The Saladin Days 2015 Opening lecture by Mark R. Cohen
From the Arabian Peninsula, along the Mediterranean coast, and all the way to the Iberian Peninsula Jews and Muslims have been living side by side ever since the creation of Islam. What was the relationship between Jews and Muslims in the centuries after the Prophet Muhammad’s time and how does this history differ from the way in which Christian societies in Europe have treated Jewish people?
These are core questions in the work of the renowned Middle Ages scholar Mark R. Cohen. In this lecture he will outline the (largely peaceful) coexistence of Jews and Muslims in what is often considered a less tolerant time. A Professor Emeritus at Princeton University, Cohen has published a number of books and articles about Jewish history, and is also known from the TV series Jews and Muslims, which was shown on Norwegian NRK and during last year’s Saladin Days. In his lecture Cohen will tell us about his findings from the Middle Ages and how they could be relevant in 2015.
Litteraturhuset Wergeland