Faith, culture and fear: comparing Islamophobia in early modern Spain and twenty-first-century Europe
Faith, culture and fear: comparing Islamophobia in early modern Spain and twenty-first-century Europe
In 1609, King Philip III of Spain ordered the expulsion from his kingdom of circa 300,000 Moriscos (Muslims forced to officially convert to Christianity). This expulsion marked the end, and failure, of over a century of concerted efforts by both the Spanish government and Catholic Church to assimilate this minority by destroying its culture. This article explores how the fate of the Moriscos was not inevitable but rather the result of an explosive situation in which (1) faith and culture became conflated and (2) the minority came to be perceived as politically disloyal and a threat to the survival of the state and Church. It draws parallels with the current situation of Muslim communities in contemporary Europe to highlight the similarities between them and to sound a cautionary warning to all Europeans, whatever their creed.
399-416
Soyer, Francois
3ccef83c-fad6-46be-b6a0-300d69a30528
20 February 2013
Soyer, Francois
3ccef83c-fad6-46be-b6a0-300d69a30528
Soyer, Francois
(2013)
Faith, culture and fear: comparing Islamophobia in early modern Spain and twenty-first-century Europe.
Ethnic and Racial Studies, 36 (3), .
(doi:10.1080/01419870.2013.734383).
Abstract
In 1609, King Philip III of Spain ordered the expulsion from his kingdom of circa 300,000 Moriscos (Muslims forced to officially convert to Christianity). This expulsion marked the end, and failure, of over a century of concerted efforts by both the Spanish government and Catholic Church to assimilate this minority by destroying its culture. This article explores how the fate of the Moriscos was not inevitable but rather the result of an explosive situation in which (1) faith and culture became conflated and (2) the minority came to be perceived as politically disloyal and a threat to the survival of the state and Church. It draws parallels with the current situation of Muslim communities in contemporary Europe to highlight the similarities between them and to sound a cautionary warning to all Europeans, whatever their creed.
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Published date: 20 February 2013
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Local EPrints ID: 349033
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/349033
ISSN: 0141-9870
PURE UUID: 662bc54d-40e2-44fd-8eab-0480915fa8c9
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Date deposited: 22 Feb 2013 15:33
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 13:08
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Francois Soyer
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