Random thoughts on the jihad movie - Debbie Schlussel, Hal Lindsey, Dan Rather, Saladin and some alternative movies.

Yesterday, I mentioned MSM/DNC's new jihad anti-crusade movie. I linked to Debbie Schlussel's review of that movie. Here is a detailed quote from Debbie's review:

Unlike his portrayal in “Kingdom,” Saladin (the Muslim general):

Personally beheaded many of the Crusaders living in and around Jerusalem, and watched while his soldiers cut the bodies to pieces to satisfy their lust for revenge;
Sent poisoned wine and flour to a Greek leader to distribute to Crusaders;
Fought violently with rival Shi’ite Muslims, dissecting one of their leaders, and keeping his hands and head as trophies (Saladin, a Kurd, was a Sunni);
Persecuted Jews and Christians, denying them even the basic dignity of riding on horses or mules, requiring they ride in humiliation on donkeys and painful pack saddles. “Kingdom” shows Saladin allowing them to ride on horses. But even his own physician, the scholar Maimonides (a Jew forcibly converted to Islam) was forced to ride a donkey to and from Saladin’s palace. (Saladin stoned and blinded a Jewish doctor for daring to ride a horse, according to “Saladin and the Jews,” by E. Ashtor-Strauss.)
Sowed the seeds for Muslim Crusades, resulting in the mass murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews and Christians.

Other reviewers include Hal Lindsey, who reminds us of the words of historian Gibbon:

The historian Gibbon noted that, except for the Crusades, "the Koran would now be taught in the schools of Oxford, and her pulpits might demonstrate to a circumcised people the sanctity and truth of the revelation of Mahomet."

Saladin is particularly whitewashed in this movie. I first heard of Saladin from Late Night with David Letterman on September 17, 2001. Dan Rather was the guest. After crying (literally) about the events of September 11, Rather warned that Saddam Hussein (I am paraphrasing) constituted a major threat in the middle east. Rather spoke of Hussein's ambition to lead his armies into Jerusalem. Rather believed that Hussein fancied himself as another Saladin. [These comments were probably the only legitimate statement that Rather ever made. This Letterman/Rather interview will be forever buried down the memory hole - or at least until it is clear that Hussein is gone for good and there is no further point in attacking Bush over the Iraq invasion.] I immediately looked up Saladin in a history book and vowed to learn more about the Crusades. Meanwhile, moonbats everywhere redoubled their efforts to protect Saddam.

If you would enjoy a good (or at least non MSM/DNC approved) Islam related movie, see if you can rent The Castilian or El Cid.


Both of these movies focus on the liberation of Spain from its Muslim conquerers during the middle ages. The Castilian leaves much to be desired as a movie. The dialogue is poor (or at least poorly translated/dubbed from Spanish) and there were other qualities that gave it the appearance of being fodder for Mystery Science Theater 3000. But the use of pigs as a military weapon was refreshing.

El Cid is better. Charlton Heston provides an excellent performance. The castle storming scene is comparable to the best scenes from Lord of the Rings (although without the special effects and modern filming techniques).

Remember that there were 8 Crusades over two centuries, all of which came in response to the Islamic conquest of such historically Christian countries as Syria and Egypt. Don't hold your breath waiting for MSM/DNC to make a movie about that.