| |
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Daniel Jassim writes:
> > In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Larry Pieniazek writes:
> > But what can we do. We can call for tolerance on discussion forums. We can
> > tell our Muslim friends we like them as much as we ever did. But the
> > intolerant bigots don't always read LUGNET or go to the same schools we do.
>
> Yup.
>
> > I am interested in hearing from other people about what can be done. Any
> > ideas about specific concrete steps?
>
> Well, how about Arab History Month? The Arabs have made abundant
> contributions to civilization throughout history in areas such as
> mathematics, astronomy, medicine, engineering, architecture, art,
> philosophy, music, literature, and so on. And there are also noteworthy
> Arabs in American history, such as the profound contribution of Caey Kasem
> as the voice of Shaggy on "Scooby Doo." ;^)
>
> But seriously, I think Western culture largely ignores the Arabs. I think
> there is an undercurrent of resentment by the mainly Christian West toward
> the Arabs that stems from the Crusades. As I look back at grade school in
> Michigan, "history" began with the Greeks, then the Romans and sort of
> skipped ahead to the Renaissance. Everything taught about the Arabs maybe
> would fill a single chapter. The basic lesson, and I'm not making this up,
> was that Arabs live in the desert, ride camels, and have lots of oil. In
> high school, we expanded on that to learn about the Crusades and highlighted
> the Christain's single victory (which was historically a shameful bloodbath).
>
> So I think Americans just don't know the depth of Arab/Middle East history.
> I think the Renaissance owes a lot to the Arabs, yet most history classes
> make it look like it happened out of the blue. So, I think the best thing to
> do is to learn the whole story.
Agree.
I would suggest that the Arab influence on western culture is best noted in
Iberian cultures (Spain and Portugal), since the Arab presence on the
Peninsula lasted some 781 years. In fact, it ended shortly before Columbus
reached America in 1492. Quite a coincidence...
For a long time in our history, we have looked upon the Arabs as "Moors" or
"Sarracens", the evil moslims that came and waged war on the Visigothic
kingdom... but now it has become quite clear that their presence has had a
very beneficial effect - mainly in terms of cultural interchange: *they*
kept the libraries during the medieval dark age.
Besides, only now we have accepted that *our own genes* have the more
diversified origins: Iberian, Celtic, Roman, Visigothic, Arab, African...
our language is still today filled with arab words (or derivatives)... the
traditional landscape in the south is still very similar to many arab
nations'...
Examples of Arab influence are all but scarce around here. And I'd even risk
saying that the New World was colonized by europeans thanks to an arab
invention: the lateen sail, said so because of the use the Southern European
nations made of it. And it is arguable that England or France would send
expeditions due West if Spain and Portugal hadn't done it first...
;-)
Pedro
|
|
Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: What we can do... (my 2 cents)
|
| (...) Actually, this made me think of one other thing: Spanish colonial policy. It's been pretty well proven (by Patricia Seed, if memory serves) that the Spanish tried very hard to emulate the government of the Caliphates in their dealings with the (...) (23 years ago, 29-Sep-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
|
Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: What we can do...
|
| (...) Yup. (...) Well, how about Arab History Month? The Arabs have made abundant contributions to civilization throughout history in areas such as mathematics, astronomy, medicine, engineering, architecture, art, philosophy, music, literature, and (...) (23 years ago, 27-Sep-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
|
5 Messages in This Thread:
  
- Entire Thread on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
This Message and its Replies on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
|
|
|
|
