A small clarification. Peter Metcalfe uses the Reconquista as a model for fast conversion through force. The real picture was a bit different.
One of the reasons of the success of Islam in the first years of expansion was its tolerant nature. Christians and Jews were tolerated, as companion monotheists, only slightly deluded, as long as they accepted muslim overlords. That reduced significantly resistance. In Spain many of the conversions in the Eighth century were not after the conquest, but the following years, when the muslims taxed higher the unbelievers. It was more a matter of economic pressure. Until the eleventh century the muslims were extremely tolerant, and only when pressed by the christian kingdoms did they force conversions.
Similarly the christians started less tolerant, but when their territorial gains were important, they accepted whole muslim populations without trouble. At the end of the Reconquista, more than a 10% of the population were muslims.
It was at the end of the fifteenth and the sixteenth century when the religious persecutions began. In one year all the jews were converted or exiled. The same happened some years later with the muslims. That was real fast (but not Convert or Die, rather Convert or Lose everything but your life). The infamous Inquisition prosecuted those that had converted but kept their old beliefs.
I have always thought that the Spanish Reconquista was a typical example of the interactions between three major religions in a reduced geographical area, for seven centuries. When French and German crusaders burnt a muslim village in Aragon, the king ordered them killed to a man, as the muslims were his subjects first, and muslims later.
This has been a bit longer that I thought, I hope it is useful. Hasta la proxima.> o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
> o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
> o Jose Ramos Net: Ramos_at_crpp.u-bordeaux.fr o
> o CRPP, CNRS-Universite de Bordeaux-I Tel: +33 56.84.56.11 o
> o Avenue A. Schweitzer, F_33600 France Fax: +33 56.84.56.00 o
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