Sword and ScimitarThe West and Islamthe sword and the scimitarhave clashed since the mid seventh century, when, according to Muslim tradition, the Byzantine emperor rejected Prophet Muhammad's order to abandon Christianity and convert to Islam, unleashing a centuries long jihad on Christendom. Sword and Scimitar chronicles the significant battles that arose from this ages old Islamic jihad, beginning with the first major Islamic attack on Christian land in 636, through