Fellow blogger The Templar Knight takes umbrage with a claim by Norwegian mass murderer Andres Behring Breivik that he’s part of the “Knights Templar,” the legendary religious crusaders of medieval Europe. Giving a Hitleresque salute in court the other day, Breivik admits he set off a bomb that killed 8 people and then shot 77 more to death last summer as part of his personal crusade against Norway’s Muslim population. It was the worst political attack in Europe since World War II and shattered the calm demeanor usually associated with Norwegian society.
The original “Knights Templar” first appeared in France in the 12th century. Hugues de Payens, a French nobleman, gathered 8 of his knight relatives and began what he called the “Knights of the Temple of King Solomon.” Their mission was simple but direct: protect pilgrims on their journey to visit “The Holy Places,” mainly Jerusalem. They became an elite fighting force; highly-trained, highly-motivated and well-equipped. Even their horses were trained specifically for battle and shielded by protective armor. One of the Templars’ earliest and most noteworthy battles took place in 1177. The famed Muslim military leader Saladin was attempting to invade Jerusalem from the south with a force of 26,000 soldiers. With only 500 men, the Knights Templar ambushed Saladin and forced him to retreat.
Breivik first described the Knights Templar in his 1,500-page manifesto “2083: A European Declaration of Independence,” in which he called the group “a nationalist military order and military/criminal tribunal.” He designed and modeled uniforms, badges and other insignia for the military. In his proclamation, which was distributed to about 1,000 people immediately before Breivik detonated a car bomb in Oslo, he also tried to recruit “Justiciar Knights” for the crusade. “As a Justiciar Knight you will go into history as one of the most influential individuals of your time,” Breivik wrote in “2083.”
As horrific as Breivik’s crimes are, his views are nothing new. Europe has seen a wave of anti-Muslim sentiment in recent years. A 2010 survey in the United Kingdom found that 52% of respondents believe Britain is divided sharply along religious lines. In Malmö, Sweden, in November 2010, a man was arrested in connection with a dozen unsolved shootings of immigrants, including 1 fatality. Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel told fellow Christian Democrats in October 2010 that multiculturalism “has failed, utterly failed.”
Officials haven’t determined whether Breivik acted alone, as he claims. But, this case is destined to be the subject of much attention and scrutiny in both Europe and the Muslim world.
Read the rest of The Templar Knight’s blog post here.
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