Free-D

Salamanca is enjoying an insight into the Arabic world with the “Ciclo Nosotros (Árabes). It’s not the first such encounter the city has had. Between 712 and 1085AD Salamanca experienced eastern culture first hand. Like all invasions this had its positive as well as negative aspects. Life wasn’t exactly stable during those three hundred and seventy odd years: Salamanca was taken, lost and taken again. However, the Moorish presence was permanent enough to mean that a class of Spanish Christian came into existence that actually adopted the Arabic language and culture to a large extent. Although the “moors” were driven out permanently by Alfonso VI in 1085, much of Arabic culture remained. So much so that when Salamanca University was founded in 1218 by Alfonso the IX (not all Spanish kings are called Alfonso by the way.) it became one of the most important sources of Arabic learning available to the western medieval world. This flowing of knowledge from the east became an essential spur to philosophical enquiry in Europe.

These days it is a common view in the west that Arabic culture hasn’t progressed beyond the medieval in its outlook. Eastern civilization may have access to new technology but the philosophy behind its use is fuelled by a world view which is polarized and dogmatically religious. But the actual reality of the east is  more complex than this - not least concerning the sources of its political radicalism. In fact a large proportion of this attitude was inherited from western  underground groups during the 1960’s. The west often appears to think of itself as politically “holier than thou”. But political righteousness is no  guarantor of cultural health - and for many it seems that our arts have in general deteriorated into sophistry, ironic posturing and mere entertainment. There aren’t, for example,  many directors in the west who stand up well against  the “ Iranian New wave”. Partly of course this is an historic accident. Societies in conflict have the dubious advantage of having serious issues to discuss. But regardless of this, eastern filmmakers have observed and learnt much from European film. Some would say improved upon it.

So backwards and forwards between our two hemispheres: and we do like to think of things in these diametric terms:Muslim/Christian, atheist/believer etc.

Well it seems that in Salamanca the flux of one culture into another continues:  regardless of all the attempts by reactionaires to split  the world in two.