Al-Andalus. I’ve always wanted to go to places with majestic & historical value where the winds of the past would remind me of the old days when life were not in the present. I remembered da 1st time I touched the forbidden palace in Beijing, i could not define more in words, I was in awe. Although I am nowhere of the royal chinese heritage bloodline, but I do share an ancestry after the surname ‘Tan’ which originated in China. I am proud to have the blood.
Going back into the subject of islamic Spain, I stumbled across a video on Andalusia / Al-Andalus / Islamic Spain, whatever you may call it which was established between the year 711 to 1492. I found this video to be very interesting as it attempts to tell the other story of Islamic Spain, differently told in major books and assumptions in society. Regardless, it is the same case when I comment on the distortion of history in Malaysian textbooks when I was interviewed in Selamat Pagi Malaysia by RTM. Well, I speak my mind but I know I will not be liked but nonetheless, the evidence is apparent in The British Library with treatises and letters signed by the past Malay rulers.
As a uni-student I tend to form up critism on every aspect, and this video do not escape opinions by other academicians.
Have a look and do comment about it; I would love to hear comments from anyone.
(Please do not press play all at once, if you are Malaysians, using TMNET Broadband 2.0MBps during the peak hours it would not stream as fast. Bah. Malaysian technology. Nice on papers only.)
PART 1
PART 2
PART 3
PART 4
PART 5
PART 6
PART 7
PART 8
PART 9
PART 10
PART 11
So you have fun watching? Well for Muslims we do have lots to ponder from our history as to where we are now. Like any civilization from east to west, knowledge is the only key towards advancement. Even with conquests and other aggressive means, sustainability and respect can only be earned through knowledge.
Forgive me for a comment not related to the post. There is an excellent new blog dedicated to a book called: *An Incomplete History
The Muslims of Spain Post 1492 in a Global Context and its Relevance to Muslims Today*
http://historyofandalus.wordpress.com/
The situation of the Muslims living in the West today poses a striking similarity to the situation of the Muslims in Al- Andalus post 1492 (when the last Muslim ruler surrendered the last Muslim stronghold of Granada to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella). This marked the official end to Islamic rule in Al- Andalus. However, this did not mean all the Muslims left Al Andalus in one go.
Muslims lived in Andalus for at least two hundred years after the fall (1492). Their lives were not easy. In many cases they were forced to give up their identities, could not practice Islam in public, they were not allowed to speak Arabic (and therefore could not pray in congregation) or even give their children Muslim names! So what began as tolerance for the practice of Islam in Al- Andalus and allowing for their affairs to be judged under Shari’ah courts (Capitulations of Granada) slowly but surely led to the persecution of the Muslims of Al-Andalus until no trace of Muslims in Andalus was to be found.