ABSTRACT
Since 1978 democratic Spain has been built on the idea of the civic nation, which means community of citizens. This idea constitutes a departure from national catholicism, which has permeated its history. This founding ideal lays particular emphasis on the notion of equality. The evolution of legislation and national identity, together with ensuing public policies directed at religious minorities, has created a new situation rooted in the country’s history. The Spanish national community, founded in the fifteenth century, is based on the exclusion of religious minorities. Democratic public authorities have officially re-appraised the past in order to reintegrate these minorities into the civic nation. Public policies of the past twenty years seem to have led to an everyday acceptance of minorities, which have multiplied since democratisation. These policies lay emphasis on citizenship and equal rights, although numerous obstacles remain. This chapter focuses on several measures, such as the education of the imams.
