Setting the record straight

“Carpet With the Arms of One of Sultan Qa’it Bay’s Emirs,” made in Egypt in the 15th century, on display in the Uffizi.CreditGianni Cipriano for The New York Times

When it comes to the west's relationship to Islam, I have never been a fan of the clash of civilizations idea that seems to be defining the world view of so many folks these days...so I was grateful for a little historical perspective in the form of this review of a show currently at the Uffizi

The West “pays very little attention to the Islamic world. We still haven’t realized that the world is a little more vast, and that culture is not just a Western prerogative,” [Giovanni Curatola, professor of Islamic art and archaeology at the University of Udine] said. “We continue to think that we’re the center of something.”

Now I just wish I were in Italy to see it. 

Regrettably, the essay goes on to describe the reactions of interior minister Matteo Salvini and his ilk, and it's hard to imagine that the response of nationalists would be any different here. But still, the exhibit is a hopeful example of bridge building, and a reminder that things haven't always been this way...