Moroccan diplomats #24 : Shihab al-Din Ahmad al-Hajari, an envoy to the Netherlands

The Journey of Shihab al-Din Ahmad al-Hajari is a valuable account of modern Europe. The Andalusian Muslim sent as en envoy by Saadian sultan Moulay Zaydan, travelled to the Netherlands where he met distinguished scholars and described the beauty, the people and the traditions of the Dutch nation in the 16th century.

Moriscos' poems prove how the Arab-Muslim culture survived the Catholic Spain

Pressured to abandon their faith and convert to Christianity, the life of Moriscos in Spain was almost unbearable following the Expulsion decreed by King Philip III. While, everyone claims that they have surrendered to this pressure and ended up integrating into the new Christian society, new poems written in Arabic and discovered by Caren Barcelo and Ana Labarta deny this chapter of history. Details.

History : When expelled Moriscos established the Republic of Salé and became pirates

After being expelled by the Spanish between September 1609 and January 1610, Moriscos found exile in Morocco, most precisely Salé, where they established a Republic. The Corsair city, was heavily known for piracy and operated massively in the Barbary coasts, capturing slaves, ships and organizing raids.