El Albaicín
AOKs: History, Ethics, Religious Knowledge Systems, Human SciencesThe Moorish heart of Granada, El Albaicin is a maze of winding cobble streets with fleeting glimpses of the Alhambra. This has traditionally been considered a Moorish area and Islamic influence is still very prevalent with a new Great Mosque perched at the very top.
The houses in this area are characterized by their surrounding high walls and typically pretty gardens, which are kept healthy by the numerous ancient wells built in the neighbourhood. Real Life Situation:
Tourists are commonly warned by locals that there are many pickpockets in the Albaicin and that you should be aware of 'arab youths' if you are walking at night. However, statistical evidence from the Granadian police indicates that the majority of theft offences are Northern and Eastern European temporary residents (people often described as 'hippies' by locals). Real Life Situation: The terms Arabs, Moors and Islamic Settlers are all terms that are used interchangeably by Granada's guidebooks. However, many locals take offence at these terms as it is alienating. Granada's Muslim population (some of whom have ancestors who have lived in Granada for over 1000 years) do not and have never considered themselves to be Arab. Granada is 3,500 kilometers from Arabia. Nor does the term Moorish suit as this labels them as non 'Spanish'. Moors have been living in Spain longer than most groups of people in Spain have. The term 'Islamic Settlers' carries obviously similar alienating overtones. WOKs: Faith - Memory - Perception - Reason |
First Order Question: Considering many thefts go unreported and often 'pick-pocketing' takes place without the victims knowledge, how reliable do you think the police statistics are? How reliable do you think the local reports are? Second Order Question: How can our judgments be influenced by preconceived beliefs? Can sweeping generalizations have a reasonable basis? Is local knowledge a form of personal knowledge or shared knowledge? To what extent is 'hearsay' a form of knowledge? How much of a cultural identity is shaped by its religion? Religion works more to separate people than to unite them. Discuss. How does language affect the way in which we see and feel about the world? |
