‘”There is no ‘Clash of Civilizations’ between the Muslim World and the West. There is only a clash of ignorance.”
Out of Cordoba confronts these issues through an exploration of the lives and writings of the two most important thinkers to emerge from medieval Muslim Spain: Averroes the Muslim, and his Jewish counterpart,Rabbi Moses Maimonides. The 82-minute film explores the legacy of these two philosophers, as well as their contemporary importance for interfaith relations, and especially for Muslims, Jews, and Christians struggling against religious extremism.’
Came across this earlier from a design book in Bandung. 12 hours later, I’m still fascinated. The picture above is now the wallpaper of my phone. Such beauty.
With President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Aden, Yemen Dec '01
A lot of Asians, get annoyed with foreigners categorize us as one, when the region is both too vast and too diverse. Similarly with South East Asians, and then Malaysians – who are very aware that by the regions within the country alone, we can be quite diverse, let alone on other aspects. But the same has been the case for us towards the other parts of the world. A case in point is the Arab world (a chunk of which is in Asia).
I’ve been to the Middle East now maybe 8 times and still trying to understand the cultural demographics and political dynamics. But even with something closer to the surface than that, there are stark differences. So even if you have come across a sufficient number of them either in or out of their land, it’s not a representation of the mass, and perhaps an inaccurate generalization, albeit sometimes necessary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqJDuZIcQ34
Besides being in frequent contact with people there, online and offline, my last visit to that side of the world was to Yemen in last December. And it further highlighted the point in my view, that overall things there need a shakeup, and one that I had no hope for until Tunisia. The above video (lyrics here) is a lighter note of things, and below is an email I received recently from a man I had dinner with in KL last year. I vividly remember after him looking at me carefully and asking where I’m from, he replied, ana min Tunis (I am from Tunisia).
I’m not at liberty to share his name nor the nature of how I met him, but he is one that is very familiar with the political climate (public and underground), among other things, of that spot on the globe we call the Arab world. I share this email here to put out to you that what happened was very real, and it started along time ago. More importantly, it involves our brother and sister human beings.
‘Everything is ok for my family in Tunisia and I’m really proud of being Tunisian, one of the sons of a great people. Our martyrs, including my eldest brother killed in the 1961 war against France, were not dead for nothing and the honour of our dear country belongs to them. The struggle against despotism, in all its forms, will guarantee to the Arab peoples the dignity they deserve and the bell is tolling for the dictators and their lackeys.’
I’m now in the city that was once a great port and liking it so far. One that when I was small, at the mention of its name I thought it was a country. Not due to the fact or exaggeration, but from ignorance. I leave for Sana’a, high altitude capital in the north of Yemen in a few hours.
Earlier yesterday before I arrived here, I was in Shibam, one of the oldest cities in the world. The view of it from outside the city, resembles that of the New York City skyline from the East River. Ironically, walking its streets, reminded me of La Paz.
In a few hours time, I leave Tareem, Hadramawt. After my 9 week plus trip in May-July 2010, I was not planning to travel, and still don’t want to, but did not want to let go of the chance tagging on to this Yemen trip, one that I’ve been wanting for years to make.
Half of the people I meet here, have at one point or the other, came if not slept in my family’s home and would like to return that hospitality. That general gesture probably does not do justice to the remarkable standard of respect and mannerism this place carries.
We drive out of Tareem, a village in the valley of Hadramawt, to Shibam, then Seyoun to fly to Aden. Tomorrow night fly to Sana’a, then Doha to KL. Sometime after, I will begin uploading pictures although out of all trips, this would be most difficult, far-fetching for anyone to experience what I did here.
*Above is a picture taken of four kids who hitch-hiked on our pickup truck briefly while we were driving to the tomb of Prophet Hud. I pick this photo over others as to choose one that depicts the valley best, was tricky. So a moment that on some level describe what fun I had here.
I’m trying to remember which year was it, or which trip specifically, that drew me towards kids. Be it observation, pictorial or engagement. Above is a picture with me and four cousins I had never met prior. One on level, children across lands, know little of colour, belief, background, language, but probably appreciate humanity more than their larger counterparts. To quote someone’s comment on this picture:
by the way that pic of you with the kiddos IS SO DAMN CUTE! to quote one website that i randomly read, it’s the sort that makes women’s ovaries hurt. LOL!!!
Below are updates as of the moment I landed Dubai. We are now in Abu Dhabi Airport. The flight was meant to depart at 1pm, but it was postponed to 5pm so we stayed on in an extended relative’s house, resting there. Before we left for the airport, the flight had changed from instead of going to Seiyun, our destination, the plane will go to Mukalla instead.
When we got to the airport at 4pm, we found out that the flight departs at 6pm instead and now in the departure hall, it indicates that the flight is going via Sana’a. We’re not certain of this, but have agreed to a humourous consensus to not try to find out.
Abu Dhabi,10am.Arrived Dubai 3am.Restng in extended relative hse.Flyng 2 Seiyun(Yemen) ltr.Flight delayed 4hrs.Go Yemenia Air.Taxi murabbal!
Father narrating a story of his ’96 Yemen trip.He & 3 others changed their flights.Airline put 4 diff departure times 4 d SAME flight…. ..whn he(who also workd in an airline) askd wht time does d plane actually depart?Officer replied, ‘it will,whn it will.Wht is ur problem?!’
Ltr at airport(w/c ws literlly a metal container),his cousin board d flight(tht made 2 adhoc stops btw)w/ an AK47 in hand(magazine removd).. ..ok am going 2 nap now.Jst read book,apprntly Prophet Noah’s grt grt granson is Prophet Hud,whose tomb is where we’ll b at 4 Awal Muharram.
