Crusades had a race war aspect: Franks massacring MENA Christians along with Muslims

[Böri]

It is discussed in the other thread, that deserves a separate thread.
When the Frankish (Germanic) Crusader army besieged Antioch which was defended by the Seljuk military aristocracy, the city resisted for around 9 months. Later, with the cowardice of an Armenian defender, Normans could enter the city.
It was the year 1098 AD.

The population was slaughtered without any discrimination. Not only the Seljuk garrison and the Muslim part of the city's inhabitants, but also Christian natives (Greeks, Armenians, Arabs, Syrians) were butchered.

Medieval Crusader chronicler Albert of Aachen explains (Gauls refer to Crusaders).

East and West in the Medieval Eastern Mediterranean
by Susan B. Edgington
page 247



Siege of Antioch animated doc:

[Papa]

Apparantly, the whole massacre occured when the Crusaders managed to finally penetrate the city, at night, with a paniking population that was trying to escape to the citadel, before or after realising that the Crusaders were not going to spare them. So, since the whole event occured on the same day and immediatly after breaking in, I could imagine that the Crusaders were still not used in differianting the various people from the Holy Land, nor would they understand their languages, thus leading them, in the beginning, to such unfortunate situations. To act like this, they needed to associate race and religion and to be ignorant about the presence of Christians and potential support (or they underestimated its importance). Besides, Infidels or not, the Crusaders behaved pretty much like these ISIS militiamen of today, the killings were not a big issue for anyone...

[NSXD60]

Yeah, but some of the Christians were convinced by the Muslims to fight against crusaders because they feared strangers more than familiar, if oppressive, non-Christians.

[Wadaad]

Wrong to above...the Crusaders spared fellow Catholics like the Maronites for instance. These they considered Saracen heretics and they were after land, so they had to liquidate the prior occupants.

[NSXD60]

Also, if someone tells you, either fight with us against them or we cut the throats of your wife and children, what choice have you?

[StonyArabia]

It was a race war no doubt but they were defeated and returned to Europe with tails tucked in.