Luke Bailey

Dr. Helfferich

Second Crusade Debate #1

February 8th, 2019

Debate #1

With the region’s current delicate stability, plans need to be made before action is taken.

One wrong move could completely upset the balance between our great powers. I believe the

Franks invading Damascus would be the worst possible course of action that could be taken.

Currently, Damascus and Jerusalem have a truce, invading us now will break that truce.

Additionally, Damascus is the acting buffer between the Franks and Nur ad-din. So, if the

crusaders invade Damascus and break that truce, Damascus will have no other option but to side

with Nur ad-din, which will be a threat the Franks will not be able to deal with by themselves.

They will need the support of Damascus and our military to be able to compete with the growing

armies of Nur ad-din. Many believe that the Muslim and Christians cannot live at peace with

each other, but there is proof we can. “Your fellow Syrians in Muslim-held areas have long

worked beside Christians and Jews who have risen to high office in the government or who hold

positions of authority as bankers, doctors, scholars, ambassadors, and merchants.” (Role sheet,

2), not all Muslims live to kill nonbelievers, and we may live side by side with each other

without war or forced conversion. However, if the Franks attempt to forcibly convert us, we will

have no other choice than to side with Nur ad-din and crush the Franks in military power leaving

the Franks in a position where they will inevitably lose more than they started with. Resulting in

the deaths of countless Franks and the forced conversion of those who survive.
 At the same time this is occurring, Nur ad-din is growing an army “signing agreements

with his surrounding neighbors and those to the southeast” (Role sheet, 2). Thus, making matters

worse because the amount of people against the Franks is multiplying, and they could use all the

help they could get. Nur ad-din’s army will be a huge problem to deal with not only because of

their size, but because what they believe in. They believe what they are doing is the word of

Allah and will not stop until everyone believes in our Allah and all who oppose him are slain. As

it says in the Sura, “Fight them so that god may punish them at your hands, and put them to

shame and help against them, and heal the wounds of the hearts of believers” (Sura 9:14), which

they will follow to the death. Additionally, we do not fear death, because we believe dying while

spreading Allah’s word and doing his work will put us at the gates of heaven, “A morning or an

evening expedition in God’s path is better than the world and what it contains, and for one of you

to remain in the line of battle is better than his prayers for sixty years.” (Role sheet, 2/Hadith)

and, “The gates of Paradise are under the shadow of the swords.” (Role sheet, 2/Hadith). We

believe that our faith in Allah will give us power and make us able to beat any enemy that

questions our beliefs. War is good if it is in the word of Allah, if the people we are fighting are

unbelievers, the war is just. In the Sura it says very explicitly how we should kill all unbelievers,

“So, when you clash with the unbelievers, smite their necks until you overpower them, then hold

them in bondage.” (Sura 47:4). Nur ad-din’s army will be an unstoppable force if given the

chance to be, so we need the Franks to understand that keeping the truce up is important for the

victory of this war.

This all is too much for the Franks to handle without the support of Damascus to help

them fight and have them as the acting buffer between Nur ad-din and the Franks. There is a way

for us to live together without having to go to war and trying to convert all of us. Not all of us
believe that we must kill any unbelievers. The better plan would be to keep the truce with us and

fight this war together. If we don’t, the Franks will be at too much of a disadvantage and will

probably lose the war and lose much more than just Damascus and their lives. This war will

reach all the way back to Jerusalem and won’t stop until Nur ad-din is satisfied. With this being

the scenario, all the Franks will be forced to convert, or they will be slaughtered. The best choice

would be to move troops out of Damascus on move their efforts to the Fatimid Egyptian Shiite

city of Ascalon. Doing this would allow Jerusalem and Damascus to keep their treaty and allow

the crusade to continue gaining ground. Also, they would be targeting the more serious threat,

because as it stands now we are only a threat if the Franks make us a threat.

We are completely against being converted to Christianity. We are okay living side by

side with Christians and Jews, but we have no reason to convert. Attempting to convert us will

just make matters worse and will again make us side with Nur ad-din. There should be no issue

with this though because us being Muslim stands no threat against the Franks, nor do we wish to

try and convert them. As said before, it is possible and has been done for Muslims, Christians,

and Jews to live with each other. The Franks need our military power to win this crusade, so

making us an enemy is not the best idea.

That is all why we believe the Franks should not invade Damascus and should direct their

efforts toward the Fatimid Egyptian Shiite city of Ascalon. This crusade is something that can be

achieved, but the Franks must listen to what we say. Nur ad-din’s followers are a dangerous

people and will be ruthless in war, so any help the Franks can get they will need.

Something that the Franks may be concerned about it us turning on you after you take

you troops from Damascus. Well in theory this could be a possibility, but we would lose from it.

If we can side with the Franks and take out Nur ad-din, that would be a victory for us. We
already live beside Christians and Jews, so it is clear we have no problems with it. If we can trust

each other and live peacefully together we have no issues. We just want to remain peaceful, and

we are content with our current beliefs. We do not feel the need to try and convert Christians and

Jews. We also do not want to side with Nur ad-din, because we do not believe in his extremist

ways, but if left with not other choice we will have too.
 Works Cited:

The Qur’an > Sura

The Hadith

Gamebook, Helen A. Gaudette

Role sheet, Tryntje Helfferich