[paganel]

> And the Crusades were a direct response to Islamic invasions of Europe.

In 1204 there was no Islamic invasion in these parts of Eastern Europe which the Westerners sacked and pilfered at will.

> But this whole self-flagellation thing never been about actual mutual appreciation of different cultures.

All I see it's an inferiority complex (on the Westerners' part) that is oftentimes transformed into some sort of cultural colonialism, there's no self-flagelation in saying that, yes, for hundreds of years the West was culturally inferior to the Islamic civilisation (and to civilisations located further East more generally speaking). Fernand Braudel's works are a good introduction into that subject.