As
a student of Western medieval history for over ten years now, the Muslim rule
of Spain has been a subject that interested me, but that I had not quite gotten
around to in any detail. So when I
heard good things about Dario Fernandez-Morera’s The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise, I decided to read it for
myself.
The
book is even better than I expected.
D. F. M. well debunks the hoary academic myth that
Muslim Spain was a tolerant multi-cultural paradise. But it is the manner
in which he does so that most impresses.
He begins his chapters with quotes from those holding the prominent viewpoint of
the “Andalusian paradise.” He frequently
acknowledges their views, including points on which they are correct. Also, he thoroughly documents that
Christians and Jews in Spain, not only Muslims, were harsh in a number of their
laws, restricted contact with each other, and were largely segregated,
contributing to the lack of tolerance in Spain. The Muslims were not the only bad guys, if you will. So this book is no one-sided polemic.
Instead,
this work is thoroughly scholarly.
D. F. M. quotes primary sources so much, it is almost overkill at
times. But he is debunking the dominant academic view of Muslim Spain; his near overkill is necessary. Further, his notes and long
bibliography take over a hundred pages!
The main text only goes to 240 pages – this is not a hard read. But combined with the notes and
bibliography, this is both a good introduction to the subject and an excellent
resource for further study.
Sadly,
the current state of academia is so averse to truth-telling about Islam and its
history, one may have difficulty finding other books on Muslim Spain that are
this good. That makes this already
(The publication date was 2016.) that much more a must have on the subject.
A
personal note - I was struck while reading that the atrocities of ISIS and
other Islamonazi groups are nothing new.
For example, how several medieval Muslim rulers turned executions into
outlandish spectacles much like ISIS stood out to me. These included mass executions that Muslims bragged of. Trust that bragging is not too strong a
word. Actual history, as opposed
to fashionable academic revising of it, and the view of Islam as a benign
peaceful religion are not compatible.
But
even if one disagrees with me on that observation, any open-minded student of
Muslim Spain needs to get The Myth of the
Andalusian Paradise.
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