MADRID – Struggling to keep the memory of Al-Andalus alive, a Muslim advocacy group has urged the Spanish authorities to grant Muslims, expelled from Spain in 1609, the citizenship, putting them on equal footing with Jews who recently gained similar rights.
“The Spanish State should grant the same rights to all those who were expelled, otherwise their decision is selective, if not racist,” Bayi Loubaris, president of the Association for Historical Legacy of Al-Andalus, told Spanish news agency EFE.
The calls to grant the expelled Moriscos citizenship followed the decision of Spain’s minister of justice, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, to give the descendants of the expelled Sephardi Jews the citizenship, The Local.es reported on Tuesday, February 18.
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This decision, issued according to a new civil code that was approved earlier in February by Madrid’s cabinet, will allow the descendants of Sephardic Jews, banished from Spain in 1492, to re-gain the Spanish Nationality.
Nearly 3.5 million Sephardic Jews are expected to apply for the Spanish citizenship after more than five centuries in exile, according to Jewish associations.
The Association of Al-Andalus has praised the move of giving expelled Jews citizenship, deeming it “very positive”.
The decision presents a confession of the “guilt of the Spanish State in expelling its own citizens,” Loubaris explained.
He called for a similar right to be granted to the Moriscos who are the Muslims expelled from Spain in 1609.
Along with seeking citizenship rights, descendants of the Muslims who were expelled from Spain in the 17th are eyeing a wider recognition of Muslims’ contribution to the Spanish culture and heritage.
The Moriscos, the name given to Muslims who were living in Spain after the fall of Granada, were subjected to an array of persecution, torture, mass killings, forced conversions to Christianity, the notorious Spanish Inquisition and mass exodus that started in February 1502.
Muslims ruled much of Spain for centuries starting from 711 to 1492.
Their last king was defeated by Catholic king and queen, Ferdinand and Isabella, in 1492.
After that Muslims mosques were either left to ruin or converted into churches.
There are nearly 1.6 million Muslims in Spain, making up 3.4% of the country’s 47 million population, according to an Andalusian Observatory.
About 1.1 million of Spain’s Muslims re foreigners, while 464,978 are Spanish Muslims.
Islam is the second religion in Spain after Christianity and has been recognized through the 1967 law of religious freedom.
A recent survey found that 70% of Spain’s Muslims feel at home in the European country and that 80 percent feel they have adapted well to the Spanish way of life.
SOURCE: http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/469407-andalus-muslims-demand-spanish-citizenship.html
Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years. The Muslims in Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert. Later the Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the adhan that is the call for prayers.
One day, Muslims are going to rule Spain again. An increasing number of young Spanish men and women are now crossing over and converting to Islam. where is the Sword!!! Amazing human beings are now finding the truth and why not if Allah the creator sent the prophet and the book.
The beauty of Islam is that it is a religion which appeals to common sense. There is no blind belief or dogmatism in Islam. The fundamentals of Islam are simple, straightforward and easy to understand.
If Islam is so bad, then why is it the WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING RELIGION! It is also one of the youngest religions. However no matter how hard everyone tries to give Islam a bad name, it will be twice as more populated. So let’s get straight to the point yeah?, Basically Islam is the most hated religion I don’t know why hmm maybe because it is also the most fastest growing religion and 2nd largest but no one will be able to stop this religion from growing.
Islam is the fastest growing faith in Britain. Hundreds and thousands of Brits are reverting to Islam. By the middle of this century, over half of Brits would be Muslims.
The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book “Heroes and Hero worship”, refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: “The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can.”
With which sword was Islam spread? Even if Muslims had it they could not use it to spread Islam because the Quran says in the following verse:
“Let there be NO compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error”
[Al-Quran_002:256]
It is the sword of intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. The Quran says in Surah Nahl, chapter 16 verse 125:
“Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious.”
[Al-Quran 16:125]
IA
http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk
I would like to humbly amend words of Iftikhar Sahib slightly:
[One day, Muslims are going to (Spiritually) rule Spain again.]
It is not by increase in number of Muslims that they will succeed but by love and affection they will succeed and by the true teachings of Islam, Insha Allah. There is not going to be any political onslaught in any country. Ahmadis may never accept to rule any country even if rule is presented in a plate.
Let us hope and pray that the wishes of Iftikhar sahib are realized in good manner by the will of Allah. Ameen.