Islamic Jerusalem and Its Christians: A History of Tolerance and Tensions

Jerusalem occupies a unique and perilous position, as the place in which the three monotheistic religions overlap and collide. For those who have lived in it, the history of this much contested city is one of both tolerance and tension. Maher Abu-Munshar explores Muslim treatment of non-Muslims, critically comparing the periods of the two Islamic conquests of Jerusalem. Caliph ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab conquered the city in the 7th century, and Sultan Salah al-Din, the legendary 'Saladdin’ of Western Crusader lore, took back Jerusalem in the Middle Ages. Abu-Munshar counters western and orientalist arguments that the Islamic conquest in these two periods left the life of non-Muslims in disarray, and establishes important new evidence for debate in Middle East and Islamic Studies, Medieval History and Religion.