European Muslims find themselves in the midst of an ideological crisis, none more so than Spanish Muslims. Since the end of World War II the European continent has been a bastion for freedom, democracy and human rights. Currently it is still rated as one of the most free continents by Freedom House, but times may be changing. After World War I scores of immigrants have been flocking to Europe, many of whom are Muslims. Currently between15 and 20 million Muslim now reside in Europe. This rapid influx of newcomers, along with the rise of Islamic extremism, has led to the high degrees of Islamiphobia in Europe today.
The mixing of cultures is foreign to most European states that, throughout their histories, were largely homogenous, but there is an exception to the rule. Throughout the middle ages many Muslims lived in Spain. In fact, Islam was predominant religion of medieval Spain, with Muslim kingdoms ruling most of the peninsula. This is, of course, no longer the case. Now 94 percent of the country is Catholic, and the return of Muslims is only increasing religious tensions, especially in the city of Cordoba.
The conflict in Cordoba concerns the identity of the city’s Mosque-Cathedral. The local Catholic Chapter of Cordoba administers the Mosque-Cathedral and claims it as a Christian place of worship. However, Spanish Muslims fear that an important part of Spanish history is being white-washed.
Built in 786 AD, and expanded the 10th and 11th centuries, the mosque was one of the largest Islamic holy sites. It is 590 by 425 feet at its base (only slightly smaller than St. Peter’s Basilica) and can hold approximately 40,000 people. Once, Muslims flocked from across the Islamic empire to worship, pray, and meditate among the its orange trees, but now they are forbidden to use the holy place in such a way. After Christian Spaniards captured Cordoba, they consecrated the mosque as a cathedral and would later add a central high altar and cruciform choir, multiple chapels, and a 300 foot tall belfry to replace the old minaret. Now, security guards, hired by the Catholic Chapter of Cordoba, prevent members of the Islamic faith from praying in the Mosque-Cathedral. The guards demand they “be respectful with the identity of this Christian temple.” It has even been reported that guards will follow Muslims through the entire complex in order to ensure they cannot pray covertly.
When the mosque was initially constructed all of Southern Spain was ruled by Muslim kings and princes who, with only several notable exceptions, respected the other Abrahamic faiths Judaism and Christianity. In this civilization, commonly known in Arabic as “al-Andalus,” Christians and Jews occupied the status of al-dhimma (the protected people). In exchange for a small tax the Christians and Jews were offered the same legal protection as their Muslim neighbors (a meaningful step towards religious tolerance at the time). Additionally the Cordoba mosque, and other mosques throughout Spain, served as centers of education and inspiration for members of all faiths.
Al-Andalus was a haven for Jews at a time when anti-semitism was a societal norm throughout the rest of Europe. The freedom and protection provided by Andalusian kings inspired a golden age of Jewish philosophy and literature. Nearly 5% of the Andalusian population was Jewish (more than any modern country, with the exception of Israel). The most famous Andalusian Jew, Hasdai Ibn Shaprut, held the office of Vice-roy to Caliph Abd-ar Rahman III and conducted international diplomacy in the caliph’s name. Maimonides, the great Jewish philosopher, was born in al-Andalus and was influenced by its culture.
After the Reconquista (where Chrisitan Kings conquered their Muslim rivals) concluded in 1492, the Spanish Inquisition required all of the Mulsims and Jews living in former Andalusia to convert or be exiled. According to Dr. Kenneth Honerkamp, head of the Arabic Department at UGA, a tourist would be hard pressed to find a single Spanish Muslim today who can trace their ancestry back to al-Andalus. Most are recent converts or immigrants from Muslim countries. Even the graves of medieval Spanish Muslims were destroyed by the Inquisition, Honerkamp says.
Despite the history of oppression by the Catholic Church in Spain, the Catholic Chapter of Cordoba was making strides to recognize Muslim contributions to the Cordoba Mosque-Cathedral. Until the mid-2000-’s, the official literature of the Mosque-Cathedral included extensive information on the buildings Islamic history. These Catholic endorsed pamphlets even referred to the Mosque-Cathedral as “the foremost monument of the Islamic West” and called the structure “the Hispano-Muslim style at its greatest splendor.”
Today however, the Catholic Chapter of Cordoba has drastically changed its tune. All of the previous references to the Mosque-Cathedral’s Islamic history have been wiped, and the new official literature establishes the 1236 Christian consecration as the beginning of the building’s history. Only a brief side note, inappropriately titled the “Muslim Intervention,” remains to inform visitors of the 300 years Muslims used the mosque as a place of worship and meditation.
Furthermore, the Catholic Chapter of Cordoba is quite literally trying to erase the mosque off the map. They have officially changed the name of the structure to “The Cathedral of Cordoba.” For a time last November Google Maps would not have recognized “The Mosque Cathedral of Cordoba” as it had adopted the Chapter’s title for the building. Google Maps eventually revised the title back to “Mosque-Cathedral” after tens of thousands of petition signatures were sent to Google’s headquarters.
The current push to white wash Muslim history in Cordoba reflects feelings Europeans currently have towards Muslims and Islam. The Bertelsman Foundation recently conducted a poll which found that 65% of Spaniards do not believe Islam is compatible with western society. There have been similar findings in other European countries as well, with 55% of French citizens and 45% of British citizens agreeing.
The reason Islamiphobia is on the rise in Spain and Europe as a whole appears largely twofold. Firstly, Europeans cannot seem to mentally separate fundamentalist sociopaths from the rest of the Muslim community. Ignorance is most likely to blame for this misconception. Everyone who owns a television has access to what Muslim extremists believe, but in order to know what Islam represents to most Muslims Europeans would have to get to know one. Because of the segregation of Europe’s Muslims, getting to know them is rather difficult. Additionally, once the “evil Muslim” norm is established it becomes less and less likely Europeans will try and educate themselves. What’s the point of researching Islam if Europeans think they have learned everything they need to know from Osama bin Laden’s video lectures?
Because they misunderstand normal Muslim beliefs, Europeans, especially the Spanish, see them as potential conquerors and not as potential citizens. Far right Spanish politicians in Spain frequently insist that Muslims are coming to Spain, not for citizenship, but to re-forge the caliphate. Spanish citizens don’t learn about the religious tolerance present in al-Andalus, instead Spanish schools hail Ferdinand and Isabella as the monarch who saved Spain from the “evil” Muslims. The history of Islam in Spain must be preserved because it may prove to be the key to solving Islamiphobia in Europe. If Europeans can be shown that western culture and Christianity are not mutually exclusive with Islam, perhaps a new golden age of tolerance can arise.
– By Bobby Wetherington
