Cities of Light
Submitted by Barry_NJ on August 19, 2007 - 12:50am.
Education | Human Rights | International | Middle East | Religion
On Wednesday August 22nd at 9 p.m. on PBS (as always check your local listings) a new documentary will premier. Its about a time that your history classes may have skipped over and with that oversight contributed to the misunderstandings of today.
Over a thousand years ago, the sun-washed land of southern Spain was home to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, living together and flourishing. Their culture and beliefs intertwined, and the knowledge of the ancients was gathered and reborn. Here were the very seeds of the Renaissance.
But this world too quickly vanished … Greed, fear, and intolerance swept it away. Puritanical judgments and absolutism snuffed out the light of learning. Within a few centuries, the fragile union of these people dissipated like smoke. The time of tolerance was lost, forever.
The place was Spain where for over 300 hundred years Muslims, Jews and Christians lived and prospered together.
My friends at the USIP (United States Institute for Peace) have supplied a web site with background information on the Cities of Light. The site also has lesson plans for teachers and a link to USIP's offer of a free DVD of the film for classroom use.
Be sure to tune in and relax on your sofa (from the Arabic al-suffah) to enjoy some positive television.
Once you've seen the film go to the producers web site, Unity Productions Foundation, and consider hosting a dialog with five or more people. If you decide to host a dialog the producers will provide a free copy of the film on DVD.
Resolving the world's problems is going to take many small steps and this could be one of them.
Barry
The voltage does matter but since a big part of the world is on 220 some of the chargers handle either.
Since most of the world doesn't use the US wall socket they'll probably need an adapter for that at least. That would remind me to double check the voltage too.
Barry
Are you safer today than you were six years ago?©
One of those little voltage box thingys. I'd get in touch and tell them to make sure!
And Barry, this looks great. Thanks for the notice!
You may need more than an adapter but the fact that you need an adapter would remind me to check the voltage too.
I just got the email from USIP about the film last night but it looks like we'll turn it into a college event here. At least I can be sure our students are exposed to it!
Barry
Are you safer today than you were six years ago?©
The more people who see it, the better!
And yes, it would remind you to check the voltage, but as someone who had all adapters at the ready on my first trip into high-voltage land, and still managed to burn off a good amount of hair with a curling iron (I erred by using only the adapter, and didn't use the box thingy that came with it) then watched the curling iron appear to actually melt, I think a gentle reminder via email might be a good thing to do. Best be on the side of caution! :-)
Well yea, always good to be on the safe side. :)
Barry
Are you safer today than you were six years ago?©
Why with Christianity from afar.
All that is being said of radical Muslims today has been said about radical Christianity in the past...and will likely be said again.
I've seen some cuts from this film and it appears that it does cover that point.
Barry
Are you safer today than you were six years ago?©
world religions and influence in history, and this history of Spain was covered somewhat as your film seems to and it was very interesting. So I look forward to seeing this one you have posted. Thanks.
Religious Intolerance... when will we ever learn?
We could at least start by making sure things like this are in the textbooks. Textbooks can be as bad as the media; chapters on war and conflict but people getting along? Somehow the good news gets pushed down to a footnote at best.
Barry
Are you safer today than you were six years ago?©
I'm a very tolerant person. The only thing I can't tolerate is intolerance.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Don't settle for less.
Make America All It Can Be!
cover it. It's fascinating how the religion promulgated by the man Jesus that ooozed tolerance and love and turn-the-other-cheek was pummeled into the religion that could not, no matter the cost, abide the thought that divergent groups could actually co-exist.
Spain and its people suffered mightily for it (including "heretical" Christians) and the light was snuffed out--maybe for all time.
Fanaticism may well be the cardinal sin of mankind.
One of the courses I teach is World Lit. which includes both the Quran and the Bible as literature. I'm looking at where I can fit this into the the syllabus. I'll keep poking around the linked site. Thanks.
You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.--J. V. Marley
I thought of you as I was posting this but decided to give you a chance to find it before I started bugging you about it. :)
Once you figure out how to fit it into your World Lit. course maybe you can help me get it into my computer science course! :)
Barry
Are you safer today than you were six years ago?©
The more I looked it over, the more convinced I become that poetry is my best option. Following the Quran there is a brief spout of Persian poetry. The site has a nifty lesson that includes a poetry slam. I'll put together an art history slide show to kick it off--nothing like a little "art in the dark" at 8 am. I can always finish up with showing the film and requiring a written critique.
Computer science? The history of math/numbers morphing into how people communicate opens up a possible window. When I taught art, I would do a unit of communicating with symbols. The kids were always startled to learn that they wrote "arabic" every day. We would then work on tessera.
The program was advertised on my PBS station today. Viewing the film might spark more thoughts,
You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.--J. V. Marley
I do a class on the history of numbers in one course and this may fit there or with the history of computers. I use a BBC documentary, "The Story of 1", that was done by Terry Jones from the Mony Python crowd with number systems (which points out that those "Arabic" numbers come from India). Algorithms are central to software development and I mention that the word comes from an Arabic name since a fellow from Baghdad is credited with the original concept.
Of course the film may have a surprise for us and we'll discover that it can fit in places we've never thought of. :)
Barry
Are you safer today than you were six years ago?©
According to Encarta:
[Late 17th century. Alteration, after Greek arithmos "number," of algorism, via Old French and medieval Latin< Arabic al-Ḵwārizmī, name of the 9th century mathematician who introduced algorithms to the West]
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Don't settle for less.
Make America All It Can Be!
You know I never trust Microsoft (Encarta). Besides those Greeks will take the credit for anything. :)
"In fact the word algorithm is derived from the name of the great Islamic Mathematician, Astronomer, Geographer and all-round polymath, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, who was a member of Dar Al-Hikmah (the House of Knowledge) in Baghdad in the 800s." - Computer Science for Fun
Barry
Are you safer today than you were six years ago?©
Aug. 20-25th. I'm hoping if he has questions about the camcorder, this guy can help him find the answers of the charger/adapter thing. Canada is 110 as we are and he's been all over the world shooting film, so I hope he can be a resource for Mohammad.
Thanks for the info. BTW, Barry, camcorder finally delivered, breathing sigh of relief:) Now wondering if camcorder made for US market will work in the middle east? Does it matter if it's charged with 220 instead of 110? This is what keeps me up at night this week.