Originally posted by CH3
Good synopsis of the history of the Sephardic (Spanish) jews can be found Here
Well, it has the value of being the historical chronicle from one side.
The webpage is not bad, but still have some innaccuracies, and it is biased.
Jut to point our a few.
Jews were expelled from Spain before the Sefardi "Diaspora". They were twice under the Visigothic rule, in VIIth century, after a quite long prosecution and after being accused of traition to the state (which was true in one case). Then ones remaining were forced to converse to Catholicism within one year. And while the defeat of Visigoths by Tarik's troops is due to the traition of Witiza's sons (Witiza claimed the Kingdom for him, and his sons commanded part of Don Rodrigo's army), the quick progression of moors is often explained by Jew's attitude, prone to muslim tolerance, and willing to get rid of Visigoths, they often opened cities' doors to the invader. (bear in mind the importance of Jew community)
What muslim regime achived in Spain is no less than amazing. By the time of Cordoba's Califate, their empire was (in cultural terms) the world's most advanced (save, perhaps, China). Science flourished there like in no other place by that time. But the idillic picture is far away from truth. Moors committed atrocities, on a regular basis. They excecise extreme discrimination against Chatholics, and were only tolerant at the beginning, for one single reason: only Catholics had to pay taxes. And they were even more with Catholic's renegades: Muladíes. Almanzor was famous for burning "indifel" boods, so no tolerance here, too. They were certainly more tolerant with Jews, as far as they were not perceived as enemies (ironic, isn't it?)
Catholic "Reconquista" (conquest) was not Catholic's people's merit. It was muslim's demerit. Cordoba Califate disintegrated into several small "Kingdoms" (Reinos de Taifas), most of the times fighting one against the other. The war between muslims and catholics was not, most of the time, an open war, but very long periods of peace, with mixing in the borders, and furious battles in between. Yes, by that time, Catholic were a bunch of intolerant acultural guys, whose main doctrine was getting rid of the opposite (another irony)
On the expulsion itself, not only religious hate was the reason. During centuries of muslim dominancy, Jews were notably dealing with muslim agains catholics, catholic against muslims, african against spanish muslims, etc., making a very unreliable group. And catholics rememered that, and their traition to Visigoth catholics.
The paragraph "Despite obvious fabrication, the story of the "Nino de La Guardia" continues to be taught as factual in high schools in Spain to this day, and it is found in the 70 volume Spanish Encyclopedia Espasa Calpe. It therefore remains a basis for fueling popular antisemitism in Spain. Details and names were subsequently added to the story over time and a church consecrated to the "nino santo"." is absolute BS. Makes me doubt seriously on the author's qualification and knowledge about Spain.
Again, not a bad attempt to explain a thousand years of history in hardly a thousand words, but it's biased and far too simplistic. Spain history has never been (probably like the rest of the world) a case of good guys and bad guys.
Cheers,
Pepe
