Casa Árabe

Casa Árabe and the Embassy of Slovakia in Madrid have organized, within the framework of the Slovakian Presidency of the European Union Council, a round table discussion titled “Their Heart Is in Your Hands: Collections of Islamic manuscripts in Europe, with the cooperation of Nuria Martínez de Castilla, a specialist in codicology and the history of manuscripts from the Islamic world.

This round table discussion will be devoted to discussing the different journeys and adventures which Arabic and Islamic manuscripts went on until coming to form part of today’s collections in European archives and libraries. In particular, it will deal with the histories of three collections, the Bašagić Collection of Islamic Manuscripts at the Bratislava University Library in Slovakia; the Arabic manuscripts at the University of Leiden Library in Holland, and the Arabic manuscript collection at the Monastery of El Escorial in Spain. During the debate, some of the common problems encountered when determining and recording the history of Islamic manuscripts in Europe will be examined, as well.

"Hoy 136 países reconocen el Estado de Palestina y su bandera ondea en las Naciones Unidas junto a la de los Estados Miembros. No obstante, los niños de Gaza o los habitantes de Naplusa, Hebrón y Jerusalén Oriental no perciben estos avances [...] reafirmemos nuestro compromiso con la consecución de la paz justa que merecen los pueblos de Israel y Palestina." Ban Ki-Moon, secretario general de la ONU (29 de noviembre 2015).

En 1977, la Asamblea General de NNUU pidió que se observara anualmente el 29 de noviembre como Día Internacional de Solidaridad con el Pueblo Palestino. Treinta años antes, en 1947, ese mismo día la Asamblea había aprobado la resolución 181 sobre la partición de Palestina. La conmemoración es un ejercicio de reclamo de los derechos de los palestinos y una oportunidad para visibilizar la cuestión palestina y la ocupación israelí, cada vez más diluidas en la cacofonía de noticias internacionales sobre Oriente Medio. La situación de los refugiados palestinos y la marginación de los palestinos de 1948 en Israel son algunas de las dimensiones que se abordarán en el acto.

“Today, 136 countries recognize the State of Palestine and its flag flies at the United Nations next to those of all Member States. However, these advances are not felt by children in Gaza, or by the residents of Nablus, Hebron and East Jerusalem [...] let us reaffirm our commitment to bring about the just peace that the peoples of Israel and Palestine deserve.” Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations (November 29, 2015).

In 1977, the UN General Assembly asked for November 29th to become the annual day of observance for the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Thirty years earlier, in 1947, the Assembly had approved Resolution 181 on the partition of Palestine, on the very same day of the year. This commemoration is an act in favor of the rights of Palestinians and an opportunity to make the topic of Palestine and Israeli occupation more visible, now that it is becoming more and more overshadowed by the increasing cacophony of international news about the Middle East. The Palestinian refugees’ situation and the marginalization of Palestinians in Israel in 1948 are just a few of the factors that will be dealt with at this event.

The novel No One Sleeps in Alexandria appears on the Muse list of the 100 best novels of all time. In Egypt, it was a huge success when it was published a decade ago and won the Cairo Book Fair Prize in 1996. The work has now been published in Spanish by Ediciones del Oriente y del Mediterráneo, with the cooperation of the Toledo School of Translators, in a translation by Pablo García. The presentation of this translation at Casa Árabe will include the participation of novelist and poet Bernardo Atxaga.

La novela Nadie duerme en Alejandría figura en la lista Muse de las 100 mejores novelas de todos los tiempos. Tuvo en Egipto un éxito fulgurante cuando fue publicada hace una década y obtuvo el premio del Salón del Libro de El Cairo en 1996. La obra ha sido ahora publicada en castellano de la mano de Ediciones del Oriente y del Mediterráneo en colaboración con la Escuela de Traductores de Toledo, con traducción de Pablo García. La presentación en Casa Árabe contará con la participación del novelista y poeta Bernardo Atxaga.

With a population of approximately 3 million people, Mauritania is ranked amongst the most impoverished countries in the world according to the Human Development Index. Of its inhabitants, 42% live below the poverty line, and minors under the age of 18 account for 46% of the population. Girls and boys live in a state of vulnerability that compromises their future and fails to provide them with the opportunities they deserve, finding themselves forced from a very early age to contribute to the family economy, leaving school and becoming exposed to dangers such as labor exploitation, sexual abuse and forced marriages.

Con una población de alrededor 3 millones de personas, Mauritania se sitúa en el grupo de los países más empobrecidos del mundo según el Índice de Desarrollo Humano. Un 42% de sus habitantes vive por debajo del umbral de la pobreza y los menores de 18 años representan el 46%. Niñas y niños viven en un estado de vulnerabilidad que compromete su futuro y que no les brinda las oportunidades que merecen, viéndose obligados, desde muy pequeños, a contribuir en la economía familiar, no siendo escolarizados y exponiéndose a peligros como la explotación laboral, los abusos sexuales o los matrimonios forzados.

A finales del siglo VIII Idris b. Abd Allah creó Madinat Fas, en la ribera derecha del río homónimo. A inicios del siglo IX su hijo potenció esta ciudad como capital de la dinastía idrisí, creando otra urbe en la ribera izquierda (809).

In the late eighth century, Idris bin Abd Allah created Madinat Fas, on the right bank of a river bearing the same name. At the beginning of the ninth century, his son strengthened this city as the capital of the Idrisid dynasty, creating another town on the left bank of the river (809).

For two centuries, Fez preserved both centers of population, one facing the other in constant rivalry. In the late eleventh century, the Almoravid emir, Yusuf ben Tashufin, did away with this duality, uniting both areas behind one single city wall and building a citadel at the top. Years later, the Almohads besieged Fez for a long period of time, until in 1145 they managed to enter it, harshly punishing the city, then destroying its citadel and walls, which the Almohad caliph al-Nasir would have rebuilt in 1212.

In the middle of the same century, the Merinid dynasty conquered Fez, making it their capital city while creating a new duality by founding the “new Fez,” Fez Al-Jadid, an area dedicated mainly to the court and government, whereas the old Fez concentrated on handicrafts and trade.

Today Fez is a lively city of great importance in religious and cultural affairs. It is the third largest city in Morocco and one of those most visited by tourists. It is a UN World Heritage site with a rich historical past forced to live side-by-side with its intense modern life.

Este libro, Diván de poetisas árabes contemporáneas, pretende poner de manifiesto la importancia de una trayectoria poética que comenzó a mediados del siglo veinte, a través de diez poetas: Fadwa Tuqán, Názik Al-Malaika, Lamía Abbás Amara, Saniya Saleh, Suad Al-Sabah, Fawzía Abú Jáled, Ámal Yarrah, Huda Ali Iblán, Suzanne Alaywan y Widad Benmusa. La obra, publicada por Ediciones del Oriente y del Mediterráneo, cuenta con un prólogo de Adonis, escrito especialmente para esta edición.