Cordoba Al Andalus

by Eduardo del Buey

We recently visited the mosque, cathedral, and synagogue in Cordoba, Spain, enjoying what the Arabs call Al Andalus and the rest of the world, Andalucia.

This corner of Europe was ruled by Muslim caliphates from 711 to 1236 – a period when Jews, Muslims, and Christians coexisted peacefully under Arab governance.

One key reason for their peaceful coexistence in the Cordoba Caliphate was the social harmony and tolerance fostered by the Arab rulers. The caliphs recognized the importance of maintaining a stable and prosperous society by embracing diversity. They encouraged interfaith dialogue and ensured the protection of religious minorities, including Jews and Christians.

This was achieved through the Pact of Umar, a set of guidelines for non-Muslims that granted them religious freedom, the right to practice their faith, and protection of their property. This policy allowed all faiths of the “Book” to live side by side, contributing to a vibrant and multicultural society. The caliphs also appointed Jewish and Christian officials to administrative positions, demonstrating their commitment to inclusivity and shared governance.

The Cordoba Caliphate was known for its intellectual and cultural achievements, significantly influenced by the coexistence of Jews, Muslims, and Christians. The caliphs established libraries, translation centers, and academies that attracted scholars from diverse religious backgrounds. These institutions became centers of intellectual exchange, where scholars engaged in debates, translated ancient texts, and advanced knowledge across various fields.

Jewish scholars, including Moses Maimonides, made important contributions to philosophy, medicine, and mathematics during this time.

Maimonides' works, including "The Guide for the Perplexed," were highly regarded by both Muslim and Christian intellectuals. Similarly, Christian scholars like Gerbert of Aurillac, who later became Pope Sylvester II, studied in Cordoba and brought back Arabic numerals and other scientific advancements to Europe.

According to historians, the translation movement, spearheaded by Muslim scholars, played a crucial role in transmitting Greek, Roman, and Persian knowledge to the Western world. Jewish and Christian scholars actively participated in this movement, translating works from Arabic into Latin and other languages. This intellectual exchange fostered a climate of mutual respect and appreciation for one another's contributions, transcending religious boundaries.

The caliphs' patronage of the arts and sciences attracted artisans, craftsmen, and intellectuals from various religious backgrounds. Jewish and Christian artisans contributed to the construction of palaces, gardens, and public buildings, leaving an indelible mark on the architectural landscape of the Cordoba Caliphate.

After the start of the “Reconquista” or re-conquest of Andalucia by Spanish kings in the 13^th century, the Caliphate began to crumble, and the last Arabs and Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492.

Catholic Spain established the Inquisition to enforce religious orthodoxy, dismissed the Caliphate’s promotion of pluralism and scientific advancement, and regressed to the Dark Ages from which the rest of Europe was about to emerge.

The Islamic world also suffered losses.

Rather than continuing on a path of peace and prosperity, embracing knowledge from others and promoting a multicultural society, Islamic society began to turn inward and forgo the benefits of science, the arts, and social diversity and plurality.

The West eventually experienced the Renaissance and the Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, and imperial expansion, fostering a sense of superiority over others, including the Muslims who had once overshadowed them with a more advanced culture enriched by scientific learning and respect for diversity.

Today, the West confronts Islamic fanaticism from ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, and conservative Islamic states, including Iran, that are determined to destroy Israel and the Jewish people, triumph over Christians, “recover” Al Andalus, and take over Europe — all in the name of repression and regression to a dark past that should never return.

This is their dream.

However, they all overlook the fundamental aspect of Al Andalus – diversity and respect for the cultures and beliefs of others.

Islamist extremism aims to establish a new caliphate based on a regressive interpretation of Islam, rather than pursuing the growth and development that arise from replacing orthodoxy with free thinking. It promotes a mindset of hatred towards anything different.

Intolerance is the prevailing issue, as we witness daily in the Middle East, where hatred and violence appear to be the only way of life.

Can this change?

I doubt that it will in my son’s lifetime.

The hatred is so ingrained that it is impossible to reason with those thoroughly indoctrinated in it, as well as in the superstitious beliefs fostered by religious and political leaders who promote these hatreds for their own purposes.

Extremes hold sway, and this is true well beyond the present Judeo-Islamic conflict.

In Europe, we witnessed Serbian Orthodox forces annihilate Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica during the nineties, Russians attempting to destroy Ukraine through an ongoing invasion that continues to claim thousands of lives, and in China, where we hear that authorities oppress and imprison their Muslim Uyghur minority.

Unscrupulous leaders manipulate and exert power over people through religious nationalism, the media, and even violence, all to achieve their personal goals.

Does history repeat itself?

I believe that it does.

A cosmopolitan Islam coexisted with Christianity and Judaism in the Cordoba Caliphate, involving Christians and Jews in the governance, education, and cultural life, fostering a diversity that allowed everyone to grow and thrive.

It pursued the knowledge and wisdom gained from science and philosophy. It embraced wisdom over dogma, and humanism over fanatical religious orthodoxy.

Today, Islam is in its fourteenth century.

Its foundation has been taken over by those who detest change, loathe the “other,” seek to kill all infidels, have a primary goal of purging the world of unbelievers, and aim to impose an orthodoxy that simply didn’t exist during Islam’s glorious era of the Cordoba Caliphate.

Is today’s terrorism aimed at the control of land, or the control of minds?

The goals of Islamism, as stated in the words of a senior Hamas leader just days ago, are a need to rid the Middle East and indeed the world of Jews and conquer the globe in the name of Islam.

Islamist terrorists and their supporters seek to dismantle the authority of secular Arab leaders and any democratic systems that challenge their religious ideology and dominance over the populace.

Under the cry of "Allahu Akbar," Islamist radicals strive to liberate the Islamic world from worldly influence and establish the Kingdom of God through brutal murder and psychological enslavement.

As long as people attribute human qualities to a deity, such as envy, vengeance, violence, and exclusion, they will use this deity’s perceived desires to justify any cruelty and viciousness necessary to maintain their sense of superiority over others.

If people continue to grant religion a critical role in governance, they will use it to exclude those who are different and build walls instead of bridges.

As long as nationalism, orthodoxy, and exceptionalism are perceived as the will of a deity, they will be employed to justify war, injustice, and oppression.

Sadly, nothing will change as long as human nature stays the same.

Indeed, human nature has changed little since the dawn of time, and there are no signs that humanity is learning from past and present tragedies.

Historic Cordoba remains a distant dream for now.

Will it ever come again?

Cordoba Al Andalus podcast

https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/8acb4d13-f356-4958-88b8-719dc257d1a1/audio