Western Resistance

« Iran: The Women Waiting To Die Under Islamic Justice | | UK: Christian Schools May Reject Christian Pupils »

October 2, 2006

Spain: Moorish Festivals Must Not Offend Muslims

Today, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that a national tradition must be toned down, for fear of offending Muslims. Across Spain, but particularly in the east of the country, towns celebrate the Moros y Cristianos festivals. These pageants commemorate the Reconquista when in 1492, finally the Christians expelled the last of the Muslims who had ruled as overlords for 800 years.

The dates of these festivals vary. Generally they happen on the festival day of each town's patron saint. They are particularly popular in the eastern parts of Spain, where most towns have such fiestas, and are also popular in Catalonia and in the Balearic islands.

The largest takes place at Alcoy, Alicante, where the festival takes place over three days. A large castle constructed from papier mache stands in the town square, and on the first day (April 22, "Dia de las Entradas") there are processions, followed by a battle on the second day (St George's day) followed by fireworks, and finally a celebration on the third day ("Dia del Alardo") which again re-enacts a battle scene. On St George's day, after an open-air Mass, the effigy of Saint George is taken from the Church of Santa Maria and paraded. A local boy is chosen to represent the figure of St George.

As in the case of Alcoy, the festivals often commemorate history or legends connected with each town. In Alcoy, after James 1 of Aragon reconquered the city of Alicante, the Moors tried to capture it back, but were sent to flight when they saw a vision of St George. In the Balearic islands, the Moors represent the Barbary Corsairs who plundered the Mediterranean coastline and mounted slave-taking raids up until the 17th century.

These pirates even reached Ireland, where in 1631 under a convert named Murad Reis, they ransacked the coastal town of Baltimore and took all the active residents to Algeria, where they were sold as slaves.

The El Pais article has spawned more commentaries from the Telegraph, Reuters via Yahoo and also from Associated Press.

In Valencia, several of the Moros y Christianos festivals culminated with a grand finale, in which a large head of Mohammed, stuffed with fireworks, blows up to public applause. However, since the issue of the Danish cartoons of the so-called prophet, and the violent threats which ensued, these extravagant displays are being toned down by organisers so as not to offend Muslim faithful.

In the festival organising communities, a debate has opened up, which tries to review the dramatic acts, trying to keep a balance between maintaining the traditions without upsetting Muslims.

Already the Moros y Cristianos celebrations have been toned down or censored of overtly anti-Islamic content in the Valencian towns of Bocairent, Beneixama, Banyeres de Mariola and Alcoy.

The most recent of these toned down festivals took place in Benexiama, which has its festival at the start of September. Here they portray the image of Mohammed with a horseshoe body and a cardboard head, and when the victorious Christians conquer the castle, fireworks shoot out from his head. But when this year's Moros y Cristianos celebration took place, there were no fireworks bursting out of Mo's head.

Yesterday, the mayor of the region, Antonio Valdes, said that "it was not an essential act, and as it could hurt the sensibilities of some people, we decided to avoid it. The Christians conquered their castle, but offered no pyrotechnic violence to the personage of Mohammed.

In Bocairent, Mohammed, who here is made of wood and cardboard, is 12 feet high, and filled with fireworks. Traditionally he is thrown from the top of the castle, and he erupts into sparkling flame to the applause of the audience. Bocairent celebrated its annual festival from February 1 to February 5, at the height of the cartoon crisis. "Mohammed" was shown being thrown off the castle ramparts, on February 4 ("The feast day of the Moors") but he did not explode. The festival takes place around the festival day of St Blaize (San Blas), patron of Bocairent. The festivals began in 1632 when there was a diptheria outbreak in the town. By praying to St Blaize, the edpidemic was conquered, so San Blas replaced St Jaume as the saint.

In Banyeres de Mariola the celebration takes place over four days, starting on April 22, and the final day is spent in the cemetery, where after ritual gunfire, a mass is said, and prayers are said for loved ones who have died. On the third day, the image of a Mohammedan, "La figura de la Mahoma" presides over the castle, and is of giant size. He is said to not represent Mohammed, but the Moorish army.

There had been a controversy in 2002 in another Valencian town, Ontenient. Then, one of the Moorish battalions marched past the public, walking along a vast carpet which bore Suras from the Koran.

In Alcoy, traditionally St George kills the Moors, and a large image of the saint on horseback fires arrows at the Muslims. When it was celebrated this year, however, the bloodstained bodies of the slain Muslims were partially obscured by large displays of flowers.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at October 2, 2006 11:50 PM

Comments

Posted by: Hungarian Crusader at October 3, 2006 11:16 AM

Post a comment