"God wills it" was the battle cry of the Crusaders. It was often shouted at their enemies. Write an informative Blog about who commanded the crusades, who went and why. Then compare it to this quote: from BALIEN (in speech to Jerusalem): Which is more holy? The wall? The mosque? The sepulcher? Who has claim? Find what references is making, and which religions is he making references to? Compare this idea of one god willing a religious war compared to the idea that all of these religions have claim to the Holy City.

If you were alive during the Crusades, you would hear the phrase "God wills it" a lot. This is because this war was a "holy war". In 1095, Pope Urban II called for a war against the Muslim rulers of Jerusalem. This was the First Crusade. Over the next two centuries, Christian armies from Europe fought more crusades, but none was successful. Almost every man that was able to fight became a crusader because it was said that if you fight in the Crusades your sin will be forgiven. Old and young men and even peasants participated in the Crusades to have their sin forgiven. One man Balian of Ibelin was an important noble that basically commanded the Christian troops in the second crusade. He made any man capable of bearing arms a knight. In one of Balian's speeches to Jerusalem he says "Which is more holy? The wall? The mosque? The sepulcher? Who has claim? No one has claim. All have claim". When he says "the wall" he is referring to the Western Wall  in Jerusalem. This wall pertains to the Jewish religion. On certain occasions, this is where Jews assemble for prayer and lamentation. It is traditionally  believed to be the remains of the Western Wall of Herod's temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. It is also called Wailing Wall. When Balian says "the mosque" he is referring to the Dome of Rock located in Jerusalem. The wall pertains to the Muslim religion. The Dome of Rock is a shrine in Jerusalem at the site from which Muhammad ascended through the seven heavens to the throne of God. It was built on the site of the Jewish temple. When Balian says "the sepulcher" he is referring to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This sepulchre pertains to the Christian religion. This sepulchre is the place where Jesus was crucified and is also said to contain the place where Jesus was buried. The church has been a paramount pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century. This quote, I feel was necessary. The fact that someone wanted to own everything, was a major factor that led to the downfall of Jerusalem. The problem all began in 1071 when a group of fanatical Muslims captured Jerusalem. They wouldn't tolerate Christians and began to treat the cruelly. Pope Urban then called for a crusade. The Turks that ill treated them, in a way, started the Crusades. I think humans, in our natural state, want to live in peace. Balian says that everyone has equal claim. You can't say one god is greater than the other or that one place is more holy than the other. The Crusades weren't necessary. So many people were killed, even innocent little kids were killed. All of these lives should not have been lost because someone wanted to have more control over Jerusalem.