Yale Bulletin and Calendar

November 9, 2001

Volume 30, Number 10

Created in the 12th century, this Seljuk plate from the Yale University Art Gallery's collections is featured on the poster for "Arab/Islam Civilization: Beyond the 1001 Nights and September 11."

Panel goes beyond fantasy and crisis
to look at richness of Arab civilization

The contributions of Arab/Islamic civilization to literature, philosophy, art and science, and its influence on Western European thought, will be explored in a panel discussion taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 13.

The discussion, titled "Arab/Islamic Civilization Beyond the 1001 Nights and September 11," will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Rm. 102 of Linsly-Chittenden Hall, 63 High St. Sponsored by the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, the event is free and open to the public.

"There have been many discussions about the Arab world and Islam since Sept. 11, but what has gotten lost in many of these talks is the extraordinary richness and sophistication of Arab/Islamic culture," says Karen Foster, a lecturer in Near Eastern languages and literatures and one of the organizers of the event. "In news coverage of the war, a frequent image we see is of people in rags on rocks. Our discussion aims to enlarge the understanding of Arab/Islamic civilization beyond the fantasy of 'The 1001 Nights' and the crisis of Sept. 11."

Five Yale faculty members will explore different aspects of Arab/Islamic civilization in 10-minute talks that will address, among other topics, the correlation between world crises and the study of Arabic (see related story), and intellectual and political currents in the Arab/Islamic world. Ample time will follow the presentations for questions from audience members. Foster and Dimitri Gutas, chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, will moderate the discussion.

As one of the panelists, Gutas will discuss the common classical heritage shared by Islam and the West, especially in science and philosophy, in a talk titled "Religion and Civilization in the Arab/Islamic World." He will also address the role played by Islam as a religion.

The other panelists and the subjects of their talks are:

Kiswar Rizvi, lecturer in the history of art and a postdoctoral associate at the Yale Center for International and Area Studies, "Sites of Prayer and Poetry: Shrines in 16th-Century Iran and India." Her talk will explore shrines as institutions of religious expression and the participation of women and non-Muslims in them.

Beatrice Gruendler, assistant professor of Near Eastern languages and civilizations, "The Meeting of Cultures in Classical Arabic Literature." She will discuss Indian, Iranian and other cultural elements in the development of Arabic literature and the role of Arabic as the lingua franca for educated people of the time.

Bassam Frangieh, senior lector in Near Eastern languages and civilizations, whose talk on "Intellectual Currents in the Modern Arab/Islamic World" will explore aspects of cultural and political thought in the Middle East today.

Benjamin Foster, professor of Near Eastern languages and civilizations, "Crises and Arabic Language Study." He will offer a historical survey of the study of the Arabic language, especially in America, and discuss how its popularity correlates with political and military crises.

For more information on the panel discussion, call (203) 432-6715.

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