A New History of the Mediterranean
Today's Sunday Times reports on a Euro-Med Movement activity featuring former President and FM Guido de Marco, who was quoted as saying that:
The history of sharing and exchange that epitomises the Mediterranean as well as the proximity of nation states within it make the idea of a clash of civilisations not only outlandish but counterproductive.
If Prof. de Marco was referring to the Mediterranean world prior to the Muslim conquests of the 7th Century then this is not a completely misleading description. After that point, it simply does not fit what really took place, although trade did eventually recover and significant cultural exchanges did take place in certain areas and at certain points in time. The Mediterranean was in fact 'reunited' only in the 19th and early 20th centuries mainly as a result of the weakness of one side relative to the other. Relations are nevertheless not warm, and there is much truth in what Bernard Lewis and Samuel Huntington have written, although I'm personally more optimistic than they are.
Later on, he was described as saying that 'the conflict in the region is an abnormal state of affairs' and apparently he supported this by referring to the existence of Christian symbols (such as the Church of the Nativity) in the Holy Land. I would personally say that this is due to the simple fact that the Middle East and North Africa had been Christian prior to the Muslim conquest rather than to any specific history of cooperation between the two civilizations.
Needless to say, I sympathize with Prof. de Marco's intentions (and one must remember that he was speaking to very young people). There is, indeed, nothing I'd like more than to see the Mediterranean truly becoming an area of stability and prosperity. Nevertheless, it's difficult to imagine a prosperous and peaceful future being built on a misreading of the present and the past, however well-intentioned it may be. De Marco's interpretation of history might mislead people into thinking that creating peace and stability is going to be a piece of cake (after all, if our ancestors repeatedly got it right, why shouldn't we?). A new Mediterranean is indeed possible but it will be realists, not idealists, who will have to achieve it.
4 Comments:
I don't sympathise with de Marco at all. I've grown tired of his constant apologies for Palestinian terror and his claims that Israel indulges in "state terrorism" - saw him say that on TV.
What he preaches is either naive or worse. Misleading innocent kids will not help matters. We can still live in (relative) harmony even if we know about our bloody pasts.
However those who ignore the past a doomed to repeat it's mistakes..... A cliche but a true one.
Bat Ye'or takes a good look at the "Euro-Med" activities and agenda in "Eurabia". It's worth a read. She shows that there is very little "dialogue" involved - more like Europe being told how to behave by its partners with no equivalent programmes happening in North African schools.
Cheerio
Deepdiver
I wasn't aware of the 'state terrorism' comment - thank God he's out of the political picture, I say.
Cheers
I believe 'pragmatists' are what we need Piet (rather than 'realists'). The former conjure up the image of someone likely to rise up and seize the moment. The latter on the other hand are loathe to take risks and will sit on their (or somebody else's') laurels until the cows come home.
I'm all for pragmatism!
Post a Comment
<< Home