Yesterday AOW wrote an excellent post about Aznar questioning why Islamic leaders have never given any apology for conquering Spain.
But Aznar is not the only one who has spoken about Islamic socities these days in Spain:
"Without the Crusades and the Inquisition, without the insidious Iberian Reconquest, we could -who knows?- have asisted to the flourishing of a Mediterranean civilization, ecumenical, not sincretical, in which several legacies of Greek-Latin culture could coexist , just the same as today two Europes coexist, the one of the beer and the one of the wine, the one of the butter and the one of the olive oil, in an only idea of democracy. The religious power, allied with the throne, employed itself in eliminating pluralism, just the same in Islam and in Christendom".
Who said these words? NO, it was not Zapatero. To read about them, just click on the link.
Is it just me, or does anyone else have romantic visions of riding in with broadswords and laying waste to the enemy> Yes, I know, they have guns and more. Still, the jihadis as they reach back to a romanticized past, remind me that I am doing the same thing. Except that my heroes are (thanks to hindsight) those who won.
ReplyDeleteI really must do more research on modern Spain. Or perhaps Bernard Lewis could write a series of "What Went Wrong" books. I really do want to know though, I really want to know what has happened in Spain....I only now realize that my research has led me in so many directions that I remain ignorant in too many areas.
Eeh, what has happened in Spain? It is somewhat very difficult to understand, even for me that I have been living here all my life. It's the lose of our truest identity, but also of the values -courage, honor, valor, etc- that were so important at a time.
ReplyDeleteAndalucia's Autonomous Government is trying to convince its inhabitants that they have a special history and particularities, that are basicly 2: they are basicly Muslims and their culture is Islamic -before Islam there was nothing there- and, secondly, very bad Castillian imposed their king and religion to them when the Reconquest finished. So, instead of thinking that their own ancestors were those same conquerors, they maintain that their ancestors are Islamic people who were christianised by force.
Of course, Andalucia's Autonomous Government is Socialist (since 1978). The very striking thing is that this same people are the ones who have processions at Easter and are fond of pork jam and of their different and very internationally known wines.
Everything is just a way to go against the Catholic Church and Popular Party... and of course, that black beast for them, who is Mr. Aznar. And just in the horizon, the "devil" Bush.
About Spain: well, that is why I began my other blog. The problem is there are so many things to read and so little time.... ;)