Featured Posts
‘Turks, Moors and Englishmen in the Age of Discovery’ Book Review
Professor Nabil Matar’s enlightening book ‘Turks, Moors and Englishmen in the Age of Discovery’ challenges Islamophobic narratives of Muslims in the 16th to 19th centuries, as well as negative perceptions of native Americans.
“Without Islam there would be no Shakespeare”
William Shakespeare (1564-1616), England’s most famous playwright and symbol of Britishness, made heavy use of use of Muslim figures, objects and places in his works. On Shakespeare Day (23 April), I am remembering the close connection he had with the Islamic world in his works.
Cervantes’ Muslim connection
The father of Spanish literature, Cervantes (b.1547) is said to have based aspects of his famous book, ‘Don Quixote’ on Moorish figures and culture. He was after all writing at a time when the legacy of Moorish rule was still very obvious. It would have been virtually impossible for Cervantes to ignore such a prominent influence of Muslim culture and not draw on it for inspiration.
A female-led whirling dervish group based in Afghanistan, is reclaiming the country’s deep-rooted Sufi heritage.