More peaceful co-existence of Abrahamic religions in Iberia

Seen a few TLs, challenges and speculation on Al-Andalus over the past while and have been meaning to explore this.

Title basically sums up what I'm asking. Is there any way we could see Christianity or Islam- whichever ends up dominating Iberia, being more tolerant of the other.

I realize that in Al-Andalus, Christians were tolerated far more than Muslims were in the post-Reconquista. However, that doesn't mean there weren't persecutions and iirc the Christian population was dwindling. The northern christian kingdoms also remained largely hostile to the dynasties/taifas iirc, though obviously there's lots of shades of gray. Obviously, Jews and Muslims suffered a lot in the Reconquista and things did not work out so well for religious diversity after that. However, I've also read that some cities like Toledo actually harbored Muslims and Jews, so clearly it's not just one side's bad or one side's good.

What I wonder is, is it possible for Christians, Muslims and Jews to have less violence and discrimination amongst each other, enough to insulate communities in any future-state- which I assume will likely be either Christian or Muslim. That doesn't mean the absence of or even a comfortable level of tolerance, just simply more than we saw IOTL- enough so that we don't have something as wide-spread and destructive like the Inquisition (or if there "has" to be one perhaps one that left more religious diversity in the peninsula). What would it take to get this and how would it be done?
 
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Hehe, certainly I really enjoyed reading your TL- it partially inspired the thread. I imagine there are other divergences where it may have occurred however. We can't all steal your PoD :D.
 
Hehe, certainly I really enjoyed reading your TL- it partially inspired the thread. I imagine there are other divergences where it may have occurred however. We can't all steal your PoD :D.
Sorry, self-promotion is important. :p

More specifically.... To determine good points for a more robust Convivencia you have to look at the mindset. It's tied into Crusading of course, but the idea of Christian Holy War wasn't truly articulated until after the First Crusade. It was there, but before Urban II it was very definitely only a part of the larger struggle against the Moors which was generally fought for the standard reasons of land and security. Look at Alfonso's conquest of Toledo (that sparked the plea to the Almoravids) in terms of the decrees and promises given to the Muslims of the city. It didn't stop most of them from fleeing but those decrees were honored for a little while. After Crusading and Holy War began it became more of a goal to convert or expel Muslims. Keeping the Muslims population lower in the peninsula (pre-900 levels) will also keep the Christians from feeling like an embattled minority.

Another way to keep it stronger might be to create a much more rapid conquest. Abd ar-Rahman I, the Almoravids, the Almohads, the Ottomans. The Muslims always had someone to look to, a powerful Muslim sovereign or state near by in the Maghreb or elsewhere. But until Idris and Idris II, Morocco was disorganized and heterodox or heretical in terms of Islam and the Caliphs were far away. If there is no where to run to except a schismatic orderless Morocco they might be more willing to stay and then they'd have to engage more for their own sake. By the time this happened (between Almohads and Ottomans) it was already too late I think.

So reducing the Crusader Mentality and removing a more attractive place for Muslims to migrate too would be the things you need for a more gentle Reconquista.
 
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