"Toning down" traditional fiestas---

The Spanish have practiced the tradition of burning effigies of the prophet muhammed for centuries to celebrate the end of their annual festivals.

The festivals are normally held in Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands and include active participation by local residents. These residents don medieval costumes and re-enact ancient, historical battles that occurred between the Moors and the Christians during the Reconquista (reconquest) period.

The fiestas celebrate events in 1492, when the Catholic kings of northern Spain defeated and expelled muslim forces, effectively ending more than 800 years of brutal muslim rule.

In the past the festivities culminated with the burning of mannequins of the Mahoma, a figure based on the prophet mohammed to represent the final defeat of islam in the region. In some villages the head of the figure is stuffed with gunpowder and detonated with a cigar, while in others the dummy is decapitated and its head is thrown from the castle walls.

However, this year the local authorities have opted to “tone” down the rituals, hoping to appease the muslim and avoid a repeat of the lawless rioting that followed last year's publication of Danish cartoons of muhammed.

Organizers of the festival in the Valencian village of Bocairent will not be filling the head of the Mahoma with fireworks this year. "As it could hurt some people's feelings, we decided not to do it," Antonio Valdes, the mayor of Bocairent told El Pais, the daily newspaper.

The festival at Beneixama was also toned down, following a trend to avoid inflaming tensions in Spain which is, again, home to a growing number of Muslims.

Another concession to islam, the religion of peace.