"The Mediterranean: A Religious Space" the Last Seminar in the Series of Thinking the Mediterranean
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Alexandria—
The BA Alexandria and Mediterranean Research Center (Alex-Med) held on Sunday, 6 May 2007, a lecture entitled "The Mediterranean: A Religious Space", the final lecture of the cycle "Thinking the Mediterranean". The cycle started May 2006 and included more than 15 specialists in the history and culture of the Mediterranean.
At the outset of the seminar, Dr. Mohamed Awad, Director, Alex-Med, announced a new cycle of lectures scheduled to take place next year. The seminar focused on the history and interplay of the three monotheistic religions in the Mediterranean area, and was chaired by Hisham Sadek, Professor of International Law, Alexandria University. He introduced the two speakers: Dr. Habib Tawa, Alexandria-born and holder of a doctorate degree in Modern Egypt from Sorbonne, and Carmelo Conticello, researcher at the Center for the Study of the Religions of the Book, affiliated to the French Center of Scientific Research (CNRS).
The seminar was split into two parts, the first was a lecture by Habib Tawa entitled "The Mediterranean: A Religious Space", in which he discussed the interaction of the three monotheistic religions during the history of the Mediterranean from the age of the Roman Empire to the Fatimid Era in Egypt, analyzing the Mediterranean history within an international context. He started by explaining the phrase "Mediterranean: A Religious Space" pointing out to the fact that the Mediterranean is a marine space separating between religions, he added that the French word "religion" derived from the verb "relier" means to unite, referring to rapprochement and forging relations with different groups and religions.
Tawa added that Christianity spread from the East to the West in two stages, and Jerusalem and Alexandria where centers for Christianity at that time. Judaism also started in the East, was spread in Europe and the Mediterranean, and when Jews were expelled from Spain they came back through the Mediterranean. Islam also started in the East but outside the Mediterranean; Islam started in the Red Sea to Andalusia through the Mediterranean.
Tawa concluded his talk by stating that the Mediterranean was a witness on the three monotheistic religions, referring to the fact that the Mediterranean, from a geographical and geological perspective, expressed religions throughout history.
Conticello, in the second part of the seminar, gave a distinguished lecture entitled "The Three Monotheistic Religions in Sicily from the 7th to the 20th Centuries: Assessment and Prospects", in which he focused on the historical role played by Sicily, as a meeting point for the three religions, and a model in co-existence, that requires thorough studies especially at our age, which is full of tension.
At the beginning of his talk, Conticello described Alexandria as a symbol of Cosmopolitanism and a dream for all westerns. From a historical perspective, he talked about Sicily as part of Italy since 1945 and how Sicily acquired special cultural traits. He explained how the Sicilians form a complicated society, as a result of conflicts and invasions. When Jews were expelled in 1492 during the Spanish invasion, Sicily started a new era and for 5 centuries Sicily was isolated with no real external contacts.
Conticello described the period that followed the isolation of the Island, as a cultural explosion through three stages, the first had a Greek style, followed by a Byzantine, and finally Sicily witnessed the Arab dominance for about 250 years.
At the end of his address, he referred to the Islamic impact, which is apparent in the west of the Island, especially in Demonia Valley, where 50 % of the population are Muslims, and where tolerance and understanding prevails between Muslims and Christians during the Normandy time.
The seminar was followed by comments and interventions from the attendees on the concept of tolerance, the relationship between religions, and the culture of the North and South Mediterranean.