Unknown facts 1). They Weren't Just about Christianity vs. Islam - In our current, troubled, times, the desire to look back on the Crusades as an epic clash between Muslims and Christians is strong on both sides. To be sure, the majority of battles did take place between those two groups. But all of them? Not even close. An integral part of many of the Crusades was the elimination of everyone from Jews to pagans.2). Islamic Commanders Spent More Time Fighting Other Muslims than Christians 3). No One Realized for Ages that the Crusades Were Meant to be Religious 4) One of the GreatMuslim Commanders Wasn't Even Religious - it wasn't just the Christian side that had a great big mixed bag of religious viewpoints. One of the greatest commanders of the Muslim armies, Zengi, wasnt even religious at all.5). The Crusades May Have Led to the Discovery of America