In 711 CE, the Umayyad Caliph al-Walid gave permission to the Arab governer of North Africa, Musa ibn Nusair, to attack Spain, which was seen as a prime target for jihad. Musa decided to send the great Berber warrior general, Tariq ibn Ziyad, leading a force of approximately 12,000 Berber and Arab soldiers to take Spain in the holy conquest of Qur'an and sword. In early July, they crossed into Europe through the strait of Gibraltar�the Europeanized word for Jabal-al-Tarik, which means "the hill of Tarik." Gebel-al-Tarik means "Rock of Tarik."

It was over within four years, as the vast majority of Spanish land fell to the hordes of Allah's soldiers and became dar al-Islam. The Muslim imperialists named Spain al-Andulus, perhaps mistakenly believing they had conquered the land of the Vandals instead of the land of the Visigoths. The Spaniards called them Moriscos. Al-Andulus was a big prize in the eternally expansionist program of Islam. That's how it stayed for more than 700 years until the equally long Reconquista (reconquest) culminated in Ferdinand and Isabella handing the remaining Muslim population the Bum�s Rush. The last Moslems of al-Andalus, in Granada, were finally impelled to flee en masse to Morocco, with the Spanish Inquisition (insert Monty Python joke here) in hot pursuit, thus making Spain European once again. This is an event whose bitter memory has retained all of its vivid intensity in the Moslem world to this day.

 

Muslims arrested for trying to pray in C�rdoba�s former Great Mosque

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7085695.ece

 

Two Muslim tourists were arrested when they tried to pray inside C�rdoba�s famous former mosque, breaking a ban imposed by the Roman Catholic Church. Half a dozen Austrian Muslims knelt to pray at the same time in the vast marble building, which was converted to a cathedral in the 13th century after Muslims were driven from Spain. Security guards stepped in and �invited them to continue with their tour or leave the building�, according to cathedral authorities. When two refused a scuffle broke out and police were called. Two security guards were seriously injured. Spanish media, citing police sources, said that one of the Muslims arrested had been carrying a knife.

martha
I liked what you have posted!
After perusing the cited news report my take would be why make a publicity stunt to make money off the Muslim tourists who are sold a package going to the famous mosque?

It is pure hypocrisy and worse case of baiting, providentially speaking a mosque can not be converted to any other form of temple. Period

Of course the whole world has been made mosque for the believers! And the Mosque of Cordoba is just a marker of the truth...Any thing else doesn't fit the majesty of love that was depicted in its construction and beauty it is when the real believer stands in there that the idolaters may not fathom ever!
 
The occupiers try if they must, can demolish and then build whatever, even then it will be no solution to the disbelief ...It has been tried in the past that is why the Prophet(saw) came to cleanse the main Mosques in Makkah and his Caliph Umar the great (r) did in Jerusalem...that were also converted into a temple of idolatry and rest is ebb and flow of God's law in world history!




Edited by Sign*Reader - 04 April 2010 at 12:01am

martha wrote: So..this building was originally built as a mosque, right? Then the Catholics took it over and consecrated it. These visiting muslims then see it still as a holy place for muslim worship. TBH, don't you think these arrests were going over the top? Prayer is prayer is prayer..surely it doesn't matter in this case how the prayer is done ie on knees or sitting in a pew? The Pope said this."In the international context we are living at present, the Catholic Church continues convinced that, to foster peace and understanding between peoples and men, it is necessary and urgent that religions and their symbols be respected". He also added that this implies that "believers should not be the object of provocations that wound their lives and religious sentiments". Benedict XVI noted that "for believers, as for all people of good will, the only path that can lead to peace and fraternity is respect for the convictions and religious practices of others" I would see it to be a good idea then for the Pope to apologize for the arrest of these men, and give any muslim, in the future, the right to offer prayer in this former mosque. Many people of different religious denominations visit Cathedrals/Churches here in the UK to view the splendid architecture. They are not asked what religion they are from, nor are they prevented from entering. Good grief, can you imagine the problems that would cause? And I expect most people offer some form of prayer or Hail Mary when entering these places. These arrests just sound like a bad case of sour grapes. NOt sure if it is illegal to carry a knife in Spain, either outdoors or in a Church? Somehow doubt the knife was meant as any threat . NOw if it had been a bomb then I would say different.

Hi Martha,

First of all, one thing. I thought that I was having a pretty good knowledge of Islam and Islamic traditions, but after time, I still keep discovering things, like this one of the need of a knife to go to the Mosque. Sorry, that is the first time I heard that to pray, a "Muslim" needs a 40 cm. knife!!! And sure it's forbidden to have a knife in Spain, it's a crime itself... so imagine if it's inside a religious place full of people and tourists...

Secondly, the Pope should not apologize, they have to do it! They came into a Christian place to provoke, that was their aim. A group who were communicated through walky talkies, who entered the Cathedral by different places and started praying in different places. And another thing that is not allowed in Spain is to attack the police, even if you didn't do anything, you should respect them when they come.

This is not the first time that Muslim are trying to pray in the Cathedral, and there is an official prohibition of any other religion pray there that everyone knows.

Let us expose the opposite, imagine if I was coming to Santa Sophia Cathedral in Istambul to pray as Christian, as far as that was a Christian place in old times... what do you think that people will do then?

Or for instance, there are lot of Christians in Arabic countries, like Saudi Arabia, where they don't find Churches to pray... why they don't allow they to go inside the Mosques to pray? I think that would be a very good sign of their opening, and a step to ask for this "shared use" of the old Muslim places all over the world.

But, actually, the truth is that in most of the Muslim countries, even the entrance inside the Mosque of non-Muslim is forbidden, so let us be fair at least for this time, please. We are not talking about an isolated happening, that's something that they planned for long time and what they want is just to provoke. I cannot accept it and I will never do.

The fights should be done with different weapons, with truth, words and peace. Only the possession of the knife is already demonstrating the quality of these group of "Muslim".

Regards,
Patricia

martha wrote: HI Pati, Long time no see here:) Well, in all fairness, I haven't read anything about a 40cm knife, or that this visit to the Cordoba place of worship was planned to disrupt. I agree that if they attacked and seriously hurt 2 security officers then that was wrong. So, would you not go into a non-Catholic church at all? DO you think you should be banned from them? I certainly would not suggest it...but maybe it would be a good thing? I thought the Pope was trying to bring religions more in tune with eachother. Guess not then. That is sad, as it just shows then that Catholics think only they have the truth. Anyone else is wrong with their beliefs. Is that so? I agree that all people should talk about truth and peace, as opposed to fighting about it. Saudi is not a good example to give re:mosques and worship. They dont like most muslims sects in all fairness and sunni's get arrested inside mosques there.BUt most other mosques in the world will let you in. Maybe the Catholics should not have taken the Cordoba mosque in the first place? It's like the Taj Mahal too. That was originally a muslim mosque, then it was taken over by hindu's. Doesn't seem right really does it? Maybe if the world becomes dominated by Islam then all Catholic churches etc will become mosques? Would that be fair to Catholics? Why can't an area be allocated to the muslims inside this place as has been suggested? It certainly does seem to discriminate agains't muslims :(

Hi Martha,

I guess if you really understand what I wrote... I have been in Cordoba's Cathedral with my ex, who was(is) Muslim, and they didn't ban him. Actually, that day the Cathedral was full of Muslim because it was an organized travel from I don't know where, and none ban them from the Cathedral... Everyone is welcome there, and they don't ask about the faith of the visitor, because they don't mind about it.

The problem here is that an organized group came there to make something that is specifically forbidden, such as praying in a different way than the Catholic. Do you understand it? We have nothing against Muslims, but lot of things against few Muslim who only want to fight and still dream about "Al-Andalus".

Regarding your question about why we converted a former Mosque into a Cathedral... it's simple: it was beautiful, and we didn't destroy it, opposite, we respected and appreciated it. The same way, and I want to insist, that Muslims respected Santa Sophia Cathedral in Istambul. Isn't it? Muslim were banned from Spain, and please, I don't want to start the discussion about why did it happen (I don't think that is the point here), and we are talking about Middle Age, not about yesterday, and we recovered what was our land, only that.

If you came to Spain, you would see home many Muslim places we are still having here, and respecting all of them. Cordoba is only another one, we have the Alhambra in Granada, we have water sources, we have bridges, we have old cities like Madinat Al-Zahra.... so many things... Does it means that Spain is Muslim? No, that means that Spanish love the beautiful and useful things, and we did all the possible to take care of it.

About that idea that Islam will dominate the world... I think the same, Christians will dominate it... again

Kind regards,
Patricia