Islam versus Europe

The leaders of Islamic associations in Spain have demanded that the festivals traditionally held there to celebrate the reconquest of the country from the Muslim invaders be suppressed because they are offensive to Muslims.

These celebrations are known as the Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos (Festivals of Moors and Christians). More than a hundred are held in Spain in different localities. Some last for days and feature elaborate and colourful re-enactments of battles.

The president of the Federación Española de Entidades Religiosas Islámicas (FEERI) [Spanish Federation of Islamic Religious Assocations] and the imam of Malaga mosque said the festivals should be discontinued because of the image they give of Muslims, saying the celebrations "have no place in a democratic Spain".

The imam asked what the reaction would be in some towns if celebrations of the arrival of Franco's troops were held and "the resulting punishment inflicted on the population". In the interests of "good convivencia, they need to disappear", he said.

The president of FEERI said:

“In a democratic Spain, where all religious faiths are represented, these celebrations of conquest must disappear. Like any other representation of islamophobia or racism, it must be eliminated."

He claimed that some of the festivals included offensive acts against Mohammed. This refers to Valencia where some festivals dramatise the recapture of a castle by a band of Christians followed by the destruction of a 3-metre effigy of Mohammed using firecrackers. Some elements of these festivals have already been suppressed.

The director of the Islamic Commission of Spain said:

"We will never justify violent acts but there is a need to show restraint and take into account what the prophet Mohammed means to us. This cannot be taken lightly because it could result in elements of discord."

Source: Alerta Digital

Here is a good description of one of the major festivals, in Alcoy, Valencia.

Armies march all day to the sound of the bands. Berbers, soldiers from Marrakesh, Mudéjares, Abencerrajes and Benimerines are all preparing for war. A group of Andalusian bandits is also there, as well as Basque soldiers, an army from Asturias, and even a band of Valencian peasants armed with farming implements. All of them are ready for the battle. Martial music announces the glory of the upcoming struggle. The people lining the streets admire and encourage the warriors. Soldiers march, sergeants wave to the crowds and horsemen show off their skills. All day long the hosts parade through a city decked with banners, especially the red cross of Saint George. The mood is festive as Alcoy sends her armies off to war.

Two days later, the city is filled with the roar of battle as gunpowder smoke covers the city like fog. The Moors and Christians battle the whole day; the Christians are defeated in the morning and the Moorish crescent can be seen on the ramparts of the castle where the red cross had once flown. When the fighting is at its fiercest, Saint George himself appears at the top of the castle to aid the Christian armies. The tide is reversed; the Moors retreat.

Every year, in April, the Saint gives victory to the Christian hosts as Alcoy, in Valencia, re-enacts the famous, and largely mythical battle. The celebration is one of the great fiestas in Spain and the greatest in the world, according to many an Alcoyano.

La fiesta is a year-long business for the people of Alcoy, as they prepare for those four days. Membership in one of the twenty-eight Moorish or Christian armies, called filaes, is much more than a hobby. The participants meet regularly throughout the year to commune with their brethren, raise funds, organize banquets, and plan out the numerous activities that make up this fiesta. For them, the year starts and ends in April, the time when they make their costumes and march to the sound of the bands.

The euphoria is topped off, when they fire hundreds of blanks with their blunderbusses making this the noisiest of Spanish fiestas. Money and time are spent prodigiously by the members of the filaes. Many save up throughout the year, and more than a few make yearly visits to the local pawn shops. The matter of clothes is expensive enough. Every army has its own traditional costume design, both fancy and fanciful. Many of them, especially those for the captains, cost a small fortune. Every year, the Christian and Moorish captains are provided by different filaes on a rotation basis. They always vie for the best-dressed captain ever. At the end of the fiesta the captains, usually well-to-do businessmen, donate their costumes to the Moors and Christians museum.

Although no effort is made to achieve strict historical accuracy in the clothes, plenty of attention is given to the details and the costumes have to follow certain rules. Some modern accessories are allowed, like eyeglasses and watches, and most of the soldiers, even non-smokers, chomp on cigars. These cigars are a tradition of the fiesta, although nobody seems to know exactly why. "They're just part of the fun," says one Alcoyano. But this is no costume party, no carnival. No tell tale trouser legs or modern shoes remind you that this is all make-believe. Maybe because, in a sense, it isn't make-believe; it seems that you are seeing these insurance salesmen, shopkeepers or bank presidents emerge from drab existences into their true, glorious selves. After the flags and drums, horses and castles, feathered helmets and shining armour, the rest of the year seems like mere Clark Kent stuff. This is fun taken seriously. At the end of the fiesta, Alcoyanos are always sad. But there remains a consolation: "only 361 days till the next one".

You can see how much it means to the people there. But it all counts for nothing. It all has to go now - to appease Muslims. The people of Spain must not be allowed to celebrate the recovery of their country from a foreign invader. Because the foreign invader is back. And this time, instead of defending against the invasion, the power of the Spanish state is being used to facilitate it. It's the same story all over Europe. Our governments have sided with the invaders against their own people.

The video below shows how elaborate these festivals can be.