Islam in Europe
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[edit] History
The first recorded history of Islam in Europe began with the al-Andalus territories in the Iberian peninsula, which included what is now Spain and Portugal, established in 710 and enduring until 1492;[1] the last Muslims were expelled from Spain by 1614. Sicily and parts of southern Italy was also ruled by Arabs from the 9th to the 11th century.
Al-Andalus, reaching at times up until the north of the Iberian peninsula, has been estimated to have had a Muslim majority from the 10th century.[2]
Sicily and Constantinople were already attacked by Arab Muslims even before the Bulgarians reached the Balkans, and during the early Arab siege of Constantinople a first Muslim community already existed[citation needed] inside Europe´s center of Orthodoxy and today biggest city before the Balkan Slavs became orthodox Christians or before the Magyars settled in Hungary. Spain and the southern parts of France were Islamicized before the first French state was established as a result of the Frankish partions.
The first Italian islands were conquered by Muslims before the Papal state in Rome was created, and a few nations in today´s Russian Caucasus turned Muslim (as well as a part of the Chazars) before the foundation of the Russian state (Rus) and prior to the christianization of any of the Slavic nations.[citation needed]
Later, Arab Muslims temporarily seized the area of land in what is today known as Switzerland[3] at the same time that Slavs in Eastern Germany still resisted Christianization, and the first Muslims, who were Bogumils (ancestors of the present Bosnians) migrated and settled in the Eastern parts of what is today Romania before the Romanian principalities were mentioned.[4]
In the eastern parts of Europe, the Golden Horde began its conquest of present day Russia and Ukraine in the 13th century, while the Ottoman Empire began its conquest of the European portion of the Byzantine Empire in the 14th century and completed its conquest in 1453, establishing Islam as a major religion in the region. More than the half[5] of the European portion of Russia and Ukraine, were under suzeranity of Muslim Tatars and Turks from the 13th century to the 15th century, in what was known as the Mongol-Tartar Yoke.
[edit] Modern Day
[edit] Muslim Populations in Europe
Today, the only remaining majority-Muslim regions in Europe are Kosovo, Turkey within Europe and a few Russian Republics in Northern Caucasus and the Volga region. Islam is also the second largest religion of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after Christianity, but is often considered the largest (relative majority), because it is larger than Roman Catholic and Serbian Orthodox churches separately. The Muslim-dominated Sandžak of Novi Pazar is divided between Serbia and Montenegro.
Some other eastern European countries have substantial Muslim minorities (notably Russia, Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia) with roots dating back several hundred years ago, while many western European countries have significant and growing recent Muslim immigrant populations (especially France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden). Islam in East Europe is in recent years, after the fall of Communism, witnessing a revival[citation needed].
[edit] Relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in Europe
In some cases, relations between Europeans and Muslims are tense today. Intolerance of Western values and liberties by Muslims and reactionary tendencies of Europeans inflame social tensions.
[edit] See also
- Islam by country
- Religion in Europe
- Christianity in Europe
- Tariq Ramadan
- Muslims in Western Europe
- Western Muslims
[edit] Further reading
- Hourani, Albert, A History of the Arab Peoples, Faber & Faber, 2002, ISBN 0-571-21591-2
- Köchler, Hans, Muslim-Christian Ties in Europe: Past, Present and Future, 2004, Islam Online
[edit] References
- ^ Hourani, pg.41
- ^ Hourani, pg.42
- ^ Manfred, W: "International Journal of Middle East Studies", pages 59-79, Vol. 12, No. 1. Middle East Studies Association of North America, 1980.
- ^ First Contact of Islam with the Balkans:[1]
- ^ Mongol Invasion of Russia:[2]
[edit] External links
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1 Has significant territory in Asia. 2 Entirely in West Asia, but considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons. 3 Only recognised by Turkey. 4 Partially or entirely in Asia, depending on the definition of the border between Europe and Asia.
