Jihad Galore and the Toledo Whore
Battle of Higueruela
How often in conversation with a Muslim, do they quote Spain as the crowning achievement of Islam, where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in harmony for about 800 years?
And when you mention the killings and massacres, you are told that the Spanish Inquisition was much worse.
This is a misconception, since the Inquisition in Spain was responsible for only between 4,000 and 5,000 lives. [1]
Yet in 1066AD, in a single day, muslims murdered over 4,000 Jews because Vizier Joseph ibn Naghrela had risen to a position greater than them, and of course, this upset the Muslim sensitivities. [2]
History tells us that the Muslim invasion started in 711AD and that Spain, or al-Andalus, was Islamic until 1492 when Granad
a fell to King Ferdinand, the Christian king of Spain.
Spain then provides an excellent case for studying how Islam might work in a Western civilization today. It is both timely and relevant to examine this period in history, and we know that after the Madrid bombings in 2004, Osama bin Laden has called for the retaking of Spain for Islam. [3]
Certainly it is true that the Muslim invaders of Spain believed in the Holy Trinity, the Islamic version, of course, 1) Booty, 2) Women and 3) Slaves!
Does a critical look at history support this romantic view that al-Andalus was a model of Islamic harmony, and what does it say about Jihad?
Scope
We shall investigate the motivation for invading Spain, how Jihad forged what Islamic Spain became, how the so called “Golden Age” developed, the relationships with the Caliphates back in the Middle East and the treatment of the Dhimmis, the Jews and Christians who had already made Spain their home.
Spain boasts many fine examples of Islamic architecture including the beautiful Mezquita in Cordoba which was built over the original church of St Vincent and opened as a mosque in 785AD. It is believed to have been designed by Abdul Rahman I with the help of Syrian architects, and later extended by Abdul Rahman II, Al-Hakim II and even Al-Mansur. One of Mohammed’s arm bones is supposedly kept in the Mezquita. [4]
Other fine achievements include the Alcazar in Seville, but for mine, the pinnacle of achievement is the Alhambra Palace complex and Generalife Gardens that overlook Granada in the south of Spain, in what is known as Andalucia.
The Alhambra palace complex with its amazing Generalife gardens stands majestically on a hill overlooking Granada with the white painted Albayzin district below.
The Nasrid dynasty is intertwined with the continuous development of this complex over many centuries, and it was the fall of Constantinople in 1453AD and the Islamic practise of breaking contracts that brought its demise.Islamic Spain endured through three major dynasties or Caliphates that existed in the Middle East, the Umayyads (661-750AD), the Abbasids (750-1258AD) and finally the Ottomans, but was never directly ruled from Damascus or Baghdad at any time.
Holy War or the Toledo Whore?
By 710AD, Jews and Christians had been in the Iberian peninsula for a few hundred years and the Visigoth king Rodrigo ruled from the capital Toledo. Rodrigo had earlier usurped power from Witiza after their father died, and ruled the peasants with a heavy hand. Now a story goes that Count Julian, governor of the city of Ceuta (near Tangiers) had a beautiful daughter, Florinda, who was invited by King Rodrigo to the court at Toledo. One day while she was swimming in the Targus river, Rodrigo noticed her beauty and invited her to the Royal apartment where she succumbed to the King’s advances. Filled with shame afterwards, she wrote to her father and asked him to take her back to Ceuta. Now Count Julian was peeved indeed at his daughter’s distress, and on return, went to visit the Emir Musa who ruled North Africa from Kairouan in Tunisia.
The Count persuaded Musa that Spain was ripe for plunder with greaty booty and beautiful girls aplenty for the Harems in Kairouan and Damascus, and because he knew the land so well, he would act as advisor to the Emir. Musa then received permission from the Caliph Walid who ruled from Damascus, and then chose Tariq, a Berber, who was a former Algerian slave, but now a fierce warrior and a recent convert to Islam, to lead his army. They sent a small force of a few hundred men on a raid, and when they returned loaded with riches and pretty girls, Musa was much impressed.
So the invasion of Al-Andalus (valley of Vandals) was not so much about converting the infidel to Islam, but the focus was on booty, women and slaves to be delivered back to Damascus. While the story of Florinda was probably a myth, some locals blamed the whole affair on poor Florinda, calling her unjustly the Whore (La Cava) of Toledo. [5]
711-732AD Jihad invasion in al-Andalus
Count Julian led the invasion force of seven thousand men, mostly Berbers, to land near the mountain they called Jabel Tariq, or the mountain of Tariq. The name Jabel Tariq later morphed into the word “Gibraltar” as we know it today.
The first major battle was against the Visigoth king Rodrigo, and took place near the river Rio Barbate, which is in the Xeres district, now famous for its sherry.
Rodrigo and his army was no match for the fierce Berbers and were easily defeated, with casualties in the tens of thousands. Rodrigo himself is believed to have drowned in the river attempting to escape. His horse, robes and diadem were found on the river bank.
After this, count Julian persuaded Tariq to advance to Toledo, the capital.
On the way Cordoba was captured, and Toledo was easily taken. The booty was fabulous and included a gold and emerald table from the Temple of Solomon.
Meanwhile, when Musa found out, he was furious and afraid of being upstaged by Tariq, so in 712AD he invaded Spain with about 18,000 Arab and Berber soldiers.
On the way to Toledo, Musa captured Carmona, Seville, Merida, Malaga and Granada.
When Musa met up with Tariq in Toledo, he asked “why did you disobey me?”, to which Tariq answered “to serve Allah”. Apparantly Musa replied “Allah has been well served”.
So Tariq kept his head, but Musa was not so fortunate!
Musa returned to Damascus with tons of booty, Visigoth dignitaries as prisoners and 3,000 Spanish virgins. However, the old Caliph al-Walid had died and Suleiman had taken over. Being suspicious of Musa, Suleiman had Musa banished to Yemen, but not before presenting Musa with the head of his son Abdul Aziz who had been suspected of treason in Seville.
Historical records are sketchy, but it appears that by 715AD, Spain was essentially under Islamic control. However Muslim armies also raided north into France, setting up a base at Narbonne until defeated at the Battle of Tours in 732AD by Charles Martel.
Eventually the Berbers considered themselves to be superior to the Arab Muslims and so began sectarian Jihad, of Berbers against Arabs.
Dhimmis
Jews and Christians were treated as “people of the Book” and allowed to practise their religion, although as second class citizens and having to pay the Jizya tax. The severity of Dhimmitude varied and probably was most favourable under Abdul Rahman III.
Forced conversions were not common as money was needed to fund Jihad.
However, many converted to Islam to make life easier for them.
756 - 1031 AD Umayyads of Cordoba
In 750AD the Abbasid’s came to power after vanquishing the Umayyads. The first ruler Abu al-Abbas set about killing the remaining Umayyads who were mostly at Basra.
Ninety managed to escape, so Abbas explained that it was “all a mistake” and invited them to a dinner. When they were all assembled, the soldiers set upon them, flogging them till dead. A carpet was laid out over the bodies and the Abbasids feasted on the uneaten food. Only Abdul Rahman who did not go to the dinner escaped, and eventually turned up in al-Andalus in 756AD.
- Abdul Rahman I had a 32 years reign and survived attacks from both Berber and Arab as well as Abbasids and armies of Charlemagne. Having both Arab and Berber as parents helped him to be accepted.
- Hisham I (788-796) called for Holy War against Asturias and France, and assembled 100,000 warriors from even Syria, Arabia and Algeria, and attacked Narbonne and Carcassone and won enough booty to fund a new mosque in Cordoba
- Al-Hakam (796-822) became known for the “Day of the Ditch” where he beheaded 5,000 converts to Islam in Toledo on suspicion of treachery
- Abdul Rahman II preferred his Harem to Jihad and fathered 97 children
- Abdul Rahman III (912-961) became one of the great military leaders, and in 929 named himself Caliph at Cordoba, and rivalled both the Abbasids in Baghdad and also the Shiite caliphate in North Africa.
- Almanzor (967-1002) rivalled Abdul Rahman III as one of the greatest military leaders in Al-Andalus, and came to power after seducing Aurora, the wife of the homosexual caliph Hakam II. He beheaded 4,000 Christians after taking Zamora. He won the battle near Simancus and again beheaded about 4,000 Christians. Almanzor also razed the Christian shrine city of Santiago de Compostela which was to the Christians like the Kaaba was to the Muslims.
- The Caliphate was eventually destroyed by civil war, Muslim against Muslim. Christian Castillians were even called in to help Sulaiman defeat 30,000 Moors at the battle of Cantich.
Cordoba and the Golden Age
When Abdul Rahman III in 929AD named himself the Caliph, proclaiming independence from the Abbasid caliphate in Baghdad, Cordoba had become the largest city in Western Europe and this ushered in the Golden years. His court was frequented by Jewish, Arab and Christian scholars all working together. Abulcasis (936-1013) wrote a 30 volume medical encyclopaedia and is considered the father of modern surgery.
The 11th century philosopher poets Ibn Hazm who wrote in Arabic and Judah Ha-Levi who wrote in Hebrew spent important time in Cordoba. In fact the two most celebrated scholars of Al-Andalus were the Muslim philosopher Averroes and the Jew Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides) came from Cordoba. Maimonides, being Jewish, later fled at an early age to Egypt because of Almohad intolerance.
So civilization flourished in Cordoba while the laws of Islam were relaxed. Muslims, Jews and Christians (banned by Mohammed) worked together progressing science and literature, poetry and music (banned by Mohammed) delighted the Cordobans, and even wine (banned by Mohammed) was drunk for enjoyment.
So what happened to this “Golden Age”.
What can we deduce?
Only when Islamic law was softened did civilization flourish and science and art develop, but chaos and anarchy returned when strict Islam was adopted.
It is ironic considering that an arm bone of Mohammed is in the Mezquita in Cordoba, that when the arm of Mohammed was relaxed, science, philosophy, art, music and poetry flourished, but when Mohammed’s arm was tightened (Berbers), chaos and anarchy took the ascendancy.
1031-1248 AD Jihad continues; Islam declines
For some decades the Caliphate had descended into a number of Taifas or Kingdoms, which weakened the Moors and made them vunerable to Reconquista.
When Toledo was recaptured in 1085AD, and Seville had become the centre of Moorish culture, they sought help from North Africa. However the Almoravids were horrified when they entered Seville and noticed Jews and Christians trading freely in the markets, selling musical instruments and wine. A Fatwa was obtained and the Almoravids gained control of all Muslim lands and even taking back Valencia from the Christians.
This was followed by the even stricter Almohads who in turn fought and defeated the Almoravids in bloody Jihad.
1248-1492 Nasrid Dynasty; Islam is vanquished
Although the Alhambra complex had stood from the 9th century with the Alcazaba military complex, it was not until the 14th century that Alhambra reached its splendour under the Nasrid dynasty. Yusuf I (1333-1354) and Mohammed V (1354-1391) extended the building programme adding a Madrassa and a market and mercantile exchanges. The beautiful Generalife gardens stand as a lasting monument to the grandeur of Muslim Granada, with extensive water features which pay tribute to the technology of its architects.
Eventually Ferdinand and Isabella forced Mohammed XII (Boabdil) to surrender and he even gave them the keys to the palace before fleeing to Fez in Africa. Islam no longer controlled any part of Spain.
Conclusion
Spain provides a perfect example of how Islam is torn apart by sectarian and class rivalries which override the spiritual plane and result in endless Jihad.
There was Jihad galore, with Berbers and Arabs fighting the Visigoths, then Berbers fighting Arabs, Ummayyads fighting everyone else, Christian converts to Islam fighting the ruling classes, negroes, touaregs and Berbers against Christians, Christian soldiers fighting with Muslims against other Muslims, and the Almoravids and the Almohads fighting everyone else and each other.
Was there a Golden Age?
What can be concluded is that under the Umayyads of Abdul Rahman III, civilization flourished because true Islam was not practised, and indeed :
- Jews and Christians Dhimmitude was not as severe, and they mixed with Muslim scholars
- Literature, Medicine, Science and Astronomy advanced
- Poetry and Music flourished (not banned)
- Wine was drunk for pleasure (not banned)
Indeed, it could be said that:
“the Golden Age happened in spite of Islam, NOT because of Islam”.
When Cordoba was sacked, the scholars moved base to Toledo after 1085AD where science and literature flourished under Christian rule, NOT Islam. Scholars came from Europe to embrace new ideas then spread this throughout Europe.
Corollary
The stricter the practise of Islam, the more chaos and fighting occurred.
A Call to Action
The West must learn from the lessons of Spain and realize that the Wahhabi form of Islam promoted and spread by the Saudis will never produce another “golden age” and that Islam must be resisted with all our strength.
If we are silent, then the West will suffer the same fate as Cordoba did in the 11th century.
.
References:
Fregosi, Paul JIHAD Prometheus books
The Alhambra and Generalife in Focus Edilux
Andalucia
[1] Spanish Inquisition
[2] Granada Massacre of Jews 1066
[3] bin Laden calls for retaking of Spain
[4] Andalucia Lonely Planet p278
[5] Florinda’s story in Toledo “Jihad” by Paul Fregosi p90.
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No Muslim worth his salt will spill the beans on this inconvenient truth!
Not only Did Maimonides flee the Almohads but even the Muslim Averroes was banished for being too rational for the new powers.
Many like Averroes ask questions of Islam and they are 'banished' in being given waffle, stonewalling or other diversions as well as plain refusal to answer questions.
Rationality was banished from Islam a long time ago.
Thanks for your well-researched article giving the facts about Spain under Islam.
It proves that "pure" Islam is inimical to progress, harmony and intellectual pursuits.
We are seeing a lot of "pure" Islam worldwide, from Hamas in Gaza and now Mumbai.
I agree with your conclusion "The West must learn from the lessons of Spain and realize that the Wahhabi form of Islam promoted and spread by the Saudis will never produce another “golden age” and that Islam must be resisted with all our strength.
If we are silent, then the West will suffer the same fate as Cordoba did in the 11th century."
Yet in Australia, we are not only allowing, but encouraging Wahabism to spread - in our schools and universities, through so-called interfaith, funded by the government, through the halal food industry, sharia finance etc.
What should we do about it. For a start, we must keep up the pressure on the government (even though it seems impervious to letters written and petitions.)We must seek to educate people as to the dangers we face, so we increase our numbers.
We cannot let Islam take over Australia.
1) Spain neither wanted or needed Islam
2) Islam was forced onto them
3) it took alot of bloodshed to rid Spain of Islam.
Today, it is not "horse and camel" Jihad but "Stealth" Jihad.
The marxist EU aided by people like Tariq Ramadan are pushing millions of North Africans into Europe.
Instead of a horse or camel, they enter Spain freely under relaxed immigration laws.
Istead of a sword, they have a social security card to drain welfare.
Then they settle in and plan to take over, bombing train stations, burning cars (Paris) etc.
Australia is adopting more of a European attitude to immigration and are as unconcerned about the rise of Islam.
I keep thinking of how long it took Spain to rid itself of Islam!
The marxist EU aided by people like Tariq Ramadan are pushing millions of North Africans into Europe.
So true and when we realize that Spain's natural population growth is one of the lowest in the West (according to the current trend) Spain's population will drop by approximately 10 million people every 30 years) the outcome is rather predictable.
"Yet in 1066AD, in a single day, muslims murdered over 4,000 Jews because Vizier Joseph ibn Naghrela had risen to a position greater than them, and of course, this upset the Muslim sensitivities."
Is this the tall poppy syndrome, Islamic style?
I wish all these facts were taught at achool.
Islamic law bans certain areas of study/science and areas of philospophy.
Averroes complained that women were kept like domestic animals for gratification---he was forgotten in the Islamic world but influenced Latin philosophers and scientists. Philosophy became dogma in Islam. The great Muslim al-Ghazali had already written AGAINST the philosophers!
And indeed the golden age of Spain is anything but overall!
I have seen the alhambra and it looks Indian to me?
Take Dubai. Most of the real work is done by non-Muslims and any brilliance of design in the buildings is because of infidels.
Muslims are parasites, feeding off the hard work of others. Just look how they come to our countries and expect the taxpayer to fund their many wives and kids.
Why are they like that? They wernt born that way.
It's their koran which teaches them to be parasites.
At heart, all humans are the same, but Islam has brainwashed them to be evil.
We have to give it to the Islamists and Islamic apologists that they do show some good dose of black humour here.
As for the tolerance ... well .. even at the best of times it was just to use the dhimmis for the benefit of the ummah.
Even these periods were short and followed by years of much more vigorous persecution.
This is what Maimonides himself had to say (ca. 1200) after he had to run for his life from the tolerant Al Andalus:
You write that the rebel leader in Yemen decreed compulsory apostasy for the Jews by forcing the Jewish inhabitants of all the places he had subdued to desert the Jewish religion just as the Berbers had compelled them to do in Maghreb. Verily, this news has broken our backs and has astounded and dumbfounded the whole of our community. And rightly so. For these are evil tidings. . . . Indeed our hearts are weakened, our minds are confused, and the powers of the body wasted because of the dire misfortunes which brought religious persecutions upon us from the two ends of the world, the East and the West.
Remember, my coreligionists, that on account of the vast number of our sins, God has hurled us in the midst of this people, the Arabs, who have persecuted us severely, and passed baneful and discriminatory legislation against us.. . . Never did a nation molest, degrade, debase .and hate us as much as they. . . . Although we were dishonored by them beyond human endurance, and had to put up with their fabrications, yet we behave like him who is depicted by the inspired writer, “But I am as a deaf man, I hear not, and I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth” (Psalm 38: 14). Similarly our sages instructed us to bear the prevarications and preposterousness of Ishmael in silence. . . . We have acquiesced, both old and young, to inure ourselves to humiliation, as Isaiah instructed us, “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair” (50 :6). All this notwithstanding, we do not escape this continued maltreatment which well nigh crushes us. No matter how we suffer and elect to remain at peace with them, they stir up strife and sedition, as David predicted. “I am all peace, but when I speak, they are for war” (Ps. 120:7)
May God, Who created the world with the attributes of mercy, grant us the privilege to behold the return of the exiles to the portion of His inheritance, to contemplate the graciousness of the Lord and to visit early in His Temple. May He take us out from the Valley of the Shadow of Death wherein He put us. May He remove darkness from our eyes, and gloom from our hearts. May He fulfill in our days as well as yours the prophecy contained in the verse, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9: 1). . . . Peace, peace, as the light that shines and much peace until the moon be no more. Amen.
Moses b. Maimon (Maimonides)
Funny how Muslims claim Averroes was so good, but then punish him when he reveals the truth. Nothing much has changed since in Islam, has it?
Actually I was more impressed with the use of space, light and the garden designs than with the intricate carvings and mozaics.
Dan,
Thanks for that extract from Maimonides. You can't get much clearer than that, and straight from the horses mouth.
Strange logic from the Muslims wanting Spain back. In over 700 years they really achieved very little apart from conducting endless Jihad.
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