Navigating legal landscapes: The role of transnational migration in shaping the resurgence of Spanish Muslims

Abstract

Despite progressive legal frameworks, transnational Muslim migrants in Spain confront persistent systemic marginalization and institutional "othering" within a secular public sphere. Addressing the limitations of linear assimilation theories, this study aims to propose the Structural-Historical Synthesis Model, a novel conceptual framework that positions Cultural Moderators—specifically the historical memory of al-Andalus—as the critical mediator between structural/legal inputs and socio-religious integration outcomes. The study employs a narrative review methodology, utilizing an integrative thematic analysis of multidisciplinary literature systematically sourced from the Scopus database. The findings reveal that while transnational migration and post-1978 legal structures catalyze the demographic resurgence of Spanish Islam, successful integration is rarely guaranteed by law alone. Instead, diaspora communities and native converts navigate systemic alienation by leveraging Spain's unique historical crucible. The synthesis demonstrates that anchoring contemporary Muslim identity in the romanticized legacy of al-Andalus provides a vital cultural buffer, legitimizing their institutional visibility and countering prevailing Islamophobia. Theoretically, this study shifts the paradigm from purely administrative integration to historically mediated inclusion. Practically, it provides policymakers and community leaders with actionable insights to utilize shared historical narratives to foster genuine civic cohesion, rather than relying solely on bureaucratic accommodations. As a conceptual endeavor, the primary limitation lies in the lack of empirical validation for the proposed framework. Consequently, future research should empirically test the developed propositions through localized ethnographic fieldwork and quantitative surveys across diverse Muslim typologies in Spain, alongside comparative analyses of historical mediation in broader European contexts.