Muslim Contribution to Spanish Cuisine

European culture as a whole owes much to the Muslim world. However in Spain it is easier to trace the direct influence, as much of the Iberian peninsula was ruled by Muslims for nearly 700 years. CultureKiosque reports on April 6th at the Alhambra Palace museum in Granada a group of historians and cooks will explore, talk about and taste the influnence of Al-Andalus on Spanish food. This will range from the introductions of foods like "almonds, saffron, paprika, peppers and sweets for pastries" to broader contributions:

Many of these innovations including the three-course meal, the use of crystal rather than metal goblets for drinks at table and the introduction of the asparagus have been attributed to Abu al-Hasan Ali Ibn Nafi, a.k.a. Ziryab (c. 789—857),a Baghdad-born virtuoso musician (oud, persian lute, singer), theorist and gastronomic chef of mixed race (African-Persian) at the Umayyad court of Abd-ar-Rahman II, Emir of Córdoba (822–852).

The wonderful event is part of the Guardian Hay Festival which takes an in depth look at the centuries-old Arab-European exchanges.

American Muslim History at the Capitol

Muslims played a part in US history from its beginning. An obvious, but seldom mentioned fact is that many slaves brought to the Americas from Africa were Muslim. But there were other Muslims who came to the New World as well. Much of their history was lost or destroyed. The Muslim American Society reports about an exhibition at the Capitol called 'Collections and Stories of American Muslims' which was assembled by Amir Muhammad. It includes all kinds of narriatives, as well as antique American copies of the Qu'ran as well as American Muslim names recorded in the first US census in 1790. It seems to be a remarkable effort to resurrect this largely forgotten history:

One enslaved Muslim, a Fulani African prince and military commander named Abdul Rahman Ibrahima born in 1762, is featured in the remarkable documentary movie called "Prince Among Slaves". Abdul Rahman, who was literate in the Arabic language, was captured by slave traders and transported to Natchez, Mississippi, where he was forced to labor on a cotton plantation. But never abandoning his faith, he was able (by Allah’s mercy) to eventually secure his freedom from bondage. He and his Christian wife were able to return to before his death in 1829.

You can learn more about the exhibit at the America.gov site and at the Muslims in America site.

Cool Islam in France

The BBC featured a few French Muslims who, in various ways, have made efforts to make Islam "cool", and more notably, emphasize its common values with other religious traditions and ways of life. The piece profiles Medine, a French rapper, and his promotion of clean Islamic living and its positive values.

"I think that in all religions today, there are common human values", says Medine.

"I don't think that sharing is unique to Islam, or that generosity is unique to Catholicism, or love is unique to Judaism.

The BBC does not mention that, as far as cool goes, American rappers were making Islam cool from nearly the beginning of hip hop, from Public Enemy to Wu-Tang to Lupe Fiasco today. The Article goes on to profile a new bride and a progressive Imam and concludes:

People such as Imam Oubrou and Medine insist that however radical Islam's adaptation to contemporary culture, it will preserve a kernel of uncompromising, permanent Muslim belief.

They say European societies need to let it flourish if they are to win the bigger prize of a renewed, reinterpreted Islam no longer at odds with a secular West.

Of course, its always Islam that needs to be "reinterpreted" and "adapt" and any ground ceded by the "West" is decried by the usual reactionaries. But I think it's essential for the secular West to also be reinterpreted and adapted, so it to can flourish. The "secular West" just had the most devastating and destructive century arguably of any society that ever existed. It must continue to change too and cool Islam, could be one of those agents of change. Just as these Muslims are willing to open, so too, must France and the rest of the "West".

Walmart and Arab America

Newsweek published this interesting article about a Wal-Mart that opened up near Dearborn, Michigan, which has one of the largest concentrations of Arab-Americans. This Wal-Mart has specifically targeted Arab-Americans with everything from Egyptian Mango Juice to Halal meats. Notably (after surveying potential customers) the Wal-Mart decided not to carry hijabs (head scarves), because people felt uncomfortable buying them from Wal-Mart.

I am honestly surprised that something like this has happened already. Monolith corporations are steering away from cookie-cutter standards to accommodate specific consumer markets, because this is how the 21st century Capital is making money. Note the "Asian" McDonalds (complete with feng shui) that opened recently in a heavy Asian-American part of California.

What I find most curious is this:

Despite the sensitive sell, local shopkeepers still worry about Wal-Mart. "There is a fear factor in the business community," says Osama Siblani, publisher of Dearborn's Arab American News. To allay those fears, Wal-Mart is making an extraordinary promise: it will not undercut the prices of the small local merchants (though it will still go after Kroger). The insular company even agreed to be scrutinized by a "community advisory board" made up of local Arab-American leaders to ensure it isn't harming the mom-and-pop shops. One example: Wal-Mart agreed to charge one dime more than local grocers for a six-pack of pita bread.

Amazing. Besides the few communities that have successfully kept Wal-Mart out, I never have seen this level of open concession to local merchants. I wonder if it will be an isolated incident? Regardless, Wal-Mart "going native" is bent on undermining those small merchants.

London School for Islamic Art

The Lebanon Daily Star profiled an intriguing school in London's East End for Islamic Arts. The Prince's School for Traditional Arts was founded by Prince Charles:

Choosing either a masters or a doctoral track, students are taught theory and crafts, including mosaic, miniature painting, stone carving, calligraphy, arabesque (Islimi), woodwork and tile making.

The school has since expanded to include a commercial aspect, so the students can sell their creations. Islamic Arts have been present in Europe for centuries, notably in Spain and Eastern Europe, but as the article notes, there are few schools left in the world devoted solely to this pursuit. Most importantly for this school is the promotion of the idea of Islam as complex and indeed, quite often, beautiful.

Interesting to note Prince Charles association with this wonderful project. His family, the Windsors, are partly descended from the Prophet Muhammad.

Barack Obama, Benjamin Franklin and other Semitic Names

Juan Cole, professor of South Asian Studies at the University of Michigan, made a simple, but eloquent point about the controversy over Barack Hussein Obama's name in his weblog recently. Semitic names from Benjamin to Rihanna to John Adams are prevasive in our society and, obviously, something to be proud of. Cole notes that Hussein (Barack's grandfather's name) means "the Good" and, Saddam aside, is a proud name the world around:

The other thing to say about grandfathers named Hussein is that very large numbers of African-Americans probably have an ancestor ten or eleven generations ago with that name, in what is now Mali or Senegal or Nigeria. And, since so many thousands of Arab Muslims were made to convert to Catholicism in Spain after 1501, many Latinos have distant ancestors named Hussein, too. In fact, since there was a lot of Arab-Spanish intermarriage, and since there was subsequent Spanish intermarriage with other European Catholics, more European Americans are descended from a Hussein than they realize. The British royal family is quite forthright about the Arab line in their ancestry going back to Andalusia.

It's incredible how such an obvious-seeming point can be overlooked not only by fanatical McCain supporters, but also by the major media powers. So, in honor of Barack Hussein Obama, say "hi" to a person with a semitic name today. I bet you can't help yourself!