* Presentation by Dr. Salwa Al-Zahiri

«Islam is a fundamental component of Spain, and it has contributed to developing and establishing its civilization, but it has never been recognized. I imagine that Spaniards should read their history and get to know it and not just be content with taking photos in the Alhambra; what is necessary is to understand how these monuments and others were established» (Interview with a Moroccan academic). This is a model of interviews and dialogues that appeared in a field study carried out by a team of Spanish researchers under the supervision of Dr. Gema Martin Muñoz about Moroccan immigrants in Spain, published in 2003 under the title: «Moroccans in Spain: A study on their integration». The study includes three chapters, appendices, and a bibliography. The first chapter was dedicated to defining the concept of «integration», the second reviews the «status of Moroccans in Spain», while the third monitors the «criteria for the integration of Moroccans into Spanish society». The study seeks to show the truth of this migration and to establish evidence that the ideas promoted against Muslim immigrants generally and Moroccans specifically fall within the framework of ignorance and bidding, as well as to enable these immigrants for actual integration based on facts and logical and correct data. The Issue of Integration: The issue of «integration» forms the axis of this book, which aims primarily to study the conditions of Muslims, especially Moroccans residing in Spain, as they form the largest group in terms of number, although not the highest in terms of growth rate. However, they «are exposed to criticism, remarks, and comments, especially for their connection to the Islamic world and the developments the world has known in recent years which consider Islam an axis of evil and see Islam and Muslims as an object of criticism and defamation.» Many media outlets have fallen into great fallacies by attaching all bad descriptions to Moroccans in Spain and promoting illusory ideas and distorted images against this group of immigrants, so much so that the vast majority of Spanish public opinion about migration was formed and is still being formed from what appears in the media, without them having any direct contact with the immigrants. The authors believe that migration should be dealt with from a holistic point of view, where what is cultural appears as one of the constituent elements only, because social, legislative, legal, practical, educational, and health aspects are also important and decisive in the integration process. The principles that help integration must take into account equal opportunities and equality in rights and duties with the original inhabitants, such as the concept of cultural and legal equality and the right to the same identity. Then the study presents the various integration policies followed by Spanish vernments since the mid-nineties, and the amendments to migration laws, to conclude that there is a «gap between the two basic components of integration: economic and cultural.» The case of a girl wearing a hijab in school, or teaching the Islamic religion in Spanish schools, has left a sharp debate, showing the lack of maturity of the concept among Spaniards. Historical Roots of the Problem: The Moroccan immigrant forms the largest percentage among immigrants of other nationalities, but he is the most rejected by Spanish society. Note that Muslims do not form more than 0.7% of the population in Spain. A cultural mythology has grown in Spain around the «Moro» that is still rooted until now, dating back to the period of the fall of Granada. That period knew a duality for the Christian against the «Moro»: «strange and far».. yet at the same time «the foreign Muslim». The Catholic Kings promoted unity through ethnic purity and unity of culture and religion, with no place for Jews and Muslims. The transition from «Moro» to «Morisco» meant for the second the loss of value and dignity that characterized the first, who was a rival and enjoyed his own identity and culture. The Morisco was forced to embrace another culture and another religion, and was less significant. Before being finally expelled in 1609 AD, they were displaced, followed, and then eliminated by the Church without pity or mercy during the sixteenth century. Since then, official historians always show that Spain's origins back to Roman-thic-Christian origins, against recognizing any Arab-Islamic origins. Added to all this, the Ottoman expansion in the Mediterranean created hostility and fear of the advance of Islam and Muslims. In the 19th century, during military confrontations between Morocco and Spain, the image of the Arab as an arch-enemy was promoted, from the O'Donnell campaign in 1859 to the Rif War (1921-1926), and then the participation of Moroccans during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). All this fueled the image of hostility towards the Arab Muslim. 11 September was exploited to depict two different, even conflicting worlds: the world of principles and democracy, and the world of extremism and terrorism. The media did not hesitate to promote the idea that every Muslim immigrant can be a terrorist. Moroccans and Spanish Society: The third chapter of the study relies on qualitative data from interviews with the Moroccan immigrants themselves. The study sought to give priority to the word of the immigrants, for their experience as they lived it and as they told it, in order to identify the dynamics of social, cultural and religious harmony that interact within this group. The interviews focused on three basic questions: about the life of the immigrant in his homeland (= experience and memory of the original home), about the path of his migration (= migration methods and routes), and the method of his stability and integration in Spain. The study reveals a growing diversity in the group of Moroccan immigrants, with high levels of education among many, whose migration was driven by the difficult situation in their country. The study notes that the idea of return is no longer dominant, especially among youth who plan for permanent stability and for their children. It highlights the importance of learning the Spanish language and ensuring equal rights as primary gates for integration. It also points to the emergence of new religious leaders in urban communities who understand the Spanish context and play a vital role in the integration process. This field study clearly demonstrates the suffering of Muslim and Moroccan immigrants in Spain. Although the data dates back several years, its conclusions remain valid as long as the status of Moroccan immigrants there has not underne qualitative change. The image of the Moroccan immigrant in the Spanish imagination remains a prisoner of prejudices based on media reporting and the negative residues of shared Moroccan-Iberian history. A long road remains to erase feelings of hostility and refute negative media images.