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Saladin and the dawn of diplomacy.

Nowadays most people connected with politics tend to think, that diplomacy is a science, not an art. Today there are many rules and methods of conducting negotiations, which are approximately equal for all countries and their representatives. It makes diplomacy predictable exact science. But it wasn’t so, say, thousand years ago. There were times, when people of different cultures treated each other as alliances, as strange creatures, which don’t have any rights to inhabit the Earth. The differences between cultures were so enormous, that armistices and trade treaties were the greatest achievements of diplomacy, while macaque was the only way to solve territory and worship argues. So that was a dawn of diplomacy as Art. Under that circumstances only genius, amazingly educated person could avoid devastation and conclude a piece treaty, comfortable for both sides.

Such man was born 1137 in Tikrit (city in modern Iraq). His name was Yusuf ibn Ayyub, later he was given a noble title Salah ad-Din (could be roughly translated as «rightness of faith»). So in Europe he was known as Saladin.

First of all, a couple of words about his role in history: He was a founder of a new Egyptian dynasty (the Ayyubids), he restored a Sunni Islam in his motherland, and forever drove crusaders away from most of Near East. In his tenure Arabs achieved the most powerful influence in the world since conquests of the 8^th century. Muslims still adore him and appreciate as one of the greatest leaders ever bin.

Despite he was the most dangerous adversary for Christian countries, even in European chronicles he was depicted as a very noble generous knight. And there were many reasons for such a respect. Saladin was aware of lathin customs, and very carefully and politely observed them during talks. He always treated noble hostages as his friends, and did everything to solve that unbearably complicated problems without deaths and humiliation. Meanwhile, such a behavior wasn’t a result of atheism, as it was in case of Friedrich II Gogenshtaufen, or al-Kamil.

Saladin saved lives of Great Master of knights of Temple, of all kings and dukes participated in the battle of Hattin (1187). He delayed a siege of Kerak castle for one week because of wedding of Isabella and Onphrua; he gifted two Arabian steeds  to Richard the Lion Heart when he lost his own in battle. After the occupation of Jerusalem Saladin permitted all Christians to visit sacred places and even live in Muslim lands according to their own religious truth. It’s worth to compare his behavior with bloodsheds in “Holy Town” after the victory of crusaders in the First Crusade.

Actually, Saladin was a pattern of his culture. In that time Muslims created a very highly developed culture, with amazing poetry, theology. Almost all our knowledge about ancient history is based on works of Arabian historians. Now it is considered, that Islam is a very aggressive faith, but medieval history witnesses that it was totally opposite to Christianity. According to Koran, Jews, Christians and Muslims are the Peoples of The Book, so they are brothers. The only statement of Gospel, rejected by Islam, is a divinity of Christ, but they adore Him as well as Mohammed, so hence is the great respect to Christian culture. Meanwhile Pope Urban II, the author of idea of Crusades, promised forgiveness of sins to all crusaders, if they could relief “Lord’s Tomb”, it means that it was officially proclaimed that everyone could become a holly muter for murder!!! And even European historians, who witnessed the siege of Jerusalem, described it as a cruelest atrocity ever bin. By the way, medieval times ( V-XV cent.), are an accurate tenure of catholic supremacy in European society. Wasn’t we told at school, that it was a darkest and cruelest period of our culture? The only thing I would like to say, is that the image of Arabian culture, created by western mass media is a political necessity, based on national interests of countries, and, to tell the truth, it is very far from reality. There are no cruel and mercy worships. All preachers of all cultures tell their peoples about actually the same benefactors. The question is, what do people do with their legacy?