"The Islamic jihad against Christendom started before anyone ever heard of a Crusade" says James A. Lyons, retired U.S. Navy admiral and former commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by Admiral James A. "Ace" Lyons, Jr.:

Former U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander and senior U.S. military representative to the United Nations, Admiral James A. "Ace" Lyons has detailed how Islamic jihad against Christians started before the use of "Crusades" or "Crusaders".  Writing for The Washington Times, Lyons writes: "Use of 'Crusades' and 'Crusaders' as terms of abuse is clearly meant to stir up Muslim masses that they are under assault, not that we are defending ourselves against jihad… Not surprisingly, when President Obama addressed the National Prayer Breakfast last year on the issue of terrorism, he attempted to minimize the Islamic element of the Islamic State's barbarity: 'Lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ.'"

Lyons explains that the Crusades were a series of wars launched by Western Europeans starting in 1096, following defeats of the Christian Byzantine Empire by the Seljuk Turks. "All told, the Crusades occupied a brief period of just over two and one-half centuries. They were limited in scope and essentially were a counterattack, seeking to retake Christian lands earlier seized by the Muslims. The Christians had experienced the horrors we see today in Syria, Iraq and now Libya with Israel waiting in the wings: amputations, beheadings, slavery and sex slavery (all of which are explicitly authorized by Allah in the Koran). When we see horrific videos of ISIS beheadings and the choosing of sex slaves, let's remember it's a scene repeated thousands of times before: in Jerusalem in 637, Egypt in 639, Spain in 711, and Constantinople in 1453. The only difference is that today there are cameras and instant worldwide communications." writes Lyons.

In his commentary, Lyons states the Islamic jihad against Christendom started four and a half centuries before the Crusades began: "To sum up, aggressive Islamic jihad was launched against the Christians and lasted 450 years. For 250 years, Christian crusaders counterattacked. After that counterattack failed, renewed jihad lasted another 350 years.

It's clear who the aggressors are, which only emphasizes that we cannot afford to engage in moral disarmament in the face of jihad and unreformed Islam. Unfortunately, under Mr. Obama, moral and actual disarmament is official U.S. policy. This must be reversed."

James A. Lyons, a retired U.S. Navy admiral, was commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and senior U.S. military representative to the United Nations.

The Washington Times: "Tracing the Roots of Islamic Jihad" http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/10/james-a-lyons-islamic-jihad-roots-lay-in-crusades/?page=all

Contact: Admiral James A. Lyons, Jr., 703-519-5600, [email protected]

SOURCE Admiral James A. “Ace” Lyons, Jr.