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By Dr Firyal Alshalabi
“We learn from history that we learn nothing from history,” is a saying often repeated nowadays. Some attribute it to the playwright and political critic George Bernard Shaw, others attribute it to the German philosopher of the eighteenth century, Georg Hegel. But is it true? Do we learn nothing from history and our past? Is that why history keeps repeating itself?
The brutal extermination of Palestinians today in Gaza since October 7 looks very much similar to the extermination of Muslims in the south of Spain during the 15th century. The genocide, the burning of schools and mosques, the forced deportation, the ethnic cleansing are horrifyingly the same. Comparing Isabella and Ferdinand to Biden and Netanyahu is not far-fetched.
History keeps repeating itself. Didn’t Muslims and Arabs learn something from what happened then, and many other times and places, to prevent it from happening again? There’s an abundance of historical research and documents about the Spanish Inquisition. They provide so much information as to why and how the Spaniards were able to get rid of a tremendous civilization that flourished for eight hundred years in Andalusia.
How were they able to do it? Among others, two factors are the most obvious: One, the web of treachery and traitors that Ferdinand and Isabella implanted inside the Muslim empire was a powerful weapon. Traitors, playing friends on both sides, were capable of showing Muslim rulers, hungry for wealth and power, false facts as truth. Two, the disunity and disagreements amongst the rulers of the different regions of Andalusia proved most deadly. Disunity and friction ultimately pulled the Muslim empire down.
Reading historical documents can be cumbersome to many, even to avid readers. That’s why historical fiction novels come in handy. They provide accurate historical narratives while entertaining readers. I’d like to recommend two historical novels by prominent authors that explain what happened to the Muslims of Spain during those dark days of history. The Trilogy of Granada, by the Egyptian author Radwa Ashoor, and Badr Bin Mughira: The Shaheen of Andalus by the Pakistani novelist Naseem Hijazi.
Professor Ashoor’s knowledge of history and her literary style in Arabic is a treasure to be indulged in at all times. Her main characters, especially Mariama, and her grandson, inspire readers with hope. Her novel clearly displays that no matter the means of annihilation the occupiers use, the original plant nurtured in the soil for hundreds of years can never be extracted. Its roots will continue spreading and flourishing in different ways, and different places.
Badr Bin Mughira: The Shaheen of Andalus by the novelist Naseem Hijazi is another treasure. It is a sweeping heroic narrative, heart-wrenching yet romantic that leaves the reader with pride and hope. Readers will re-live those dark days in Al-Andalus and the agony of its characters. If you’re like me, you’ll see Abu Obaida in Badr bin Mughira and relish his bravery and honesty. Naseem Hijazi’s knowledge of historical events and his extensive research of that period is astounding.
Badr Bin Mughira, sheds light on the intricacies of the situation during the fall of Muslim Spain. The bravery, the treachery, the resistance and the fall of the Muslims at the hand of Ferdinand and his troops could have been changed if only the rulers were better informed and stood united. At one point of the novel, Hijazi had Ferdinand declare that, “The primary guarantee for our successes is the disunity among the Muslims... Had they been united like us, we could not have gained victory over them.”
How true is that today? It is possible to learn from history if we set our minds on that purpose. There must be people in power out there who can learn from history and use their knowledge to prevent genocide from happening again. One can only hope. Look at the refreshing waves of thousands of students all over the world shaking the foundations of colonizing empires with their demands and power of knowledge. When people hunger for justice, they need only to unite and persist to reach that goal. So far, the people of Gaza and their supporters, are showing the world that solidarity is power, and their sacrifices will one day bring Palestine back to the map with all its glory.
NOTE: Dr Firyal Alshalabi is the author of Summer 1990, a novel about the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussain and its liberation. Several of her children’s books in Arabic have gained wide acclaim. Tasneem and her Precious Shoes won second place in the international contest of Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation. My Uncle Khaled won first place at the Rashid Bin Humaid Award for the Arts in the UAE.
