Date: 20 Oct 2002 00:12:00 +0200
From: ASWAD-AT-anarch.free.de (catkawin)
Subject: Re: moorish temple


Insectus wrote:

> the name however is rather derogatory. to call any
> muslim or arab (of which morrocans would be either or
> both) a moor is like calling an african american a
> nigger or someone of latin american descent a spick,
> etc. it's fairly racist terminology.

Most North Africans I know will describe themselves predominantly as  
Muslim, but not as Arab.

The term 'moorish' architecture, at least in my language, does not cover  
everything build by Arabs/Muslims, but is restricted to Muslim  
architecture in Spain. I suspect this might be the same in English  
language. Therefore I don't quite see how 'many people', as you wrote in a  
different mail, should call Arabic/Muslim architecture 'moorish'.

As far as I know, the term originates in the word 'moro' which certainly  
does not correctly describe the colour of skin. However, al-Andalus was  
the most advanced state in Europe for close to 800 years, and its  
universities, as one example, had an impact almost all over the rest of  
Europe.

catkawin
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