Spain's Islamic legacy source of controversy | Focus on Europe

traces of a significant past Kamal Micallef is proud of the Islamic legacy of Andalusia he is Algerian himself but came to Cordoba 30 years ago this city played an important role in the Middle Ages and was a significant Islamic Center I would say that not only Muslims but everyone is proud of Islamic civilization in Spain but not everyone would agree for the far-right Vox party which won 11 percent of the votes in regional elections last year Spain's Muslim past and present pose a danger the party chairman warned of a new Arab invasion in an online video religious and artistic heritage is being threatened by money from radical Islamic countries but we didn't reconquer Spain for nothing construction of the Great Mosque of Cordoba began in the eighth century but its centre was converted into a Catholic Church during the Reconquista Muslims are currently not allowed to pray in the complex today's Muslim community which is a minority prays at a mosque on the outskirts of the city Kemal Micallef is the president of the Muslim Association of Cordoba he's concerned that the far-right Vox party now has 12 seats in parliament these people don't want to acknowledge the Magnificent legacy that Islam has left here is Lama a la historia de theater these are the ruins of the Caliphate city of Medina as a hardier which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site last year excavation and restoration continue here but they are costly the director Alberto montejo is trying to raise funds in Arab states Cordoba and Medina is a ha real reference for the Arab world we're in contact with the embassies of Arab States and we're trying to explore what form of support they could offer our work far-right extremists are angry about this but nobody would say this in front of the camera we asked some of the Vox party's sympathizers what they thought mari valia de lara fears that spain is becoming dependent on rich Arabs they're invading Europe they don't want to accept defeat and we're just watching that annoys me on the one hand we say this is Spain Europe and on the other we're just accepting the border to shift at the Pyrenees it's all about the money Pepe Lopez the owner of this store which sells religious articles also voted for Vox she's a staunch advocate of the unity of the Catholic Church and Spain she argues that this is threatened by Muslims both poor refugees and rich benefactors to me they probably want the cathedral back it used to be their mosque but it's not only an Arab building Christian's completed it the majority of Andalusia pne's do not share these views but they are becoming more mainstream the UNESCO World Heritage Sites director Alberto Montejo says that it's important to point out how the Moors enriched Spain Islam was here for over 800 years and it left significant traces in nature in our way of being in a food the language we cannot ignore this for Kemal Micallef it is this very fact and the way that different cultures interact that make up Spain today he hopes that the far rights will not gain more influence if people were to see us on the street and say look they want to reconquer our Andaluz he would of course be hurtful giannis thought it would mean that the propaganda has worked and people are scared they made that it's a it's a mule a hunting but in the end he says the far right is shooting itself in the foot Islam's legacy has had an impact not only on Muslims but on all Spaniards and a bit of this culture remains in each of them even far-right extremists

Channel: DW News

Views: 371,072

Keywords: spain, andalusia, right wing, spanish right, cordoba, Spain Islam, Spain Muslems, Spain, Mosque of Cordoba, Medina, Medina Azahara, Cordoba, Spain right wing, Spain right-wing extremism, Spain Islamophobia, Spain racism, Focus on Europe, DW, DW News

Id: EQbY8xIAQuo

Length: 5min 14sec (314 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 24 2019