Spanish's Arab Connection

When you think of European culture, one of the first things that may come to your mind is the renaissance. Many of the roots of European culture can be traced back to that glorious time of art, science, commerce and architecture. 

But did you know that long before the renaissance there was a place of immense sophistication and beauty in Muslim Spain?

Not only was Muslim Spain artistic, scientific and commercial, but it also exhibited incredible tolerance, imagination and poetry. Moors, as the Spaniards call the Muslims, populated Spain for over 700 years (711 - 1492 AD).

If you speak either Spanish or English, you probably know more Arabic than you think you do.

After Latin and English, Arabic is probably the biggest contributor of words to the Spanish language, and a large portion of English-Spanish cognates (words that the two language share) that don't come from Latin come from Arabic.

The English words you're most likely to think of as Arabic origin are those that start with "al-," words such as "algebra," "Allah," "alkali" and "alchemy," and they exist in Spanish as algebra, Ala, alkali and alkimia, respectively. But these are not the only Arabic words in Spanish. A variety of other types of common words such as "coffee,' "zero" and "sugar" (cafe, cero and azucar in Spanish) also come from Arabic.

The etymology of English words goes beyond the scope of this article, but the introduction of Arabic words in Spanish began in the eighth century, although even before then, some words of Latin and Greek originally had roots in Arabic.

Muslim watchtower along the river Guadaliquivir in Spain

People living in what is now Spain spoke Latin at one time but over the centuries Spanish and other Romance languages such as French and Italian gradually differentiated themselves. The Latin dialect that eventually became Spanish was highly influenced by the the Arabic-speaking Moors in 711. For many centuries, Latin/Spanish and Arabic existed side by side, and even today many names of Spanish places retain Arabic roots. e.g. The name Gibraltar derives from the Arabic Jabal-al-Tarik [mount of Tarik].

It wasn't until late in the 15th century that the Spanish inquisition expelled the Muslims, and by then literally thousands of Arabic words had become part of Spanish.

There are nearly 5000 words of Arabic origin in Spanish. Following are just some of the most common Arabic origin Spanish words you'll come across. As you can see, many of the words also are a part of English. Although it is believed that the English words like "alfalfa" and "alcove," which originally were Arabic, entered English by way of Spanish (alfalfa and alcoba), most Arabic words in English probably entered English by other routes.

Arabic-origin Spanish words	English
aceite	oil
adobe	adobe
aduana	customs - as at a border
ajedrez	chess
Ala	Allah
al-acran	scorpion
al-bacora	albacore
al-bahaca	basil
al-cade	mayor
al-coba	bedroom, alcove
al-cohol	alcohol
al-dea	village - alderman
al-fombra	carpet
al-garroba	carob
al ghattas	alcatraz - as pelican
al-godon	cotton
al-gontmo	algorithm
al-kimia	alchemy
al-macen	storage
al-manaque	almanac
al-mirante	admiral
al-mohada	pillow
al-qasr	alcazar - fortress
al-quiler	rent
amalgama	amalgam
arroz	rice
asesino	assassin
atun	tuna
ayatola	ayatollah
azafran	saffron
azucar	sugar
azul	blue - azure
bano	bathroom
barrio	district
berenjena	eggplant
cafe	coffee
cero	zero
chisme	gossip, gadget
Coran	Koran
cuzcuz	couscous
dado	die - singular of "dice"
embarazada	pregnant
espinaca	spinach
fez	fez
fulano	what's-his-name
gacela	gazelle
guitarra	guitar
hachis	hashish
haren	harem
hasta	until
iman	imam
jaque	check - as in chess
jaque mate	checkmate
jirafa	giraffe
laca	lacquer
lila	lilac
lima	lime
limon	lemon
macabro	macabre
marfil	marble
masacre	massacre
masaje	massage
mascara	mask
mazapan	marzipan
mezquita	mosque
momia	mummy
mono	monkey
naranja	orange
ojala	I hope, God willing
ole	bravo
paraiso	paradise
rehen	hostage
rincon	corner, nook
sorbete	sherbet
sofa	sofa
rubio	blond
talco	talc
tamarindo	tamarind
tarea	task
tarifa	tariff
toronja	grapefruit
zanahoria	carrot

Al-Andalus: History Of Islam In Spain

Al Andalus -- History of Spain is documentary from BBC4, Britain . The moderator is Bettany Hughes is a historian, author and broadcaster who has spent the last twenty years sharing knowledge about the world's civilizations and culture with a wide audience. She is a Research Fellow of King's College London and has been made an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University. She has taught at Bristol, Manchester, Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

The two hour programme reminded us that in Spain, Islam was a culture of phenomenal innovation which continually emphasized the importance of learning. France's largest library at the time contained 700 books. The library in Cordoba, Spain, on the other hand, contained over half a million volumes. People converted to Islam because they believed the religion was attractive and offered them something of value. The Muslims in Spain built a culture that was the very pinnacle of civilized life. And when later the rest of Europe underwent a massive intellectual and cultural revolution -- the Renaissance, the programme convincingly asserted that the Renaissance was the continuation of an intellectual process that had begun centuries earlier in Islamic Spain.

After been vast studies of history, there was no others religion that have a vast and dynamic structure of economy, politics and knowledge. Why most non- Muslim converted to Muslim at the time. It because of the religion itself have their own law in governance the wealth, social structure and intellectual power.

When The Moors (Muslims) Ruled Europe

An insightful documentary into the prosperity Islam engendered in Europe during its glorious reign there.

The Convivencia In Islamic Spain

Coexistence Of The Three Faiths

By Sarah-Mae Thomas

For a period of almost four centuries, when Medieval Spain was ruled by the Moors, the believers in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam lived together in peace and harmony.

La Convivencia refers to this coexistence.

For over 400 years, knowledge and mysticism thrived in the Spanish towns of Toledo, Cordoba, and Granada as students and teachers in all three disciplines helped one another to learn, translate, and understand ancient teachings.

The year 1492 marked the destruction of an unprecedented form of coexistence between the Jews, Muslims, and Christians in Al-Andalus, a state that had thrived since the eleventh century.

Was the purported reality of La Convivencia a mere construct of mythology, recreated by the Spanish historian Ramon Pidal and his student America Castro, or one exacerbated by populism?

This in microcosm forms the basis of the article which is divided in three parts:

- Firstly, the historical context will be sketched in order to determine how the spirit of Convivencia crystallized.

- Secondly, the essay will draw upon political, religious, and socio-economic determinants to best understand the reality of La Convivencia.

- Thirdly, by way of historiography, the essay will attempt to reconcile the notion that La Convivencia was a retrospective utopian fallacy with the equally persuasive assertion that there really existed such an unprecedented social fabric in medieval Spain.

Drawing upon proximate and remote factors, it will be argued that to blindly subscribe to utopian historical interpretation only exacerbates this theoretical misguidance and continues flawed historical documentation.

This essay also seeks to provide an alternative. Perhaps by looking at the very tenets of Islam itself, one can channel the confused conclusions of the Convivencia into a cohesive understanding, for within the Quran lie the very seeds of democratic pluralism.

As an overarching analysis, the essay will draw upon aspects of La Convivencia that should inform the peace process in the Middle East. For when Muhammad XII Abu Abdullah left the gates of Granada in 1492 marking the “last sigh of the moor,” the death knell of the ever celebrated Convivencia reverberated throughout the medieval world.

Historical Landscape

If indeed, the postulations of Convivencia by historian Ramon were based on a genuine reality, how the spirit actually precipitated would form a useful basis. According to some historical accounts, Arab armies first arrived in the peninsula in AD 711.

Although records of the conquest are tenuous, it is known that the Arabs had gained control over North Africa from Egypt to the Atlantic. (Muslim Spain, 6)

Having observed the socio-economic degradation of the Visigoth rule and the proximity of a fertile country, the Arabs made their advance from the Southern tip and met Roderick the ruler of Spain at the Barbate River. (4)

Having defeated his armies, the Arabs advanced North and Muslim rule was accepted voluntarily by many Spaniards. (Islamic Culture, 25)

Al-Andalus was ruled by the Umayyad caliphs in Damascus until 750 when the Abbasid dynasty came to power in the East.

Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu'awiyah, an Umayyad prince, escaped and fled to Spain where he established an independent Umayyad state in 756 (Jews, Christians, and Muslims, 28)

Andalusian rulers who were sovereign politically continued to regard the Abbasid Caliphs as the ultimate religious authority for almost 200 years until the eighth ruler of the dynasty, Abd al-Rahman III al-Nasir, claimed the caliphate title for himself and his progeny in 929. It is at this point that historian Ramon Menendez Ridal and his student America Castro form the historical rhetoric resembling something of a pax Islamica, the golden age of Islamic civilization which embodied the spirit of Convivencia.

Rosa Menocal describes how this planted the seeds for an unprecedented level of scientific, philosophical, and metaphysical discovery, rendering medieval Spain the ornament of the world (The Ornament, 10)

It will be stated here that prima facie the spirit of Convivencia was no mere myth. What led to the success of the coexistence was a convenient political cocktail mixed with proximate social factors and the religious dynamics of Islamic presence.

Political Determinants

Arguably, political factors were most influential in facilitating the Convivencia process. There were two key political figures present in the upper echelons of Islamic rule in Al-Andalus in the tenth century which directly impacted upon the birth of the amicable coexistence.

The rule of Abd al-Rahman III from 912 to 961 came the closest to achieving the full realization of this coexistence and in 929, he officially declared himself Caliph and “Prince of All Believers” (Cultural Flourishing). He conducted his policy of reconciliation of the Berbers, Arabs, Jews and Christians of the Iberio-Hispanic population. He also worked directly with the Mozarabs, a controversial term generally used to refer to Christians who lived under the Muslim rule, and placed them in positions of power.

Furthermore, the Jews and Christians could practice religion without harassment or persecution. The maliki fiqh or law was an effective legal instrument which regulated the practice of all three religions (The Jews). Abd al-Rahman III also rotated posts within the bureaucracy and placed even former Jewish and Christian slaves in positions of power.

The Muslim rulers in Spain relied on the Jews for diplomacy and public administration who were inaugurated into posts of commerce and played important roles in cities such as Toledo and Cordoba. As a direct result of this, a thriving mercantile class grew during the Islamic rule in Al-Andalus.

Intrinsic to the success of Convivencia during his reign was the political figure Hasdai Ibn Shapmut, the Jewish Vizier of the Abd al-Rahman III. Their collaboration led to a convenient political marriage of ideas (The Jews)

Both he and Abd al-Rahman III had a common goal of removing their Jewish and Muslim communities respectively from their Eastern centre and advancing intellectual and religious independence.

The presence of Islamic interpretations of Aristotle by Averroes and Maimonides achieved the archetypal Aristotelian scholarship.

Consequently, this led them to create an educational structure that encouraged the importance of Greek Philosophy, particularly the works of Aristotle which was translated into many languages. This political maneuvering had social manifestations—the Jews shared the same Romance and Arab vernacular as the Christians and Muslims. “This further inaugurated the social unification among the three faith-communities of the peninsula” (The Ornament, 11)

Aristotelian Philosophy

The nuances of Aristotelian philosophy should perhaps be examined closely. Aristotelian thought directly challenged the sole use of religion to justify the denouement of certain political theory. Although both political figures were not secular, both Abd al-Rahman III and Hasdai promoted the prominence of such philosophy insofar as it pertained to political policy. Whilst the political collaboration of Abd al-Rahman and his vizier in the tenth century facilitated Convivencia, the philosophy of twelfth century was arguably the crux of the flourishing of the Convivencia.

The presence of Islamic interpretations of Aristotle by Averroes and Maimonides achieved the archetypal Aristotelian scholarship. They urged the need to develop a state based upon the interpretation of Plato’s Republic. (Medieval Iberia, 99)

Such strong cohesion in philosophical debate led the Jews, Christians and Muslims to believe that there was a place for the three Abrahamic (Ahl Al-Kitab) faiths to coexist. It would be intellectually barren however, to state that the flourishing of Convivencia can be solely attributed to internal factors.

The presence of more remote factors played into the hands of those in power. Just before the Ummayyad Caliphate was established in Al-Andalus, the Visigothic rulers had conducted extensive anti-Semitic policies. These policies were particularly rampant within the state and church in the first two decades of Visigothic rule.

Highly possible within the formulation of what constituted the spirit of Convivencia could be the fact that the Jews saw the Muslims as their liberators from Visigothic rule. David Lewis certainly holds this view (Cultural Flourishing).

This begs the question, was Convivencia a mere construct of retrospective utopianism or a reality exaggerated by populism and recreated through historical account?

The Need to Recreate History

The ‘raison d’être’ behind the recreation of history vis-a-vis the moors was a direct result of the lack of scholarship in this particular period in Spanish historical account. Thomas F. Glick in his book Islamic and Christian Spain in the Early Middle Ages argues that until the 1970s, historians were grappling with how to express an account of the rise of nationalism of a nation-state without alluding to socio-psychological dimensions.

For long after the Muslim political reign came to an end, he claims that “the image of the moor remained as the quintessential stranger, an object to be feared.” (Islamic and Christian, 123)

He claims that the forgotten chapter in Spanish history was incinerated in the flames of the Spanish inquisition. Thus, transposed into the historiographical field are subconscious fears which have transferred into a bias that underlies historical interpretation. Unless a historian is purged of this bias, the historian cannot play a valid role as an interpreter of Spain’s history.

Convivencia: A Fallacy?

The primary part of this essay has dealt with the underpinnings of Islamic reign and the machinery upon which La Convivencia functioned. So far the proposition has been that Convivencia was in fact a reality.

For the spread of Convivencia’s spirit was not a monolithic one working at equilibrium amongst classes.

However it will be argued here that perhaps to some extent it has been exaggerated. Much retrospective idealism was created through the historical accounts, the populism created by the Museum of Three Cultures in Cordoba and the mythos created by Washington Irving in the Tales of the Alhambra.

Many contemporary historians purport that this retrospective utopianism of the Convivencia precariously masks the very presence of institutional fundamentalism in medieval Spain—both in its Jewish and Muslim manifestations in the nature of forced conversions, exile, lower standards of citizenship, higher taxation, and violence. (The Ornament, 7; “Was the Islam…”)

Thus, three prongs of analysis come to the fore. Firstly, whilst there might have been a great deal of tolerance, it is important to examine the social fabric and the differentiation of toleration within the classes. (“The Roots”)

For the spread of Convivencia’s spirit was not a monolithic one working at equilibrium amongst classes. Cruz claims that whilst the aristocracy benefitted from policies of Convivencia, many of the lower echelons of Jewish and Christian society remained segregated or in conflict with their Abrahamic counterparts.

Amongst the Christians, it was the nobility, scholars and upper ranks of clergy who enjoyed the fruits of Convivencia. (“The Roots”)

Amongst the Jews, it was the rich merchant class who had little interaction with the lower echelons of society. (“The Roots”)

Furthermore, cultural coexistence was more tangible amongst the Jews and Muslims than with Mozarabs. The case in point here is that aspects of divergence in culture were masked by simultaneous developments in philosophy and metaphysics.

Such development in thought veiled the unearthed intricacies of conflict and carefully transposed the spirit of Convivencia onto the forefront of historical scholarship.

Secondly, by way of resolving whether the theory of Convivencia translated into praxis, it is useful to analyze the intricacies of Abd al-Rahman III’s policies more microscopically. If indeed he did intend on conducting the policy of Convivencia, he did so with a very different goal in mind. His policies were mainly aimed at the homogenization of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims into one culture.

Furthermore as one analyzes the work of Pidal and Castro, it becomes obvious that they propose a similar thesis—the Spanish racial fabric would not have been what it is today without La Convivencia. This therefore seems more like one of convergence rather than coexistence.

Fallacy Continued: The Exoticism of Architecture

A third and a more remote layer, compounding this mythos of Convivencia is the presence of ever-undulating, overwhelming architecture in Andalusia. Rothstein states that this idealism led to a form of architectural mysticism through the creation of monumental buildings such as the Alhambra and the Great Mosque of Cordoba. Rothstein claims that such overwhelming architecture declares mystery which allowed this historical idealism to achieve its physical manifestation. He claims that the “position or status of the individual is the focus, [not the individual itself]” (Was the Islam…)

This is quite different from the humane ideal so often attached to Convivencia. The outcome is not a version of tolerance as she claims that the viewer is absorbed into a world that overwhelms, inspiring awe with intricacies in architecture of monumental proportions that seem beyond comprehension. This perpetuates the retrospective utopianism in its more tangible manifestation.

The thesis here however, is that whilst these interpretations temper the level of utopianism attached to the Convivencia, it was undeniable that this level of coexistence was unprecedented and arguably has not been replicated yet. What then was the lynch pin of Convivencia’s success?

Principles, Civilization, and Influence of Islam: Future Directions

For indeed Al-Andalus was the enlightened society that combined the triune people of the Holy Book (Ahl Al-Kitab), their beliefs, humanism, and artistry, it would serve as an extraordinary model for any Muslim country, especially for the peace process in the Middle east. Whilst the underpinnings of truth and mythos of Convivencia have led to mixed conclusions, the assertion here is that the spirit of Convivencia has been undermined by Eurocentric historiography.

The fallacy in studying the Convivencia from this perspective is that it disregards Islamic determinants from the formulation. Often the impact of the Islamic civilization and its influence are measured against the yardstick of European historiography.

Perhaps imbued within this bias of reviving the rhetoric is the Huntington thesis philosophy. This thesis seeks to offer an alternative by looking at the very principles of Islam. For if most historians attribute the success of Convivencia to the Aristolean division of religion and state, why did Abd al-Rahman III go about Al-Andalus making Islamic proclamations and orations?

It is unlikely that the Islamic leaders in medieval Spain really conducted a policy of disestablishment and privatization of Islam. (Islamic Roots, 24)

The presence of post-9/11 terrorism had tainted the essence of Islam, often making it synonymous with fundamentalism.

Sachedina’s study of the Islamic roots of democratic pluralism provides a useful stepping stone. One reason why the three faiths could have coexisted so amicably could be attributed to the Quran’s very definition of belief itself.

The Quran states that: {Those who believe (i. e. professing to be Muslims), or those who declare Judaism, or the Christians or the Sabaeans (or those of some other faith) whoever truly believes in God and the Last Day and does good, righteous deeds, surely their reward is with their Lord, and they will have no fear, nor will they grieve} (Al-Baqarah 2: 62)

The apex of the Quran’s inclusive spirit can be extrapolated beyond the realm of the three religions of Abraham. It is particularly informative in terms of the universal application of the religious pluralism and community identity in Islam. An oft-quoted passage reads:

{Humankind were (in the beginning) one community (following one way of life without disputing over provision and other similar things. Later on, differences arose and) God sent Prophets as bearers of glad tidings (of prosperity in return for faith and righteousness) and warners (against the consequences of straying and transgression), and He sent down with them the Book with the truth (containing nothing false in it) so that it might judge between the people concerning that on which they were differing.} (2: 213)

The presence of post-9/11 terrorism had tainted the essence of Islam, often making it synonymous with fundamentalism. This is largely due to the obscurantist and exclusivist schools of thought which have monopolized juridical interpretations. The peace process of the Middle East must learn the inclusive spirit of the Quran.  Overarchingly, La Convivencia was indeed a reality however much obscured by both utopian and realist schools of thoughts it may be. As a final analysis, perhaps the reason why Convivencia blossomed at the Golden age of Islam lies in the very crux of the faith’s capacity to engage in a pluralistic world of communities with secular concerns such as the universal good and forgiveness.

Far from being antithetical to modern Western values of liberal democracy, Islam can assist this very liberal project of public international order.

Blindly prescriptions to mere Eurocentric rhetoric would only exacerbate this theoretical misguidance and continue flawed historical documentation.

Works Cited

Allen, Marilyn Penn. Cultural Flourishing in Tenth Century Muslim Spain among Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Unpublished master's thesis submitted to Georgetown University, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 2008

Chejne, Anwar G. Muslim Spain: Its History and Culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1974

Constable, Olivia. Medieval Iberia: Readings from Christian, Muslim and Jewish Sources. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997

Cruz, Miguel. “The Roots of Coexistence” The Unesco Courier, 12, December, 1991

Esperanza, Alfonso. Islamic Culture through Jewish Eyes: Al-Andalus from the Tenth to Twelfth Century. New York: Rutledge, 2008

Gampel, Benjamin R. “Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Medieval Iberia: Convivencia Through the Eyes of Sephardic Jews,” in Vivian B. Mann et al., Convivencia. New York: George Braziller Inc., 1992

Glick, Thomas F. Islamic and Christian Spain in the Early Middle Ages. Boston: BRILL Publications, 2005

Hillenbrand, Robert. The Ornament of the World, Medieval Cordoba as a Culture Centre. ed. Salma Jayyusi. Leiden: E. J. Brill Publications, 1992

Lewis, Bernard. The Jews of Islam, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1984

Rothstein, Edward. “Was the Islam of Old Spain Truly Tolerant?” New York Times, September 27, 2003

Sachedina, Abdulaziz. Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007

Online Video Resources

Gardner, Robert H. 2007. Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain. PBS.

Hughes, Bettany. 2005. When the Moors Ruled in Spain.

Spain’s Forgotten Muslims – The Expulsion Of The Moriscos

One of the truly tragic events in Islamic history is the loss of al-Andalus, or Muslim Spain. For centuries, the Iberian Peninsula was a Muslim land with Muslim rulers and a Muslim population. At its height, Iberia had over 5 million Muslims, a majority of the land’s people. Muslim rulers built an advanced civilization based on faith and knowledge. In the 900s, the capital of Muslim Spain, Cordoba, had paved roads, hospitals, and street lights throughout the city. At the time, Christian Europe’s largest library had only 600 books, while Cordoba’s calligraphers were producing 6000 books per year.  The society was a peaceful mixture of European and African cultures, represented by Muslims, Jews, and Christians living in harmony side by side.

This almost utopian society did not last forever. As the so-called Reconquista, or Reconquest, of Spain by Catholic monarchs progressed through the 11th to the 15th centuries, Spain’s Muslims became a marginalized group. In 1492, when the last Muslim state of Iberia, Granada, fell, Spain’s Muslims faced a new reality: genocide.

Occupation

After the fall of Granada in 1492, most Muslims expected it to be a small setback. They thought Muslim armies from Africa would soon come to redeem the loss of Granada and re-establish a Muslim state. The new Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, had other plans, however.

They made their religious intentions clear early on. In March 1492, Spain’s monarchs signed an edict that effectively forced every last Jew out of the country. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were forced out, with the Ottoman Empire accepting many of them. Sultan Bayezid II of the Ottoman Empire sent his entire navy to Spain to pick them up and bring them to Istanbul, in order to avoid the mass killing that awaited them in Spain.

The Spanish policy towards the Muslims was not much different. In 1492, there were about 500,000 Muslims throughout Spain. The Catholic Church made it a priority to convert them all to Christianity now that they did not have the protection of a Muslim state.

The first attempts to convert Muslims to Christianity was through bribery. Converts were showered with gifts, money, and land. This approach proved to be unsuccessful, as most of these “converts” quickly returned to Islam after getting such gifts.

Rebellion

When it became clear in the closing years of the 1400s, that the Muslims of Spain were more attached to their beliefs than to wealth, Spain’s rulers took a new approach. In 1499, Francisco Jimenez de Cisernos, a cardinal in the Catholic Church was sent to southern Spain to “speed up” the conversion process. His approach was to harass the Muslims until they converted. All manuscripts written in Arabic were burned (except for medical ones). Muslims who refused to convert were arbitrarily sent to prison. They were tortured and had their property confiscated in an attempt to convince them to convert. This was all part of Cisernos’ policy that “if the infidels [Muslims] couldn’t be attracted to the road of salvation, they had to be dragged to it.”

His oppression and harassment soon had unintended consequences for Spain’s Christian kings. Spain’s Muslims, in order to resist the oppression began an open rebellion. Granada’s Muslims especially openly protested in the streets and threatened to overthrow the oppressive Catholic rule and replace it with a new Muslim state. Spain’s king and queen quickly intervened along with Cisernos. They gave Granada’s rebels a choice – conversion or death. Almost all of Granada’s citizens chose to convert on the outside, but secretly kept Islam as their true religion.

In 1502, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella officially made Islam illegal throughout Spain

In the countryside, the Muslim towns throughout Granada rose in revolt. They took refuge in the rocky Alpujarras Mountains in Southern Spain, making it difficult for the Christian authorities to root them out. The rebels had no clear plan nor one central leader. They were united in their belief in Islam and resistance to Christian rule.

Since almost all of the population of Granada was Muslim, the rebellion took a defensive form. Christian soldiers regularly attacked Muslim towns in an attempt to force its residents into conversion. The Muslim rebels, not as well equipped or trained as the Christian soldiers, were not always able to rebel the attacks. Massacres and forced conversions of villages were common.

By 1502, the rebellion had petered out and Queen Isabella officially declared an end to toleration for any and all Muslims in Spain. Thus, all Muslims had to officially convert to Christianity, leave Spain, or die. Many did in fact flee to North Africa or fight to the death. However, most officially converted to Christianity, while still keeping their true beliefs hidden.

In Hiding

Spain’s Muslim population went underground in 1502. They had to hide their faith and actions from the Spanish authorities to avoid being killed. These “converted” Muslims were known as Moriscos by the Spanish, and they were intently watched.

Spanish government officials placed strict restrictions on the Moriscos to try to make sure they were not still secretly practicing Islam, which many were of course doing. Moriscos had to leave the doors to their homes open on Thursday nights and Friday mornings, so soldiers can pass by and look in to make sure they were not bathing, as Muslims are supposed to do before the congregational prayer of Friday. Any Muslim caught reading the Quran, or making wudu (ablution) could be immediately killed. For this reason, they were forced to find ways to practice their religion in secret, constantly in fear of being found.

Even under such difficult circumstances, the Moriscos retained their beliefs for decades. While the community activities of Islam such as congregational prayer, alms giving, and pilgrimage to Makkah were restricted, they were able to continue to practice in secret.

Final Expulsion

Despite the best efforts of the Moriscos to conceal their practice of Islam, the Christian kings suspected them of continued adherence to Islam. In 1609, over 100 years after the Muslims went into hiding, King Phillip of Spain signed an edict expelling all Moriscos from Spain. They were given only 3 days to completely pack up and board ships destined for North Africa or the Ottoman Empire.

During this time, they were constantly harassed by Christians, who would loot their belongings and kidnap Muslim children to raise as Christians. Some Moriscos were even killed for sport on their way to the coast by soldiers and regular people. Even when they got to the ships that would take them to their new lands, they were harassed. They were insultingly expected to pay their own fare in their exile. Also, many of the sailors raped, killed, and stole from the Moriscos they were carrying on their ships. This example religious intolerance can effectively be classified as a genocide and terrorism. The Spanish government made very clear their desire to harass and make life miserable for Spain’s Muslims as they were on their way out.

In this environment, however, the Moriscos were finally able to be open about their practice of Islam again. For the first time in over 100 years, Muslims prayed openly in Spain. The adhan (call to prayer) rang in the mountains and plains of Spain once again, as its Muslims were on their way out of their homeland.

Spain’s Muslims were given 3 days to leave their homes and board ships destined for foreign lands in 1609.

Most of the Moriscos wished they could stay in Spain. It had been their homeland for centuries and they did not know how to live in any other land. Even after their exile, many tried to sneak back into Spain and come back to their former homes. These efforts were almost always failures.

By 1614 every last Morisco was gone, and Islam disappeared from the Iberian Peninsula. Going from over 500,000 people to zero in 100 years can only be described as a genocide. Indeed, the Portuguese Dominican monk, Damian Fonseca, referred to the expulsion as an “agreeable Holocaust”. The effects on Spain were grave. Its economy suffered greatly, as a large part of the labor force was gone, and tax revenues dropped. In North Africa, Muslim rulers attempted to provide for the hundreds of thousands of refugees, but in many cases, were unable to do much to help them.  The Moriscos of North Africa spent centuries trying to assimilate into society, but still kept their unique Andalusian identity.

To this day, neighborhoods in major North African cities boast of their Morisco identities and keep alive the memory of Muslim Spain’s glorious past. They remind us of the illustrious history of the Iberian Peninsula, as well the tragic story of their expulsion from their homes in the one of the greatest genocides Europe has ever seen.

Bibliography:

Carr, Matthew. Blood and Faith: The Purging of Muslim Spain. New York: The New Press, 2009. Print.

Ochsenwald, W., & Fisher, S. (2003). The Middle East: A History. (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Via: "Lost Islamic History"

Muslims Are A Part Of Our American Heritage

By Sheila Musaji
Courtesy of "The American Muslim"

My dear brother Jamal Baadani received an email letter entitled “MUSLIMS A PART OF OUR HERITAGE…..ALWAYS…...I THINK NOT” which was sent to him by someone calling himself Mr. Sheldon.  Jamal responded to him from the point of view of a Muslim in the U.S. military. (Both Mr. Sheldon’s original letter and Jamal Baadani’s response are at the bottom of this article.)  I would also like to respond.  I had previously received this as an email quoting the source as Patriots for America, but have found the posting on sites all over the web.  So, we have yet another of those viral emails that are really from an anonymous and therefore cowardly source. 

This letter is yet another in a long list of bigoted propoganda stating some “fact” that “everyone knows” which is quite simply not a fact at all.  The most commonly repeated claims about Muslims are that “everyone knows” that most or all terrorists are Muslims, and there are no Christian and no Jewish terrorists (or terrorists of any other religious stripe).  

Everyone also knows that Muslims are not equivalent to real Americans, that they are the enemy within, that good Muslims can’t be good Americans, that they are all militant,  that Islam is “of the devil”, and an “evil encroaching on the United States”, and this is a Christian nation, which everyone knows the Muslims are trying to take over, starting with getting an Eid stamp which is the first step towards shariah law.  Everyone knows that Muslims are given a pass by the elite media.  It’s “us versus them”, and even those Muslims who do speak up or seem moderate are simply lying or practicing taqiyyah.  The problem is that what “everyone knows” is wrong.  These self-righteous and incorrect statements are usually followed by a demand that the Muslim community do something about whatever is the false flag of the day or face the inevitable consequences.   

There may not have been any Muslims who signed the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights (as most Muslims in America at that time were slaves) but Muslims are stilldefending those documents.  You can read about some of those Muslim slaves here.

There were Muslims in the “wild west”, for example:  “There is one further story, that of Hajj Ali, the only truly legendary Old West figure of Arab origin. Born in Syria, he arrived at Camp Verde with the second shipment of camels in 1857 and helped the Americans handle their camels on Beale’s trek to California. His easygoing nature—and Americans’ ignorance of Arabic—left him with the nickname “Hi Jolly,” and after the westward trek he took part in numerous camel projects throughout California and Arizona. After the auctioning of the camels, Hi Jolly prospected for gold, hauled freight and scouted for the US Army. Granted citizenship in 1880, he married Gertrude Serna of Tucson and had two daughters with her. However, in the tradition of the solitary Old West adventurer, he returned to the desert in his late years to prospect alone near Quartzsite, Arizona. He died in 1902. Legendary for his skill with animals, he was cared for in his final days by ranchers and prospectors.”

You can see a photograph of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King together here and read something about their struggle for civil rights for African-Americans.  You can go here to see a photograph of Dr. Martin Luther King giving his I have a dream speech, and see how many Muslims (the folks with the white hats) are immediately surrounding and protecting him.  I am a pretty ordinary person, but was in college in the 60’s and was a small part of the Civil Rights movement as were many other Muslims.

You can read an article by Dr. Shafeeq S. Shamsid-Deen which points out:  “Did you know that in 1492 an Afro-Spaniard named Pedro Alonzo Nino accompanied Christopher Columbus on his fist voyage to the Americas?  Did you know that in 1522, Muslims were at the forefront of the freedom struggle of slave’s throughout the Americas? Most of these revolts were unsuccessful as far as freedom was concerned. These freedom fighters were ruthlessly crushed, hanged, burned and even thrown in boiling oil.”  So, a Muslim was here before those Pilgrims first landed, and were already engaged in a struggle for civil rights 400 years before the civil rights movement of the 20th century, and 300 years before the Civil War.

You might check out the Muslims in America exhibit currently at Shaw University in Raleigh NC.  According to a local news article about this exhibit:  “The exhibit, “Muslims in America,” demonstrates that Muslim explorers may have predated Christopher Columbus and that Muslims fought in every U.S. war since the Revolutionary War. Census records show nearly 300 men with surnames from Muslim areas fought in the Civil War, for example.”  You can read about Muslims and Arabs in the U.S. military here.  Jamaal Baadani gives a few specific examples below.

You might check out this collection of Muslim voices denouncing terrorism, extremism, and violence which absolutely shows your claim that Muslims do not denounce terrorism, and did not denounce 9/11 to be a lie.

You might read this article with a partial list of Muslims who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks (over 50), including a pregnant Muslim woman on American Airlines Flight 11.  As noted in the article:

Imagine being the family of Salman Hamdani.  The 23-year-old New York City police cadet was a part-time ambulance driver, incoming medical student, and devout Muslim.  When he disappeared on September 11, law enforcement officials came to his family, seeking him for questioning in relation to the terrorist attacks.  They allegedly believed he was somehow involved.  His whereabouts were undetermined for over six months, until his remains were finally identified.  He was found near the North Tower, with his EMT medical bag beside him, presumably doing everything he could to help those in need.  His family could finally rest, knowing that he died the hero they always knew him to be.

Or imagine being Baraheen Ashrafi, nine months pregnant with her second child.  Her husband, Mohammad Chowdhury, was a waiter at Windows of the World restaurant, on the top floors of Tower One.  The morning of September 11, they prayed salaat-l-fajr (the pre-dawn prayer) together, and he went off to work.  She never saw him again.  Their son, Farqad, was born 48 hours after the attacks—one of the first 9/11 orphans to be born.  In an interview with CTV Canada, she relates that in the months to follow, she mourned for her husband and endured the hostility of some ignorant people around her.  “When they saw me ... I’m wearing a scarf. There is a hate look.”

Or consider Rahma Salie, a passenger on American Airlines #11 that crashed into the North Tower.  Rahma, a Muslim of Sri Lankan origin, was traveling with her husband Michael (a convert to Islam) to attend a friend’s wedding in California.  Rahma was 7 months pregnant with their first child.  According to the Independent UK (October 11, 2001), Rahma’s name was initially put on an FBI watch list, because her “Muslim-sounding” name was on the passenger manifest, and her travel patterns were similar to those of the hijackers (she was a computer consultant living in Boston).  Although her name was eventually removed from the list, several of her family members were barred from taking flights to her memorial service.  Her mother, Haleema, said, “I would like everyone to know that she was a Muslim, she is a Muslim and we are victims too, of this tragic incident.”

You might also read about Shahram Hashemi.  In 2002, Shahram received the F.H. LaGuardia Association Memorial Award for his exemplary academic record and his volunteer rescue effort at Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of the attacks of September 11th in New York, an event which served as the catalyst for his commitment to human rights.  Or, you might read about the four police officers and one firefighter who assisted in the rescue operations after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11.  At a ceremony honoring these men,  Ralph Boyd, assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice said: “This is a reminder to Americans of what it means to be American.  In addition to suffering alongside the rest of us, our Muslim and Arab brothers and sisters were also involved in rescue operations in the aftermath of the horrific attacks on our country.”

You might read about Abdulrahman Zeitoun who voluntarily stayed behind in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, America’s largest natural disaster to selflessly help his neighbors.  Or Hassan Askari who saved three Jewish men being attacked inn a N.Y. subway.

You might read my article Muslims Who Fought Against the ‘Real’ Fascists for some understanding of just how marginal the Mufti mentioned in the email was (his views like those of Henry Ford did not represent the majority opinion). 

You might read Muslims in American History: A Forgotten Legacy by Jerald Dirks where you would learn:  “In reality, there is a centuries long history of the Muslim presence in America, which is all too often overlooked or misidentified. Written documentation, linguistic evidence, and reports of early Spanish explorers of the New World suggest Muslim contact with the Americas prior to Columbus. Muslims and Moriscos sailed with Columbus and were part of many of the Spanish explorations of the New World. Muslims comprised a significant percentage of the enslaved Africans who were brought to the Americas, and many Islamic residuals have found their way into contemporary African-American life and culture. At least one Muslim fought for American Independence during the Revolutionary War, and many other Muslims were prepared to fight to keep American independence during the War of 1812. Another prominent Muslim was part of the taming of the Wild West. Beginning in the late 19th century, successive waves of Muslim immigrants enriched America, and phenomenon of Americans converting to Islam became increasingly widespread. In reviewing this history, the author presents a series of brief biographies of individual Muslims to illustrate the Muslim presence at each stage in American history.”

You might read Shahed Amanullah’s article Muslims in the military: Crescents among the crosses at Arlington Cemetery discussing some of the Muslims buried at that national cemetery.  Or, you might visit any local military cemetery and notice the crescents designating a Muslim soldier buried there.  There are recorded instances of Muslims in the United States military during the American Civil War. Muhammad Ali ibn Said (also known as Nicholas Said), formerly enslaved to an Arab master, came to the United States in 1860 where he found a teaching job in Detroit. In 1863, Said enlisted in the 55th Massachusetts Colored Regiment in the United States Army and rose to the rank of sergeant. He was later granted a transfer to a hospital department, where he gained some knowledge of medicine. His Army records state that he died in Brownsville, Tennessee in 1882.  Another Muslim soldier from the Civil War was Max Hassan, an African who worked for the military as a porter.

The Muslims in America 1700’s site lists Peter Salem (Saleem) born (1750?-1816) a former slave who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill.  Whether or not he was of Muslim descent is debated, but it is certainly possible.  They also note that

From 1774–1783 there were at least six people with Islamic names who fought in the Revolutionary War as colonial soldiers. One of them was Yusuf Ben Ali, also known as Joseph (Benenhali) Benhaley, who fought with General Sumter in South Carolina. After the war, General Sumter took Joseph Benhaley with him inland to Stateburg where they settled down. Joseph Benhaley’s name appeared in the 1790 census of Sumter County. Revolutionary records also show that there was a Bampett Muhamed who was a Corporal in the Revolutionary Army, from 1775-1783 in Virginia. Francis Saba was listed as a sergeant with the Continental Troops in roll 132, 1775-1783, and Joseph Saba was listed as a Fifer in the Continental Troops roll 132, 1775-1783.

UPDATE 9/5/2012:

Pamela Geller was horrified by comments reportedly made at the recent Jumah at the DNC event.  She comments on an article in the Washington Times that quoted one of the organizers, Jibril Hough,  as saying:  “Muslims visited America prior to Columbus. It was a Muslim who guided Columbus on his voyage to the new world.”  Geller finds this a “desecration of American history”, and “Islamic supremacist historical revisionism”.  I responded to her false claim in a new article Moriscos, Marranos, Columbus, and Islamophobes in which I discussed at length the fact that “Whether or not Jibril Hough’s comments are accurate historically is certainly a matter of debate for historians.  There are many theories about Norse, Irish (St. Brendan), Chinese, Phoenician, African, Arab, Japanese, etc. groups having reached North or South America prior to Columbus.  None of these claims can be proven absolutely, and some have more evidence than others to be considered as possibilities.  There is certainly no supremacism involved in believing that any of these might be true.”

1492, the year of Columbus’ voyage was the same year that Ferdinand and Isabella completed the Reconquista and captured Granada. At that time Muslims and Jews were given a choice to either convert, go into exile, or face the Inquisition.  Among both communities some became Moriscos (Muslims) or Marranos (Jews) who chose “conversion” to Christianity.  In some cases they were actually converts, but more often only pretended to convert in order to save themselves.  There have been many claims by both the Jewish and Muslim communities that there were Moriscos and/or Marranos who were on Columbus voyages.  In fact, some have even claimed that Columbus himself was a Marrano.  See the article for many references.

UPDATE 10/11/2012:

An article by Lynn Parramore on Alternet Right-Wingers Would Be Shocked to Learn That Islam Has Been Part of American History Since Its Founding contained information about an early American Muslim that I had never heard of before.  The author said:

Anthony “The Turk” Janszoon van Salee, son of the president of the Republic of Salé in Morocco, was among the earliest and richest settlers of Manhattan island, a devout Muslim, and the ancestor of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the Whitneys, Humphrey Bogart, and, according to family lore, Jacqueline Bouvier. That’s right: the Lady of Camelot apparently had a mixed-race Muslim as an ancestor! One of van Salee’s first properties was a farm in lower Manhattan acquired in 1638 located on the north side of the stockade along present-day Wall Street, just blocks from the Park Place Islamic center characterized by Geller as a foreign presence on sacred American soil. A defender of minorities, van Salee became the first settler of Brooklyn. Coney Island, which abutted his property, was known as “Turk’s Island” until the 19th century.

I decided to do a little more research, and discovered that although some of the biographical information is disputed, the author was basically correct about the fact that van Salee was a Muslim.  van Salee was born in1607 in Spain, came to New Netherlands in 1630, and died there in 1676. 

An article by Guy Adams in The Independent notes that “One of the most powerful figures in 17th-century New York was a Muslim: Anthony Janszoon van Salee was a wealthy Dutch Moroccan landowner and merchant whose father was an admiral in the Moroccan navy. Van Salee was also one of the first settlers of Brooklyn.”

A map on the Welcome to Brooklyn website has the following bit of historical information in the notes on the area:

New Utrecht, one of the original six towns settled on Long Island, was in the Bensonhurst area (84th Street between 16th and 18th Avenues, roughly). Jacques Cortelyou, a surveyor, began selling lots in the area to create New Utrecht starting in 1655-1657. One of the first, if not THE first, houses built in the town was the Nicasius De Sille house which stood at (roughly) 18th Avenue and 84th Street. Anthony Janszoon van Salee was a free black Moroccon who settled in New Utrecht in 1630 and became a prominent merchant and landowner, and who may have been the first Muslim settler in the New World.

PBS’ Frontline has an online page The van Salee family which says:

Anthony and Abraham van Salee were the ancestors of the Vanderbilts, the Whitneys, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Humphrey Bogart.

They were among the earliest arrivals to 17th century New Amsterdam. In a number of documents dating back to this period, they are both described as “mulatto”. From what scholars have been able to piece together about their background, they appear to have been the sons of a Dutch seafarer by the name of Jan Jansen who had “turned Turk” and become an admiral in the Moroccan navy.  With the Port of Salee as the base from which it harried European shipping, references to the fleet he commanded are salted away in the old English sea shanties that are still sung about the Salee Rovers. The mother of his two sons was probably a concubine he had while trading in this part of the world before his conversion to Islam.

As a result of the anti-social behaviour of his white wife, Anthony van Salee was induced to leave the city precincts of lower Manhattan and move across the river, thus becoming the first settler of Brooklyn. Since Coney Island abutted his property, it was, until sometime in the last century, also referred to as “Turk’s Island”; the word, “Turk”, being a designation of his which the records used interchangeably with, “mulatto”. According to the documentation that people like Professor Leo Hershkowitz of Queens University have sifted through, it would seem that Anthony van Salee never converted to Christianity. His Koran, in fact, was in a descendant’s possession until about fifty years ago when, ignorant of its relevance to his family’s history, he offered it for sale at auction.

The Van Salee history also includes a more contemporary black collateral branch in the U.S. Anthony’s brother Abraham fathered an illegitimate son with an unknown black woman. The son became the progenitor of this side of the family. Although having to face constraints that their “white” cousins could at best only imagine, two of these van Salees nevertheless left their mark in the annals of African American history.  ...

SEE ALSO:

American Muslim History, Fareed Numan http://www.islam101.com/history/muslim_us_hist.html
Archive of Muslim American History and Lifehttp://www.ulib.iupui.edu/digitalscholarship/collections/AMAHL
The Islamic Community In The United States: Historical Development, Muhammed Abdullah Aharihttp://www.sunnah.org/history/islamamr.htm
Timeline of Islam in the U.S. http://mediaguidetoislam.sfsu.edu/intheus/10_timeline.htm

Jamal Baadani’s response

Dear Mr. Sheldon: Your facts regarding Muslim Americans are incorrect, here’s why!

I read your impassioned letter (copy of letter is below) to our President and Commander-in-Chief, President Barack Hussain Obama regarding Muslims in America titled “MUSLIMS A PART OF OUR HERITAGE…..ALWAYS…...I THINK NOT”......., and as a Patriotic American who has fought for this country since June 1981 - your characterizations regarding Muslims are wrong.  You need to have some facts clarified.  I have sent attachments to you personally via email to support my point.

As a Muslim American Marine, I have lead Marines in combat on numerous occasions and since 9/11, I have participated in counter-terrorism operations to pursue those terrorist bastards who attacked our country - I didn’t wait for my country to call, I asked to be deployed.  While waiting for six months to be deployed, my personal possessions were put in storage, and I moved out of my home and rented a room from a friend so that when my turn was called I would not waste valuable time preparing - I was prepared and deployed at a moments notice. 

The terrorists used Islam to justify their horrific and cowardly acts on 9/11.  As Americans, Arabs and Muslims packed their bags, as I did, to get some pay back against the terrorists who struck our country.  The attack on our country was not a Christian thing, it was not a Muslim thing, it was not a Jewish thing, and surely it wasn’t a white, black, yellow, or brown thing.

It was terrorists who hated us for a multitude of reasons that struck our country on 9/11 - all of which transcended color, race, religion, and nationality.  In doing so, the terrorist killed individuals who were from over 87 countries and of many religions at the World Trade Center, and my fellow brothers and sisters in Arms lost their lives in the Pentagon.  Muslims were among the dead both in the Pentagon and the World Trade Center.

The first documented Arab American immigrant - Private Nathan Badeen - from Syria died in the revolutionary war on May 26th, 1776, Private Nathan Badeen was with the 18th Continental Army of Massachusets.  He died fighting for a cause of freedom - two months prior to seeing the Declaration of Independence issued to the British.  So yes, there were Arab Americans and Muslim Americans who also died in the revolutionary war, as documented in the attachments - in addition to Private Nathan Badeen.

Over 5,000 Muslim and Arab Americans fought on both sides of the civil war - can you imagine Arab and Muslim Americans who were rebels, and on the other side Arab and Muslim Americans with the Union fighting to end slavery.

Over 15,000 Arab Americans fought in WWII to help rid the world of a Tyrant.

Since 9/11 Muslim and Arab Americans have given their lives serving in the US Military in Iraq and Afghanistan - Captain Khan saw the threat of a vehicle in Iraq approaching dangerously towards the check point manned by his fellow Army Soldiers - Captain Khan ran outside of the wire to a safe distance away from harms way to his soldiers and jumped in front of the vehicle so it could detonate before it got to his troops.  Captain Khan was months away from his Doctoral Degree when 9/11 happened, but held off getting his degree so he could join the US Army and serve his country in time of need. 

The attachments I sent you will give you some other information regarding Muslim patriotism in helping defend our country.

President Barak Hussein Obama in his Cairo speech was right, Muslims have been a part of America’s history.

Jamal Baadani is the founder of The Association of Patriotic Arab Americans in Military

The anonymous letter Mr. Sheldon forwarded:

MUSLIMS A PART OF OUR HERITAGE…..ALWAYS…...I THINK NOT

OBAMA said, in his Cairo speech: “I know, too,  that Islam has always been a part of America’s story.

Dear Mr. Obama:

Were those Muslims that were in America when the Pilgrims first landed?  Funny, I thought they were Native American Indians.

Were those Muslims that celebrated the first Thanksgiving day? Sorry again, those were Pilgrims and Native American Indians.

Can you show me one Muslim signature on the United States Constitution?  Declaration of Independence? Bill of Rights? Didn’t think so.  Did Muslims fight for this country’s freedom from England? No.

Did Muslims fight during the Civil War to free the slaves in America? No, they did not. In fact, Muslims to this day are still the largest traffickers in human slavery. Your own ‘half brother’  a devout Muslim still advocates slavery himself, even though muslims of Arabic descent refer to black muslims as “pug nosed slaves.” Says a lot of what the Muslim world really thinks of your family’s “rich Islamic heritage” doesn’t it Mr.Obama?

Where were Muslims during the Civil Rights era of this country?  Not present. There are no pictures or media accounts of Muslims walking side by side with Martin Luther King Jr., or helping to advance the cause of Civil Rights.

Where were Muslims during this country’s Woman’s Suffrage era? Again, not present. In fact, devout Muslims demand that women are subservient to men in the Islamic culture. So much so that often they are beaten for not wearing the ‘hajib’ or for talking to a man that is not a direct family member or their husband. Yep, the Muslims are all for women’s rights aren’t they?

Where were Muslims during World War II? They were aligned with Adolf Hitler.  The Muslim grand mufti himself met with Adolf Hitler, reviewed the troops and accepted support from the Nazi’s in killing Jews.

Finally   Obama, where were Muslims on Sept. 11th, 2001? If they weren’t flying planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon or a field in Pennsylvania killing nearly 3,000 people on our own soil, they were rejoicing in the middle east. No one can dispute the pictures shown from all parts of the Muslim world celebrating on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and other news networks that day. Strangely, the very “moderate” Muslims who’s asses you bent over backwards to kiss in Cairo, Egypt on June 4th were stone cold silent post 9-11. To many Americans, their silence has meant approval for the acts of that day.

And THAT,  Obama,  is the “rich heritage” Muslims have here in America. 

And now we can add November 5, 2009—the slaughter of American soldiers at Fort Hood by a muslim major who is a doctor and a psychiatrist who was supposed to be counselling soldiers returning from battle in Iraq and Afghanistan.  That,  Obama is “muslim heritage” in America.

————-

SEE ALSO:

Islam in America article collectionhttp://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/islam_in_america/