The Crusades refer to the series of military expeditions authorised by the Pope to
accomplish a specific objective such as taking Jerusalem. However, the specific definition of
the crusades is topic of historical debate itself. It is uncertain on what parts of crusading
were considered the base aspects of crusading and which were ancillary feature. Even if the
term crusading is vague, it had an undeniable effect on the Near East for both Latin
Christians and Muslims. The crusades were remarkable events by themselves but they also
were integral to invigorating the Muslims to respond in kind. The Near East in the 12th
century was heavily influenced by both crusading and this Muslim response in the form of
Jihad. Normally, one would not compare these two different forms of holy wars because of
the radical differences of the two faiths. The Caliph is a completely different figure to the
Pope and the concept of penance which is at the heart of the appeal of the crusades, is not
part of Islam. Regardless, crusading and Jihad became intertwined in the Near East starting
with the crusades in the late 11th century. Therefore the purpose of this work is to gather
the perspectives of Christians and Muslims on the crusades and Jihads within the Near East
up to the Third Crusade. Through their perspective, one could grasp the factors that were
important to these movements and how they succeeded or failed. This would hopefully
build a more complete picture of the crusades.