Joseph Krauskopf - Jews and Moors in Spain

The delicious repast is ended. The floor is cleared, Abdallah resumes his narrative.

"The successors of Mohammed," says he, "followed in the footsteps of our prophet. They passed beyond the confines of Arabia, and persecuted their work of converting the world, giving to the conquered the choice between the Koran, or Tribute, or Death. In less than fifty years after the Prophet's death, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Armenia, Asia Minor had accepted the religion of Mohammed. In Jerusalem a mosque stood on the site where once the temple of Solomon stood. In Alexandria the Mohammedans wrought direful vengeance on Christians for the crimes which the arrogant and fanatical St. Cyril had committed there two centuries before, by extirpating Grecian learning and by inciting his monks to murder the wise Hypatia ."

The extreme northern part of Africa brought their armies to a sudden halt. Here they encounter two strong foes. First, the people called Berbers "the Noble," a tall, noble looking race of men, active, high-spirited and indomitable. They had the same patriarchal habits, the same Shemitic features, were equally skilled in the use of arms and the breeding and handling of horses, and so the Arabs believed them to be of their own race. This Northern coast of Africa has been called by the Romans, from the dark complexion of its people: Mauritania , and its people were called Mooriscos , or Moors . When the superior force of the Arabians compelled the Moors to submit at last, the conquerors and the conquered coalesced so completely, that in less than a decade the one could not be distinguished from the other.

"The second foe, however, who inhabited the Northern extremity of Almagreb , where the continent of Africa protrudes boldly to meet the continent of Europe, was not so easily overcome. The rock-built city of Ceuta was garrisoned by Spanish soldiers, and its brave commander, Count Julian , defied the valiant Amir Musa Ibn Nosseyr , the Hero of Two Continents. It seemed as if Islamism had reached its limit, that it would never set its foot upon beautiful Andalusia, at which it had so often cast its wistful eye. But Allah favored the onward march of the religion of the Prophet! The wrong done by the wicked Roderick , King of Spain, to the young and beautiful Florinda , daughter of Count Julian , the brave commander of Ceuta , opened Europe to the Arab-Moors. " By the living God ," exclaimed the insulted father. " I will be revenged. "

He soon found willing allies, consisting of the nobles, who could no longer endure the despotism of King Roderick, and of the Jews, who had been expelled from Spain. Encouraged by these allies Count Julian entered into negotiations with Amir Musa for the delivery of Spain into his hands. Musa accepted cheerfully.

"Long had the crimes of Spain cried out to Heaven:

At length the measure of offence was full.

Count Julian called the invader."

"Mad to wreak

His vengeance for his deeply injured child

On Roderick's head, an evil hour for Spain,

For that unhappy daughter, and himself.

Desperate apostate, on the Moors he called,

And, like a cloud of locusts, whom the wind

Wafts from the plains of wasted Africa,

The Mussulman upon Iberia's shores

Descends. A countless multitude they came:

Syrian, Moors, Saracen, Greek renegade,

Persian, and Copt, and Latin, in one band

Of Islam's faith conjoined, strong in the youth

And heat of zeal, a dreadful brotherhood."

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