Faith, culture and fear: comparing Islamophobia in early modern Spain and twenty-first-century Europe

Abstract

In 1609, King Philip III of Spain ordered the expulsion from his kingdom of circa 300,000 Moriscos (Muslims forced to officially convert to Christianity). This expulsion marked the end, and failure, of over a century of concerted efforts by both the Spanish government and Catholic Church to assimilate this minority by destroying its culture. This article explores how the fate of the Moriscos was not inevitable but rather the result of an explosive situation in which (1) faith and culture became conflated and (2) the minority came to be perceived as politically disloyal and a threat to the survival of the state and Church. It draws parallels with the current situation of Muslim communities in contemporary Europe to highlight the similarities between them and to sound a cautionary warning to all Europeans, whatever their creed.