Although a number of converts in the Muslim community consider other groups like the Herrahis and the Alawis slightly eccentric, they are nonetheless considered relatively open, accessible and tolerate other Muslims and communities. Many, however, view the Murabituns as cultish, insulated and intolerant. Interestingly enough, such a description seems to fit the Spaniards as well.

Rule Three: In order to move and develop, re-create and prove yourself.

Today, Spain must accept its past and move forward. The government must take pro-active steps to counter more than 500 years of Isabellian rule that perceives Spain as a bulwark against barbarism – namely Islam. Such a vision remains cherished by right-wing groups and the Catholic Church.

While the strength of the Church has been foundering in recent years, its aura remains steeped in Spanish culture. For instance, every Jan. 2, controversy arises regarding the commemoration of the Reconquista of Granada by Isabella and Ferdinand. Although it is a public holiday in the city, a number of reconciliation activists have urged that the day be used to celebrate the cultures that have lived in the city. In celebrating the Christian, Muslim and Jewish populations, activists seek to revivify the deeply rooted tradition of convivencia (cross-cultural coexistence).

However, the Catholic Church and rightist parties fiercely oppose the suggestion with protests, demonstrations, and even have gone as far as to lobby for the canonization of Queen Isabella. With Isabella responsible for the expulsion of Jews and the persecution of Muslims, organizations of both religions oppose any such attempt. Similarly, during the 22 years that plagued the building of the Great Mosque of Granada, which was finally completed in 2003, the Catholic Association campaigned against its construction as unnecessary in a “Christian City” that would only serve to fill the area “with Arabs (going) to pray.” As such, invoking diverse histories does not benefit the groups because rather than encouraging a meaningful dialogue, it is a means of striking one another.

Unfortunately, the right-wing view is bolstered by al-Qaeda’s call for a holy war to “liberate al-Andalus.” Despite, or maybe because of the 2004 Madrid train bombings, a walk through Granada’s Arab quarter reveals that Osama bin Laden’s call is not as fruitful as he would like. I met immigrant shopkeepers from North Africa or first-generation Spaniards of Arab descent. Rather than being cool and abrupt with three women, these men were helpful traders. Unfortunately for me, as a poor bluffer, I generally lost in the Middle Eastern game of bargaining, but I enjoyed trying. Moreover, rather than ignoring us as some Spanish shopkeepers did, most engaged us. In fact, some had a look that beseeched us to speak with them, and we did – in Spanish, Arabic and English.
 
In the same manner that we used a variety of languages to communicate, so too must the Spanish government. Almost immediately after the Madrid bombings, the then new Socialist government of Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero initiated the “alliance of civilizations” to prevent the escalation of conflict not only in Spain, but also between the West and Islam. Now adopted as a program by the United Nations, the initiative includes 18 reformers and progressive intellectuals such as former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, who seek to overcome what the body calls mutual suspicion, fear and misunderstanding between Muslim and Western societies that have been exploited by extremists. Although dialogue remains a vital first step, substantively more needs to be done within Spain.

Wisely, Zapatero’s administration discarded former Prime Minister José María Alfredo Aznar López’s plans to make the Catholic curriculum mandatory in public schools. However, new controversial recommendations include requiring all mosques to register with the state. Another hotly contested suggestion includes a plan to license imams, which is supported by a number of moderate Muslim groups, such as the Moroccan Immigrant Worker’s Association, which argue that too many foreign clerics are unable to speak Spanish and that Saudi Arabia (through its enormous financial support) has excessive influence over Spain’s mosques.

In response to existing and new concerns, Zapatero’s government established a $4 million fund for three “minority” religions – Islam, Judaism and Protestantism. The government has also engaged the two major Spanish Islamic organizations – the Murabituns and the Muslim Organization of Spain (Fereracion Espalola de Diocesis Islamicas) – as a means to prevent radicalization and reduce the potential for alienation that feeds extremism and violence. The latter is considered a pragmatic group that can work with the government to close the gap regarding Muslim rights – an area in which Spain is believed to lag far behind other European countries.

Take a walk around Spain and the lack of such rights should come as no surprise. Unlike in France, where Lebanese, Moroccan and other ethnic groups work in a variety of vocations from high-end retail shops like Louis Vuitton to museums like the Louvre, I did not see a single, non-Spaniard working outside the traditional Arab quarters or kabob houses. Apparently, this invisible class, which receives no financial assistance from the government it now supports, also works in construction and cleans houses.