„In sum, this excellent book contains an abundance of useful information and
insights for all those interested in Spain’s relationship with its Muslim and Jewish
minorities, the political and cultural negotiations of multiculturalism in Spain, and the
way these relationships are affected by international events and diplomatic concerns.“
Daniela Flesler in: Studies in Contemporary Jewry 2021, 300-302.
The book analyzes the place of religious difference in late modernity through a study of the role played by Jews and Muslims in the construction of contemporary Spanish national identity. The focus is on the transition from an exclusive, homogeneous sense of collective Self toward a more pluralistic, open and tolerant one in an European context. This process is approached from different dimensions. At the national level, it follows the changes in nationalist historiography, the education system and the public debates on national identity. At the international level, it tackles the problem from the perspective of Spanish foreign policy towards Israel and the Arab-Muslim states in a changing global context. From the social-communicational point of view, the emphasis is on the construction of the Self–Other dichotomy (with Jewish and Muslim others) as reflected in the three leading Spanish newspapers.
