This is the subject of my latest blog on the ‘Art & Civilization’ page at www.carlislam.co.uk
‘Convivencia’ refers to the period in the medieval Iberian Peninsula (c. 711–1492) when Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived in close proximity under Muslim-ruled Al-Andalus and later under expanding Christian kingdoms.
The term was famously coined by the Spanish philologist Américo Castro in his 1948 work, España en su historia, to argue that Spanish national identity was uniquely forged through the cultural blending of these three religious groups.
This era is often cited as a ‘Golden Age’ of cross-cultural exchange.
Scholars from all three faiths collaborated in translating ancient Greek texts, leading to major advancements in philosophy, medicine, astronomy, and mathematics.
Buildings like the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Alhambra in Granada exhibit a blend of Islamic, Christian, and Jewish artistic influences.
Under Muslim rule, Jews and Christians were granted Dhimmi (protected) status. While they were required to pay a special tax called jizyah, they were allowed to practice their religion and maintain their own legal systems.
Modern historians debate whether convivencia was a true state of ‘religious tolerance’ or merely a pragmatic necessity.
Proponents like María Rosa Menocal in ‘The Ornament of the World’ portray it as an ‘interfaith utopia’ where pluralism was a core social value.
Other scholars argue it was a ‘stabilised pluralism’ driven by economic and political necessity rather than mutual affection. They point to legal inequalities, periodic violence (such as the 1066 Granada massacre), and strict social boundaries.
Critics such as Darío Fernández-Morera suggest the concept has been politicised as a ‘myth’ of multiculturalism to serve contemporary agendas.
The era effectively ended in 1492 with the fall of Granada and the Alhambra Decree, which led to the expulsion or forced conversion of Jews and Muslims in Spain.
I believe the era of the ‘Convivencia’ proves that peaceful and constructive co-existence is possible in a multi-cultural society.
For me, the ‘Convivencia’ was a ‘Golden Age’ in the history of Civilization.
The challenge for modern leaders is how to create a legal, social and political foundation for what Mediators facilitate all the time – a dialogue of peaceful and constructive co-existence.
However that is not what I am seeing.
What I am seeing across the Atlantic and here in the UK, is a destructive politics of ‘division’, which is serving the interests of a small and wealthy elite who are bound together by a shared right wing ‘religious’ and ‘colonial’ ideology manifest in ‘hegemony’.
History teaches us that this can only lead to war/revolution.
So logically, any Politician who at the insistence of any Religious Zealot, bans free speech and public protest about War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity, is endangering Civilization.
Comments added:
- Have you also noticed that the elite who are bound together by a shared right wing ‘religious’ and ‘colonial’ ideology like to blow-up i.e. destroy ancient monuments which form part of the tangible cultural heritage of the victims of their colonialism? Have you ever asked yourself why they do this? What do you think the answer is?
- See also – https://www.amazon.co.uk/If-Tolerate-This-establishment-respectable/dp/1037411579
‘The far right is now mainstream in British politics. If We Tolerate This is a short, gripping and essential book on how we got here, and what we can do about it.
In 2025 we saw the biggest far-right rally in Britain’s history, after a summer of flag-waving protests. The year before, racist mobs tried to attack mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers.
Something incredibly dangerous has been unleashed, yet our political class seems at best indifferent and at worst to welcome it.
In this urgent and riveting book, Daniel Trilling explains how we arrived at this extraordinary moment and what we can do to change course before it’s too late.
Praise for Daniel Trilling:
‘Racism and the rise of the far right in Britain are often discussed but rarely understood. Daniel Trilling is an exception . . . his voice must be heard’ – Owen Jones, author of Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class
‘Combining forensic enquiry with moral passion, Daniel Trilling has emerged as one of our most intrepid and resourceful reporters’ – Pankaj Mishra, Windham-Campbell Prize-winning author of The World After Gaza’ (Amazon Books). - See also – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuZ-kjOecf4
- See also – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9jgwP61-98
- See also – ‘The scale of Islamophobia against Muslims is really frightening” | Peter Oborne | Real Talk/ Middle East Eye’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18M1SktF_gE - This post is written solely in my capacity as a graduate of one of the UK’s top schools of Political Science, and not in any capacity as a legal practitioner or mediator. I predicted the rise of the far right in the UK as far back as 2016. I predicted that this would also happen in the US and in France, Germany and Italy – which is exactly what is happening today.
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