During the period of Muslim rule, many Sicilians converted to Islam. Many Islamic scholars were born on the island, including Al-Maziri, a prominent jurist of the Maliki school of Sunni Islamic Law. Under the rule of Frederick II, all Muslims were expelled from the Island following a rebellion of local Saracens who wished to keep their local independence in Western Sicily but were not allowed to due to Pope Gregory IX's demands.N.Daniel: The Arabs; op cit; p.154.A.Lowe: The Barrier and the bridge, op cit;p.92. Any remaining Muslim was eventually expelled by the Spanish inquisition.
