How come in today's current events the crusades are frequently referenced?

Answer 1

those that forget history are doomed to repeat it.

Answer 2

The question you pose can have a long and involved answer. Here is one short answer. When trying to show that Christianity is a blood thirsty relegion, with a lack of love, opponents of Christanity will often use the crusades. However, the crusades on the whole were Christian in name only. They were much more a political force. Remember that Europe was under the feudal system at the time. It was also the time when the church was vying for power over the nobility. Did the church rule the nobility, or did the nobility tell the church how thing should be done. Add to this the fact that the third or fourth sons of the nobility were often made bishops and archbishops in the church, and one can see that the decision making part of the church was usually part of the nobility.

The crusades were more political than religious. Yet if it can make Christians look bad, those that oppose Christianity will use anything.