- Title: SPAIN: Growing numbers of Spaniards are converting to Islam
- Date: 30th July 2009
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MOHAMMED JAYRUDIN GUIJAR, MUSLIM CONVERT, SAYING: "I met the light of Islam 25 years ago, and Allah helped me a lot to find the path of Islam. The practice of Islam is very old. I've only recognized this practice that the human being did since that time." CATHOLIC CHURCH AND MOSQUE ISLAMIC INSCRIPTION ALHAMBRA PALACE
- Embargoed: 14th August 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Spain
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA9864UI53952ZU53MOXRI31H1X
- Story Text: The number of Spaniards converting to Islam in Spain is rising. With 50,000 Spanish converts amongst the 1.5 million Muslim population, Spain has the highest rate of converted people in western Europe, proportional to the number of Muslims in the country.
This is twice as high than in France, estimated to have a Muslim population of six million - the largest Muslim community in western Europe.
"Maybe the number of Spanish who convert to Islam are more numerous than in the other European countries because of the history, because of the deep roots present in the Spanish identity that's been connected with Islam for 1000 years," said Abdulhasib Castineira, director at Granada mosque and Islamic centre.
Castineira referred to the "Al-Andalus" period, which began in 711 when Tariq ibn Ziyad entered the peninsula. For eight centuries, Islam was the main religion in Spain.
After the Catholic conquest of Islamic lands which ended in 1492 with the fall of Granada, Muslims continued to live in the peninsula as "Moriscos" until their eviction by King Philip III in 1609.
Spanish history and identity are linked to the long Islamic presence in Andalusia.
According to Castineira, conversion to Islam in Spain a growing phenomenon.
"That began 30 years ago when the first Spanish rediscovered Islam in the 70's, in the middle of the 70's, after the fall of General Franco's government. In our mosque, Granada mayor mosque, every week, one, two or three people convert to Islam. The "shahada" [act of faith pronounced in order to become Muslim] after the Friday prayer became a habit for us. Almost each week, one, two or three people from the Spanish society and sometimes from Europe and South America convert to Islam," he said.
Castineira is one of the earlier converts to Islam in Spain in recent decades. He was born in Galicia in 1955 with the name of Ramón Castineira and studied at a Catholic college before converting to Islam in 1977.
He founded the Muslim community in Granada and became its President. One of his sons went on to became an Imam at the mosque.
"Islam is not a religion only for one people in particular, it's a religion for all the humanity, as it is the last prophet sent by Allah," said Fauzia Benedetti, a second generation Muslim who studied Arabic for 3 years and can understand parts of the Imam's speech when given in Arabic.
Her father is an American jazz artist who converted to Islam and married a converted Swiss woman before settling in Granada. She herself married a Spanish convert a year ago.
"I met the light of Islam 25 years ago, and Allah helped me a lot to find the path of Islam. The practice of Islam is very old. I've only recognized this practice that the Human being has done since that time," explained Mohammed Jayrudin Guijar who was an Actor in Madrid before converting to Islam and settling in Granada.
In 1981, the Muslim community bought a plot of land in one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Granada called "Albayzin". The Moriscos settled there after the Christian conquest in 1492 in order to build a mosque.
The community had to endure 22 years of difficulties and tensions before finally opening a mosque in 2003 - the first mosque built in Granada since 1492. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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