The 'Islamic Art' Hoax

American Thinker ^ | 4/1/2012 | Jessica Rubin

[WPaCon]

Talking about Islamic art is rather like talking about the art of the Khanates. The Imperial Kingdom of Genghis Khan was the largest contiguous empire on earth. But just because different lands and cultures were conquered by Genghis Khan doesn't mean that there is a significance to grouping their art. The sphere of power of the Muslim Empire stretched from the borders of China and the Indian subcontinent across Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Sicily, and the Iberian Peninsula, and on to the Pyrenees. There needs to be a further rationale for calling art collections from lands conquered or subdued by the forces of Islam "Islamic Art."

Then why all the impetus, which started in earnest some almost a decade ago, for all the "Islamic Art" openings at prestigious museums, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Victoria and Albert Museum in England? The creation of departments of Islamic art at prestigious universities and museums? The support of prestigious foundations like Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art?

It is political correctness.

[Fred Nerks]

account!

good heavens...

[odds]

I’ll try tomorrow, don’t have the time now.

[Fred Nerks]

http://www.terragalleria.com/asia/india/delhi/picture.indi38509.html

something beautful, meanwhile.

[bert]

Drivel....you extrapolate erronously

[odds]

Re: previous link - the photos there were all Getty images, and we can’t post them on FR, maybe due to copyright. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1111944/posts

But if you’re interested, you can do a search for “bedouin arabs photos” on the web for other similar pictures.

[Fred Nerks]

thanks, I became interested in antique images of town and desert arabs as the result of reading the book ‘Travels In Arabia Deserta’ by Charles M Doughty, first published in 1888.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Montagu_Doughty

It’s a fascinating read, if you can find a copy in a library or a second hand bookshop, I can highly recommend it...