Bridging The Divide Between The United States And The Muslim World Through Arts And Ideas: Possibilities And Limitations
Appendix IV: Background Paper
Cultural Awareness In A Time Of Crisis
Cultural exchanges: viewing history through gifts and commerce
A more benign grand narrative that highlights rather than buries these facts is sorely needed in today’s climate of religious animosity. Fortunately, there are a wealth of materials that support a retelling of history in which there is a continual flow of cultural influences between European society and the Muslim world, and a joint exploration of a common heritage from classical antiquity. The debt owed by European philosophers, theologians, and scientists to translations of books from Arabic into Latin has been abundantly studied, though sadly it is often misrepresented as purely a transmission of Greek lore from the Hellenistic era with little or no mention of the important additions, refinements, and intellectual breakthroughs made by Muslim scholars.
Back to the top.Table of Contents
- Director’s Preface
- Executive Summary
- Opening Session
- Session I – World of the Artist
- June 6th Lunchtime Keynote Speech
- Session II – World of the Artist: Venues and Institutions
- Session III – Art and Social Commentary
- Session IV – Art and Social Commentary: Fusion and Satire
- June 7th Lunchtime Keynote Speech
- Session V – Cultural Exchange: Cultural Capital
- Session VI – Re–envisioning U.S. Cultural Diplomacy
- Conclusion
- Notes to Sessions
- Appendix I: Conference Program
- Appendix II: List of Participants
- Appendix III: Mustapha Tlili’s Opening Statement
Appendix IV: Background Paper
- Introduction
- Changing impressions — Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas
- The Arts of Islam in the Eyes of the West: A Historical View
- Cultural exchanges: viewing history through gifts and commerce
- Gift exchanges: Harun al–Rashid and Charlemagne
- Gift exchanges: Venice and the Ottoman Empire
- Commerce: coins, jewelry, and other goods
- Commerce: twentieth–century changes
- Creative Lives Under Changing Circumstances
- Early Muslim Society
- The Post–Mongol Muslim World
- The Early Modern Muslim World
- The Muslim World in 1900
- The Muslim World Today
- The Arts of Islam: A Brief History
- A. Poetry and Song
- B. Qur’anic Chant
- C. Calligraphy
- D. Belles Lettres
- E. Music and Dance
- F. Theater
- G. Painting, Sculpture, and Design
- H. Architecture
- Islamic Art Today
- Conclusion
- Recommended Further Readings
- Notes to Background Paper
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