At last, I managed to visit one of the most wonderful places of the mediterranean medieval history - the Granada of al-Andaluz. That was a time when humanism and cosmopolitan ethics drove prosperous governments, in their intellectuality, the arts, and in the social interactions of varied peoples and cultures.
Interesting things to learn: for example, that in the most sumptuous courtyards of the Shiite Nizari Caliphs, human building and constructions had to intertwine with nature in a harmonious way, and never should they conflict. Meritocratic knowledge was part of the conviviality between the people and the aristocrats.
In one of the most beautiful courtyards of those palaces - the one with the lions - which are now being carefully refurbished, the fountain was fed with water which drew out of the lions' mouths, in a kind of engineering that had to be pleasant to the ears.
The sound of water was there to inspire the walker and lead him or her into contemplation. Perhaps, they meant to contemplate the grandeur of this universe; of civilisations that were gradually silenced, through neglect or envy, in all of the European modern historiography. The twelve lions, said the guide, were not built by the Nizari Shiite Caliph; they were a present offered by his Minister, who was a Jew, and who wished to embellish a paradise garden with the Jewish mythology of the 12 Judaic tribes! A nice way of sharing the joy and life pleasures with our neighbours, despite their differences.
Alhambra receives 7 thousand visitors per day, from all over the world! Their heritage is carefully looked after. His Highness the Aga Khan - the leader of 20 million Muslim believers living all over the world - gave this site an award of architecture. The guides are highly trained in knowledge about this time of the Spanish history.
All these facts are more than enough to understand that only a leader such as José Luis Zapatero, born and bred in such a cultural environment, which integrated so well the Other, could have had the brilliant idea of, right after the 11th of March events, suggest the institution of an Alliance of Civilizations at the UN, instead of shouting the Bushian "death to al-Qaeda!". Too bad, no one thought about giving him a Nobel Peace Award!
Clique para ver a versão portuguesa (portuguese version)
*A Salaam means peace
