Let’s not generalize when it comes to the Moors in the Occitan and Iberia. Yes, it’s true that the Muslims were thrown out of Spain by the Inquisition, but that does not sum up the experiences the people from the Middle East had in Southern Europe.
Before Jesus and the destruction of the Second Temple in Palestine, Jews and other tribes from the Middle East lived happily in the Occitan. In fact, the Jews accepted the Arabs as their brethren and were trying to bring them into the fold.
The other inhabitants of Southern Europe were very glad to have the Semites in their villages because, along with those from the Middle East, came technology never even dreamed of in Europe.
Don’t forget that in Iraq Babylonian astronomists were tracking the stars, planets, and the moon around 3500 B.C. (Wikipedia). This meant that they were able to navigate the seas long before Europeans.
This is easy to understand if you remember learning the Roman numberal system that didn’t afford the ability to even add and subtract. We couldn’t perform mathematics until we started using the Arabic numbering system. Yes, 1, 2, 3, 4… are from Arabic.
While the Europeans thought illness was caused by curses and ill will, in the 2nd century B.C. the Babylonians were using the concepts of physical examinations and prescriptions. Instead of using spirits to guide them, they were using logic and rationality to make diagnoses.
These are just two examples of the knowledge the Moors brought with them to Europe. There were many more. The Moors introduced surveying techniques to Europe that enabled them to draw maps. The people from the Middle East built irrigation canals and imported sugar, cotton, rice, fruit, vegetables and spices from the Orient.
They also were able to prevent famine by building the first granaries in Europe. As you can imagine, the locals in Southern France, Spain, and western Italy were very happy to have the Moors in their midst.
Even when Islam came to Spain with the Umayyad dynasty, the locals were very aware that they were benefiting from being under Islamic rule. Yes, the religion exacted some harsh rules, but riches came to those who lived peacefully in the Muslim society. Most were very willing to pay taxes to the Umayyads in exchange for the trade contacts brought by Arab business.
The Roman Church, along with Queen Isabela, were envious of the prosperity the Umayyads brought and were determined to have the riches for themselves. The Spanish Inquisition was successful in getting rid of the Moors, but it didn’t mean the region was better off for getting rid of the Semites (Jews and Muslims).
Along with the exit of the Moors and Jews, went the technology and the trade routes and the contacts with those that ran the Silk Road. Without the knowledge the Semitic peoples brought to Southern Europe, an economic decline was set in motion.
Some argue that the effects of these actions to expel a large part of their educated population can still be felt today in Occitania and Iberia.
huguenotsofoccitan 