Panel: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE ENGAGEMENT OF RELIGIOUS ACTORS WITH IN/EQUALITY (19TH-21ST C.)



782_2.1 - THE CALL TO PRAYER: POLICIES OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN MUSLIMS AND CATHOLICS IN REBEL SPAIN DURING THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR (1936-1939)

AUTHORS:
Gonzalez Gonzalez A. (Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha ~ Cuenca ~ Spain)
Text:
In its contemporary history, religious pluralism in Spain has been a reality in which political circumstances have played a fundamental role in its development. In the nineteenth century, there were territories with presence of other confessions, such as Islam in the Philippines. Within the Iberian Peninsula itself, one can trace the activity of Protestant pastors as well as the re-establishment of the first Jewish communities in the second half of the century. In the twentieth century, with Spain's colonial interests in Africa, which took shape in the setting up of the Protectorate in Morocco between 1912 and 1956, the country administered a significant territory whose population was predominantly Muslim, without forgetting the presence of Sephardic Jews. Spain adopted a policy of respect and non interference toward local religion and tradition. With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936, nearly 90,000 Muslims from Morocco joined the rebel army in its campaign. These soldiers required religious assistance adapted to their specific needs both at the front and in the rear. Several institutions took charge of this task, dividing the peninsula administratively in order to organize and support Muslims in everything necessary for the practice of their faith and for resolving issues of coexistence. In the rear, efforts focused on Muslim or mixed military hospitals, where they were attended by Catholic personnel. Thus, religious practice, including dietary requirements and the management of death, became crucial in their support. This proposal seeks to examine the policies adopted by the rebel side and their implementation in terms of (in)equality in relation to Catholics within the wartime context.