The Ornament of the World

Last week at bookgroup, our book for discussion was The Ornament of the World by Maria Rosa Menocal, which looked at how Muslims, Jews, and Christians created a culture of tolerance in medieval Spain. It covers the times from the 700s to 1500s.
Although I found the book hard going, probably because I had not visited any of the cities mentioned - including Toledo, Granada and Seville; and the important historical people mentioned in the book were not ones that I was familiar with. A distinct lack of European history in my past I feel.
However there were many interesting points in the book:

• the importance of Arabic as language of learning, a language of poetry and a language of translation, thus enabling scientific works from the Greeks to become available to a wider audience
• the fact that Arabic as a language was learned by all, whether Muslim, Jewish or Christian
• the belief and ability that people could hold opposing views at the same time, especially in terms of philosophical ideals where scientific evidence may have contradicted long-held beliefs
• North African invaders, the Berbers, were portrayed as barbaric and intolerant, in part I suspect because they could not hold opposing views at the same time. Were they like this?
• religions overlapped particularly in the use of churches, synagogues and mosques. Even today in southern Spain it is possible to see Christian churches with features of mosques. The architectural features appealed across religious barriers.

However, the major focus was that in this age when the people of different religions could live harmoniously together, respecting and learning from each others culture and language, that learning thrived, and economically so did the culture. Certainly this is a message relevant in todays sometimes divided world.
The author's statement that it is not evident in the world today created much discussion at the bookgroup. Many felt that here in Morocco today is a culture that is tolerant of different religions, where people of different religions live together in harmony. The Jewish have a long history in Morocco where they have worked together with the Arabs and Berbers. Here in Rabat today, not only are there many mosques, but also a number of Christian churches in which services are performed in French, English and Spanish, and there is also a synagogue in downtown Rabat.
One thing the book did inspire in me is a wish to visit the towns of the Golden Age, these famous towns in southern Spain, especially the Alhambra. Will the future allow this? Only time will tell.