Islam and Christianity; Equivalent Traditions?Bertrand Russell on Islam:
'Bolshevism combi nesthe characteristics of the French Revolutionwith tho seof
the rise of Islam. Marx has taught thatCommun ismis fatally predestined tocome about, this
produces a state of mind not unlike that of the early successorsof Mahommet. Among religions,
Bolshevism is to be reckoned with Mohammedanism rather than with Christianity and Buddhism.
Christianity arid Buddhism are primarily personal religions, withmystical doctrines and a love of
contemplation. Mohammedanism and Bolshevism are practical, social unspiritual, concerned to
win the empire of this world,'Professor Jonathan Philips, author ofThe FourthCrusadeand the Sack Constantinople,
also dismissed the idea of the filmasa true depiction ofhistory and took issue with its
portrayal of the crusader Knights Templar asvillains: "The Templars as 'baddies' is
only sustainable from the Muslim perspective, and'baddies' is the wrong way to show
it anyway.
They are the biggest threat to the Muslims and many end up being killed because
their sworn vocation is to defend the Holy Land."' Saladin is, according toa film
publicist, a "hero of the piece." No mention, of course, is made of hismassacres at
Hattin, or his plans for more of the same in Jerusalem.
Yet despi teKingd om ofHeav en's numer ous whit ewash es of histo ry andstrenuous
efforts to portray the Muslims of the Crusader era in afavorablelight, Islamic apologist
Khaled Abou El Fadl, a professor ofIslamiclaw at the University of California, is in a
froth about the film ''in my view, " he rag ed. "it isine vit abl e—I'm wil lin g to ris k my
rep uta tio n onthis—that after this movieisreleased there will be hate crimescommitted
dir ect ly bec aus e of it.Peo ple wil l go see it on a wee ken d and decide to teach some
turban headalesson." Of course, this is less an indictment of the film than of the American
people. Inany eve nt.Kin gdo m of Hea vencos t ove r 515 0 mil lio n to mak e,fea tures
an all-star cast, and is being touted as "a fascinating history lesson."