Andalusia threatened by Islamic fundamentalism, according to far-right party Vox

According to Spanish far-right party Vox, Islamic fundamentalism is a major threat to Spain. «The regional government of Andalusia will its best to prevent the threat of Islamic fundamentalism», says an agreement signed Wednesday, 9th of January, by Vox and the People's Party (PP ), in order to facilitate the inauguration of Juan Manuel Moreno as President of the Andalusian Government, says El Confidencial.

Among the «100 measures for living in Spain», proposed by the formation, the party is insisting on closing fundamentalist mosques, gaining control of its «borders», and detaining and expelling extremist imams. The party also called for «religious reciprocity» with Islamic countries and opposed negotiations welcoming Turkey's entry to the European Union.

However, data compiled by the Spanish Interior Ministry shows that the «threat» Vox is referring to is really small. Out of the 313 people arrested between 2012 and December 2018 for terror-related offenses 17 were living in the Andalusian provinces. Only 5% of the total number.

Historical references

El Confidencial refers to a study conducted by researchers Fernando Reinares and Carola García Calvo from the Royal Elcano Institute. The think tank of international and strategic studies shows that between 2013 and 2017, only 3.2% of arrests or deaths of jihadists took place in Andalusia.

«The party of Santiago Abascal remained anchored in the old interpretation that the eight centuries of historical reality of Al Andalus are foreign to the construction of what we call Spain today. Their manifestations in the media and social networks testify it», says El Confidencial.

Like the Generation Identity movement which, in 2012, had deployed on the site of the mosque of Poitiers a huge banner mentioning the year 732, date of the battle where Charles Martel arrested the Arabs between Poitiers and Tours, Vox party also has its historical references.

Thus, the 2th of January, on his Twitter account, the party asked its supporters to «remember» the anniversary of «the liberation of Granada by the Spanish troops of the Catholic monarchs, thus ending eight long centuries of Reconquista against the Muslim invader».

Last July, Vox invited internet users on Twitter to celebrate the anniversary of one of the most important battles of the 13th century : the one of Las Navas de Tolosa, in the present province of Jaén, in which the Aragonese, Castilian, Navarrese and Portuguese troops defeated the army of the Almohad caliph Muhammad al Nasir. «At VOX, we are proud of our history. That's why we commemorate one of the most heroic battles of the Reconquista. Thanks to this battle, Spain and Europe have managed to free themselves from Islamic invasion.»