al-Hamla al-Salibiya ala al-Alam al-Islami wa al-Alam
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- Editions
- Ṣawt al-Qalam al-ʿArabī
al-Hamla al-Salibiya ala al-Alam al-Islami wa al-Alam (The Crusader Campaign against the Islamic World and the World) is a multi-volume contemporary Arabic study by the Palestinian-Jordanian writer Yusuf al-Tawil (also named Yusuf al-Asi al-Tawil), analyzing the ideological, historical, and religious dimensions of United States foreign policy toward the Muslim world .
Scope and Objectives
The work bears the expanded subtitle Hamlat Bush al-Salibiya ala al-Alam al-Islami wa al-Alam wa-Ilaqatuha bi-Mukhattat Isra'il al-Kubra wa-Nihayat al-Alam: al-Judhur – al-Mumarasa – Subul al-Muwajaha (Bush's Crusader Campaign against the Islamic World and the World and Its Relation to the Greater Israel Plan and the End of the World: Roots, Practice, and Means of Confrontation) .
The author dedicates the book to the al-Aqsa Mosque, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, and all populations targeted by imperial expansion, describing the work as a call to resist modern neo-Crusader aggression . The text argues that modern Western military campaigns, particularly under the administration of President George W. Bush, are not merely driven by geopolitical or economic ambitions, but reflect an entrenched religious and ideological worldview rooted in Christian Zionism and historical Crusader attitudes .
Content and Themes
The study examines several intersecting historical and political themes:
- Crusader Terminology and History: The book reviews the historical Crusades launched from feudal Catholic Europe against the Levant, distinguishing the invading Western armies from indigenous Eastern Christian communities—such as Byzantines, Copts, Armenians, and Syriacs—who coexisted under Islamic rule . It highlights structural parallels between the medieval Crusader states and the modern Zionist project in Palestine, interpreting both as manifestations of Western colonial expansion in the region .
- Christian Zionism and Apocalyptic Thought: The author examines the rise of religious fundamentalism within American Protestantism, contending that Christian Zionist theology has heavily influenced political decision-making in Washington, D.C. . The book analyzes public rhetoric, White House prayer circles, and religious services—including sermons at the Washington National Cathedral following September 11, 2001—to illustrate how apocalyptic and biblical frameworks were invoked to justify military interventions .
- The War on Terror and Invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq: The book critiques the post-September 11 "War on Terror," arguing that the attacks were utilized by the Bush administration as a pretext to project military dominance across tens of predominantly Muslim countries . Specific chapters address the build-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and previous diplomatic confrontations, framing the war as an attempt to advance the regional dominance of Israel and re-engineer the Middle East .
Structure
The work is organized into multiple volumes and thematic sections:
- The second volume focuses in detail on the post-2001 American military campaign against the Islamic world .
- The third section addresses the global repercussions of the September 11 attacks, the ideology of Christian Zionism, and the need for interfaith awareness among mainstream Muslims, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians against religious extremism .
In the book's conclusion, the author emphasizes that his choice of title was intended not merely to highlight the specific policies of the George W. Bush presidency, but to expose the broader religious and ideological framework that has influenced American global engagement since its inception .
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