World Bulletin / News Desk
The website of OnIslam has claimed that Spain is planning to grant citizenship to Muslims who accept Christianity, marking a comeback of a tactic used during the Spanish inquisitions.
Spanish website ETC Noticias apparantly quoted the president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (SEC) and Minister of Justice Alberto Ruiz Gallardón saying “Spain would not be Spain without Christianity and without Catholicism,” last week.
“Since the foundation of the country by the Catholic Monarchs that led the Generalissimo to govern Spain by the grace of God, our country has been the spiritual reserve of the West.
“And so it will, with God’s help,” he added.
According to ETC, the conversion must be authorized by representative of the Catholic Church and take place in the temples of this confession. Converts must also pay a fee of €60, of which €5 will be for the Spanish State and the remaining €55 for the Church.
The Spanish Episcopal Conference (SEC) is an administrative institution composing of bishops from all over Spain.
Muslims make up 3% of the Spanish population, with 1.4 million citizens and residents. However, the number of Muslims living unregistered in Spain is increasing, as the sea route between Morocco and Spain is becoming a common entry point for refugees trying to enter Europe illegally as they flee from conflicts in Africa and the Middle-East.
Categories: Europe and Australia, Spain
Although I agree that this type of conversion drive is Medieval, it is a small price to pay to save your neck as apostasy carries the death sentence in Islam.
Toba Alu: It does not. See http://www.alislam.org/library/books/mna/chapter_7.html
Any country is free to admit whom-ever they like. All European countries give ‘easier’ admission for instance to Arab Christians than to Arab Muslims. That again is their right. (It is the Arab countries who should re-think their own asylum practice. While countries such as Syria (with Iraqi refugees) and Lebanon and Jordan with both Iraqi and Syrian refugees are very generous in granting ‘refuge’ the question of more permanent asylum is not settled anywhere in the Arab world (as to my knowledge).
Rafiq A. Tschannen
I did not say Holy Quran but Islam. Many references can be made to Islamic practices and documents in which death is the punishment for apostasy. You may not like the following website http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/apostasy.htm#_Toc157226278 but it provides enough evidence to doubt at least your reference.
Toba Alu: what you mean is ‘some Muslims’. In my post I have proved to you that the Quran (and therefore Islam) does not approve of a death penalty for apostasy. It is for Allah to decide (in the next life) ….
Rafiq A. Tschannen: I happen to be living in Pakistan for over four years, I learned that your ‘some’ seem to me quite a lot if not by far the majority of about those 180 million people. I have never come across any country with so many misguided people as in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The concept of love is alien to this country and its people (with the Holy Quran in their constitution). Humanity does actually not need much more than to practice love every day, in their family, community, work, relationships, village, province and country as a whole.
Ah well, as you are living in Pakistan you will now start to understand why the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is persecuted there. As we are teaching the true Islam and not the ‘misguided version of Pakistani Mullahs’. See https://www.persecutionofahmadis.org/ and http://tribune.com.pk/story/419718/the-condemned-a-documentary-on-ahmadi-persecution/ and google ‘ahmadiyya persecution’ …
and: http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.de/2013/11/pakistan-another-ahmadi-gunned-down-in.html
But we will not stop to give you the true teaching of Islam, Inshallah.
I am well aware of that persecution, very pernicious, but the Ahmadiyya’s are not the only group suffering in the land of the pure as you are well aware of, I am sure. As a non-religious person I respect your belief and wish you well as long as it is reciprocal not-imposing, not threatening, non-violent, etc. A very rare treat in most Muslim countries. Success.
Toba Alu: agree to your remarks. Thanks.
Religion is a personal matter. Government has nothing to do with it. Government of Spain can not make these rules and become a religious state. I guess Spanish like to see a secular state not a religious one.
Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Islam is very popular in the youth. Some links international media e.g
Everyday 68000 people become muslims
Ahmadis are non Muslims as they don’t accept holy Prophet Muhammad(s.a.w) as the last and final messenger. all Muslim sects agree regarding this.
The have equal right to live and do what they want however they should stop using the name “Muslim”. Because they are not. don’t use the word Mosque for your prayer place.
Again I will say “All Muslim sects unanimously agree that Ahmadis don’t follow the Islam. Even constitution of Pakistan call them non muslim”
please don’t misguide common people.
Junaid: did you read ‘the Munir report’? At a time when the judiciary of Pakistan was still honest Justice Munir asked the question of ‘who is a Muslim’ and the Islamic scholars of Pakistan could not come up with an agreed answer. see: http://www.thepersecution.org/dl/report_1953.pdf
and: http://aaiil.us/misconceptions/fatwas/munir.htm which concludes: For the record, we consider all people who profess the kalima to be muslims and strongly denounce this evil habit of takfir, by certain ulema. This should be clear to anyone visiting this website