VOLUME 1
ISSUE 3
BMHC Newsletter O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other.... (Quran 49:13)
July 2012 Inside This Issue Our History, Our Responsibility Ramadan: On a Scale of 0-4 Forthcoming Event: A Journey through Muslim Lands: Andalus (Spain) A report on Journey through Muslim Lands: Sham Quran Alive Exhibition Regular Events at BMHC Friends of BMHC
BMHC Photo Journal BMHC Facilities
NOT TO BE MISSED:
JOURNEY THROUGH MUSLIM LANDS III: Andalus: The Jewel of Europe.
With Dr M S Madden Sunday, 9th September 2012, 2.00pm – 6.00pm A fun-filled family event for all ages and a chance to learn about the history and people of Andalus (present day Spain and Portugal) during the Islamic period.
Our History, Our Responsibility The understanding and appreciation of our shared heritage, and drawing lessons from history are pre-requisites for achieving a peaceful co-existence between people of different cultures and civilisations. This applies particularly to the Islamic and Western civilisations whose relations have remained affected by mutual suspicion and latent hostility, fed in large measure by the distortions of our shared history. For instance, Reginald Smith, in his book about Islam, concluded that nearly all those who have approached Islam did so only ‘to vilify and misrepresent it, writing from preconceived positions’. Montgomery Watt, for his part, concluded that it is clear that the influence of Islam on Western Christendom is greater than usually realised, but because Europe was reacting against Islam, it belittled Muslim influence and exaggerated its dependence on Greek and Roman heritage. The study of modern history reveals little contribution by Muslim effort in this area and is ad-hoc, fragmented and often unbalanced. This is in sharp contrast to the contribution of early Muslims. They were responsible for documenting the histories of the ancient world and that of their time. Their attitude to the objective documentation of history remained in line with the Quran, which uses historical accounts as lessons for the believers.
……..will you join us? In view of this reality, it is quite surprising to see and hear Muslims complaining about the negative way they are perceived or described, or their history darkened when they themselves contribute relatively little to change the situation. This challenge cannot be dealt with or corrected by individuals, it is of a scale that can only be addressed through institutional response. We believe that the BMHC is one such institution and we take this opportunity to extend an invitation to all scholars and historians to join us to shape and develop a strategic initiative to respond to this challenge. If you are interested please contact Dr Salah Aljazairi on heritage@bmhc.org.uk. Ramadhan on a scale of 0-4 (See Page 2 for details)