Dome of the Rock mosque.
ÒWhen the Crusaders reached Jerusalem it is said that the blood ran knee deep in the city,Ó Mr Niebur explained. ÒWe realise that the CrusadersÕ attempt to capture the Holy Land is remembered by people in the Middle East as this terrible massacre. So the idea came about to walk through the countries affected, apologising and showing that true Christianity is about love, not killing your enemies. The Crusaders betrayed the name of Jesus.Ó
The final walk starts at NimrodÕs Castle in the Golan Heights, a Crusader stronghold, then makes its way to Jerusalem for a ceremony on Thursday (July 15) at which the walkers will officially apologise to Muslim and Eastern Orthodox representatives, and to IsraelÕs two chief rabbis.
Rabbi David Rosen, the president of the International Council of Christians and Jews, said ÒThere are deep wounds from the past, and this kind of action can be very constructive in helping to heal those wounds.Ó
/ENDS
Sources: Reuters, The Illustrated Atlas of Jerusalem by Dan Bahat and Chaim T Rubinstein