Meanwhile, setting Spain altogether apart from several other European countries is the fact that its history is deeply intertwined with Islam. Regardless of the fact that for centuries Spain's leaders have fought viciously and consistently to eliminate all trace of this legacy, memory of Al-Andalus and Muslim rule in Spain continues to constitute an extremely important part of both the Spanish and the Arab-Islamic identity. One indication of how deeply enmeshed the Arab legacy is into Spanish consciousness is an old popular joke: "The Arabs occupied Spain for 800 years, and they still haven't left."
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