- T am imi ▁to ▁lead ▁the ▁rein for c ements . ▁K hal il ▁arrived ▁at ▁Pal ermo ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁October ▁ 9 3 7 , ▁and ▁purs ued ▁the ▁supp ression ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁with ▁great ▁vig our : ▁the ▁city ▁gates ▁were ▁removed , ▁and ▁a ▁new ▁cit adel ▁was ▁constructed ▁on ▁the ▁sout heast ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁har bour ▁and ▁named ▁al - K h ā li ṣ a ▁(" the ▁Free ▁One "), ▁which ▁gave ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁the ▁quarter ▁of ▁K als a . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁chron ic ler ▁I bn ▁Id h ari , ▁his ▁treatment ▁of ▁the ▁Sic ili ans , ▁both ▁Muslim ▁and ▁Christian , ▁was ▁so ▁brut al ▁that ▁many ▁Muslim s ▁fled ▁to ▁By z antine ▁territory , ▁where ▁they ▁converted ▁to ▁Christian ity . ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 9 3 8 , ▁he ▁moved ▁against ▁Agr ig ento , ▁lay ing ▁sie ge ▁to ▁the ▁city . ▁The ▁sie ge ▁drag ged ▁on ▁as ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁def ended ▁it ▁vig or ously , ▁with ▁almost ▁daily ▁sort ies , ▁and ▁the ▁on set ▁of ▁winter ▁forced ▁K hal il ▁to ▁withdraw ▁to ▁Pal ermo ▁in ▁October . ▁The ▁successful ▁defence ▁of ▁Agr ig ento ▁f anned ▁the ▁fl ames ▁of ▁re bell ion ▁in ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁island : ▁Maz ara ▁and ▁other ▁cities ▁rose ▁in ▁revol t ▁as ▁well . ▁The ▁Sic ilian ▁Muslim s ▁even ▁sent ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁the ▁By z