Madrid

[claudia castellani]

One of the main goals of the islamic terrorism is said to be the
re-conquering of Spain, set free by Spanish people and sovereigns during
centuries of wars ended with the liberation of Granada in 1492, the same
year Columbus discovered America.
When on the Camino we arrive in towns like Burgos and visit the tomb of "El
Cid Campeador", hero of the "Reconquista" (the Re-Conquest), when we talk to
Tomas in Majarin and learn that, in order to avoid leaving the newly
reconquered lands unpopulated, in the Middle Ages the Spanish authorities
begged the pilgrims from all over Europe to establish themselves in these
lands, when we visit the Ponferrada castle erected by those Templar knights
committed to the defense of pilgrims from the attacks of Arab muslim
conquerors, we realize that our spiritual and existential camino is also a
walk back in history of humanity. And we might try to understand the meaning
that this war for the defense and Reconquista of Spain must have meant for
Spanish people and for all the European peoples that fought for centuries to
defend themselves from the Arab and Turkish invasions.
This should teach us not to judge superficially historical events such as
the Reconquista itself, the Crusades (that helped to re-open some parts of
the Mediterranean sea to free commerce, almost completely blocked by Arab
pirates. This blocking is said to be one of the causes of economical
depression in the Middle Ages), and the terrible wars to stop the Turkish
invasion of Europe, invasion that arrived to the siege of Wien in 1715!
Walking the Camino without the conscience of what have been the relations
between Europe and the Islamic world in the past 1000 years could be a deep
limit for the full understanding of the Camino spirit.
Let's hope we won't have to repeat a Reconquista, even because nowadays we
have no "Cid" nor "Reyes Catolicos" to lead us to victory but only very
scared, lazy, well-fed, unconscious, moralistic but absolutely immoral,
falsely pacifistic, western peoples.

Claudia

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