As Christian youth organisation Crusaders celebrated their 100th anniversary Saturday, they announced their new name, ‘Urban Saints’, which will be used from 1 January 2007.
Claims that the name ‘Crusaders’ is anti-Islamic were one of the reasons for the change. Schools and charities said its name might be offensive to Muslims, and that it was too closely associated with the crusades, the military campaigns in the 11th and 13th centuries to recapture Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Muslims.
“Our new identity is part of a recognition that we are now a 21st-century organisation and are not still stuck in the last century,” said Matt Summerfield, executive director. “There are some people who love the name Crusaders, but we recognise that others get very offended by it, as they think we are harking back to the historical crusades.”
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