26 Oct, 2006 @ 06:09
1 min read

Mayors defend Moors and Christians

LOCAL mayors are vowing to continue a traditional fiesta despite calls for it to be banned from one leading lslamic group.

The Moors and Christians festival is celebrated in 30 towns and villages in the Granada province at different times of the year. It depicts the reconquest of Christian Spain from its Moorish invaders but Fรฉlix Herrero, the president of the Spanish Islam Federation, called it undemocratic and insulting to Islam.

He said: “A celebration like this does not belong in a democratic Spain of the 21st century. “In the interests of a peaceful coexistence this fiesta must be stopped.”

During the celebrations, hundreds of locals dress up as either Christians or Moors and re-enact local history. The two sides stage a mock battle with the Christians the eventual winners.

Carmen Peรฑalver, the organiser of two of the biggest Moors and Christians celebrations in the province at Benaumarel and Zรบjar, hit back at Seรฑor Herrero, who is also iman at a Mรกlaga mosque. She labelled his request “barbaric.”

“Our fiesta does not offend Islam. It is something more than that. It is a celebration of the coexistence and peace between two different cultures and religions.

“He is a true barbarity if he thinks he can make these demands,” she added.

She said passages from a speech read by the victors which poke fun of Mohammed, the most important
prophet of Islam, have long been removed to defend local Muslims.

Cรบllar mayor Josรฉ Miguel Martรญnez said his village, which celebrated its version of the festival on April 25, would never prohibit it. He also added the version of his village ends on a positive note: an agreement is signed between the Moors and Christians to maintain good relations between the two religions, cultures and races.

Not all Muslims agree with Seรฑor Herrero. Abdennur Prado, the President of the Islamic Council of Cataluรฑa, said: “These fiestas are not offensive to me. In fact, they are a reminder of our shared past.” He added he would, however, like to see images of Mohammed removed.

Two villages in the Valencia region have, however, been forced to tone down their festivals. During those celebrated in Bocairent and Beneixama, a three-metre-high statute of Mohammed, the most important
prophet of Islam, was beaten with sticks.

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Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)

Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)

Jon Clarke is a Londoner who worked at the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday as an investigative journalist before moving to Spain in 2003 where he helped set up the Olive Press.

After studying Geography at Manchester University he fell in love with Spain during a two-year stint teaching English in Madrid.

On returning to London, he studied journalism and landed his first job at the weekly Informer newspaper in Teddington, covering hundreds of stories in areas including Hounslow, Richmond and Harrow.

This led on to work at the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Mirror, Standard and even the Sun, before he landed his first full time job at the Daily Mail.

After a year on the Newsdesk he worked as a Showbiz correspondent covering mostly music, including the rise of the Spice Girls, the rivalry between Oasis and Blur and interviewed many famous musicians such as Joe Strummer and Ray Manzarak, as well as Peter Gabriel and Bjorn from Abba on his own private island.

After a year as the News Editor at the UKโ€™s largest-selling magazine Now, he returned to work as an investigative journalist in Features at the Mail on Sunday.

As well as tracking down Jimi Hendrixโ€™ sole living heir in Sweden, while there he also helped lead the initial investigation into Prince Andrewโ€™s seedy links to Jeffrey Epstein during three trips to America.

He had dozens of exclusive stories, while his travel writing took him to Jamaica, Brazil and Belarus.

He is the author of three books; Costa Killer, Dining Secrets of Andalucia and My Search for Madeleine.

Contact jon@theolivepress.es

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