By Matovu Abdallah Twaha
Dubai: Scholars with an interest in Islamic art and civilisation have mooted several ideas on how to restore the battered image of Islam globally suggesting being pro-active, more tolerant, innovative and reminding the world of previous era of coexistence.
The ideas were advanced on Thursday, the second and last day of the special international symposium entitled “Islamic Civilisation in the 21st Century- Global Perspectives” held at the American University in Sharjah (AUS).
“Many people keep reminding us that Islamic Civilisation was at its best when it was more tolerant and explorative,” contended the Senior Strategic Adviser for Sharjah Museums Department (SMD), Dr Ulrike Al Khamis, “and if we want to do the same, we have to be pro-active and innovative.”
The symposium, which attracted over a dozen internationally recognised professionals and experts from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines, was part of the celebration of Sharjah as the Islamic Cultural Capital for 2014.
It was held in collaboration with the Sharjah Museums Department.
The Director General of the SMD, Manal Ataya, said, “Innovation in Islamic world is still on truck although many people wrongly think it ended over 600 years ago.”
Scholars from the background of sciences and humanities from several universities and institutions including MIT, Cambridge, and AUS among others discussed the impact of the innovative and creative contributions carried out by outstanding individuals on contemporary Islamic and global civilisation today.
On Day One, there was a session focusing on digital preservation of Islamic manuscripts, artefacts and material culture while another was on how sciences are tackling the challenges of our world.
Yesterday’s session, ‘Arts, Culture and Communication – Treasured Legacies and New Departures’ saw professors and art experts presenting their latest projects that have strong impact even on people beyond the realm of art and culture.
In her presentation, the Assistant Professor of Arts at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr Azra Aksamija said that speeches that are propagating co-existence should be made prominent in this era of “cultural encounter and increasing polarisation.”
Presenting the chilling killings in the Balkans, Dr Azra told an emotionally silent audience how Sarajevo was a symbol of coexistence among peoples of different faiths, but its title of ‘Jerusalem of Europe’ was dethroned with systematic erosion of faith-based marks.
“There were about 1,400 mosques in the Balkans, but over 70 per cent of Islamic heritage including mosques were destroyed. Now the UAE and Saudi Arabia are leading in helping the area get back to its feet.”
She said culture has the power to reverse the situation to how it was before the systematic destruction.
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