Movies

When the Roman Empire fell, the Visigoths one of the barbarian tribes that sacked and pillaged Rome migrated and eventually settled on the modern Spain. The lands of that time, those within the boundaries of Portugal and Spain which was then known as Iberia was a place of convergence between the Jews, Christians and Muslims which eventually arrived from Arabia. The first settlers during the migration were the Jews, which settled in Toledo, a place in Spain. The Visigoths eventually converted into Christianity and began persecuting the Jews. During the power struggle between the two religious denominations, a new religion was established in the Arabian Peninsula. The expansion of the ArabianMuslim people eventually reached the land occupied by the Visigoth kingdom via North Africa. The battle between the Christianized Visigoths and Muslim was inevitable and the Muslim was now integrated into Visigoth society where the previously persecuted Jews welcomed the Muslim because they now have an ally in the view of the minority. The Muslims were now the authority in the land and for the Jewish and Christian they become a protected group, paying a tax or tribute to the Muslims but enjoying internal autonomy. A member of such group was known as a dhimmi. The Muslim when they conquered a tribe forced them to become Muslims, but it was a different situation with the Jews and Christians because only polytheistic tribes were forced to convert into Islam.

    The culture of tolerance was brought upon because the Muslim authorities let the other group of people do their own thing and practice their own culture. The Muslim authorities did not feel threatened with the cultures of the minorities. This atmosphere of tolerance while it lasted was brought about by trade especially between the Jewish people.

    The collapse of the Arab rule was partly due to the increasing aggression of Christians in the northern region of Spain. The tolerance given to the Christians were limited which gave dissension in the Muslim authorities. Mainly the collapse of Muslim rule was also due to the divisions among the Muslim authorities, which took its root the selection of the eleven year old son of Al-Nakam who died in 976 which many of the Muslim people felt that his younger brother is a more suitable successor.

    The movie presented the Islamic rule of Spain very adequately. There are authorities on the topic were knowledgeable in the subject and they presented their studies in a way that the audience will understand clearly. The refrained from using terms that are arcane which helped very much in the understanding of the topic. The presentation of the sites of the land helped the movie visually which brought about more understanding and astonishment of that era where religious tolerance was practiced. The narrators were concise in the explanation of the events and people involved in the subject. The addition of other narrators helped transport the audience in the appreciation of that era.