Analysis On Contemporary Spanish Muslim Problem

There is a deep and long relationship between Spain and Islam. Spain was a paradise of Muslims for a long history, where they maintained nearly 8 centuries of rule. During this period the huge development in culture and economy led Spain to be the most advanced region of Europe. Muslims’Spain made great contribution to the development of European civilization. But Spain returned to the Christian world in 1492, and then Muslims were expelled by Spain’s Christian monarchs. As a result, Islamic civilization disappeared in Spain.After the middle 20th Century, Islam has gotten revival as Muslims immigrate to Spain. However, muslim immigrants find Spain is not the old paradise. They suffer a series of realistic problems in the strange society that Catholicism has a dominated status. These mainly including the tense situation of employment, low economic status; prejudice and discrimination, lacking of interaction with the mainstream society; lacking of citizenship, low political participation; the slow development of religious education, difficulties in religious practicing; serious ethnic differentiation in Muslims makes unification difficult; illegal Muslim immigrants increased, the problem of Muslim youth is prominent.In order to integrate the growing number of Muslims, Spanish government has taken a series of measures, mainly including promoting the social integration of legal Muslim immigrants, preventing the inflows of illegal Muslim immigrants, fighting against terrorism. Besides, Spain has strengthened cooperation with other EU members and the original countries of Muslim immigrants. But affected by a series of factors, the Spanish Muslim policies did not achieve desired goals. Spain need pay more efforts to the integration of Muslims. However, the future of Muslims’ integration is optimistic in the long run.