It's lamentable to think that we must look all the way back to the Middle-Ages when for searching an era that embodied the fulfillment of the rich potential of interfaith harmony and cooperation. For an era during which diverse faiths peacefully intermingled to produce a society that today seems light years ahead of our time. Considered by many to be the "golden age for European Jews," as well as Christians, the era of Islamic Spain (711-1492), was a time when Muslims, Christians, and Jews co-existed in a quasi-utopian environment of multi-cultural enlightenment and sophistication. The result was a flourish of cultural advances. Colleges and libraries were instituted and dramatic evolutions occurred in areas of such as architecture, agriculture, literature, and poetry. As noted in a BBC profile, that era "brought a degree of civilization to Europe that matched the heights of the Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance."
In reflecting over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I recall former president Jimmy Carter remarking years ago that "human identity is no longer defined by what one does; but by what one owns." Today, Israel is the sole party in ownership of the Palestinian saga. And, in this case, contrary to what Carter said back then, what Israel has done to that which she owns has largely defined the sum total of who she is.
To me, it's not pretty.
But who am I to judge?
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