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"Al-Ándalus Beacon: Analysts From Three Continents Highlight Granada as an Example for Tolerance and Harmony"

El País, November 2, 2002

By Jesús Arias

Granada. Granada's unique ability to unite people from different origins and beliefs, even during a time when people talk about a clash of civilizations and cultures, comes from its past. From the 14th to the 16th century, the three principal monotheist religions (Judaism, Islam and Christianity) co-existed peacefully in Al-Ándalus. Overcoming any friction that may have been present between them, the splendor of the three faiths' co-existence was such that it is remembered even today. This week, international journalists, policy planners, and analysts recalled Al-Ándalus' brilliant history at a conference in Granada held by Dialogues: Islamic World – U.S. - The West, a program of the New School University's World Policy Institute in New York City. The decision to hold the conference in Granada was founded on Al-Ándalus' emblematic position as the seed for modern day pluralism.

Granada is a symbol not only of a period of co-existence for three civilizations, but also of a great cultural and intellectual expansion," explains Mustapha Tlili, a U.S. citizen of Tunisian origin and the founder and director of Dialogues. "In Al-Ándalus civilizations did not clash, rather, they lived together, giving hope that, one day that will happen again."

The conference brought together notables such as Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, First Vice Chaiperson, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defense Policy of the European Parliament, Mohamed Talbi, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Tunis, Richard Bulliet, a professor of history at Columbia University, and Hodjetulislam Sadek Larijani, member of the Counsel of Guardians of Iran. Running from October 28th through October 31st, the conference focused on analyzing the global implications of the West's and the United States' perceptions of the Muslim World. The question "Clash of civilizations or clash of perceptions?" was considered. It was concluded that rather than an actual confrontation between cultures, the problems that exist today are a lack of knowledge of the Islamic world, and a view of the Islamic world that is filled with stereotypes and prejudices. "It is in relation to this problem that Spain plays an important role as a link between the Islamic World and the Occident. Both sides can use Spain as a great example," affirms Tlili.

"The decision to make Granada the site of the conference is a result of its historic role as the bridge between the Orient and the Occident," explained Jerónimo Paéz, representative of El Legado Andalusí, co-organizer of the conference.

There is one lesson that the Dialogues participants should keep in mind: if it was once possible to create peace between civilizations in Al-Ándalus, this peace can certainly occur again.

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