The Flying Man, Gaza and Salladin

The title of this script appears phantasmagoric. But when unraveled, a distinct, underlying thread becomes lucid from the apparent palaver.

Although two of these, the ongoing Gaza conflict and Salladin, the 12^th century conqueror of Jerusalem, belong to different epochs, yet they relate to similar geographical contexts and their populace and protagonists share common Abrahamic religions.

Whereas Salladin, despite fighting crusades against European Christian kingdoms, evinced unparallelled chivalry and magnanimity towards both Christians as well as Jews, unfortunately scant of that spirit of tolerance, empathy and care for the children, women, the indigent or respect for religious rites or rituals (there is no respite in the Gaza war, despite the start of the Muslim holy month of fasting, Ramadan) is noticeable in the tragic genocidal conflict taking place in Gaza between believers of Abrahamic faiths. The Flying Man: The Golden Age of Islam by Dr Akbar Ahmed, first published in the US in 2021, now reprinted in the UK by Beacon Books, could not have appeared at a more pertinent time in inviting attention to liberal tolerance that marked the golden age of Islamic learning and sciences resulting in the symbiosis between the Greek and Islamic heritages acting as a bridge leading to renaissance and the enlightenment. No worthier example of interfaith harmony existed than how Maimonides, the great Jewish religious scholar, served the greater part of his life in service of Muslim rulers in Cordoba and Cairo.

This palingenetic intellectual wellspring, spanning nearly 500 years, extended from Cordoba and Seville to Damascus, Baghdad, Balkh and Bukhara with luminaries like Ibne Sina (Avicenna), Ibne Rushd (Averroes), Al Ghazali (Algazel), Al Khwarizm (Algorithmi), Al Haytham (Alhayzen), Al Farabi (Alfarabius), Al Kindi (Alkindus), Al Idrissi (Dreses), Al Jabir Hayyan (Geber), Al Razi ( Rhazes) et al. The translations into Latin of their works provided the essential bridge between classicalism, renaissance and western enlightenment. There were many more luminaries, Muslim, Jews, Christians and Sabiens of the golden age of Islam who participated in a mutually collaborative and intellectually tolerant period of enlightenment without considerations of creed, race or colour. The golden period of Islam not only played the role of a vital, indisputable link in the chain that connects antiquity to western civilisation but made unmistakable accretions to the pre-existing corpus of knowledge and science in the fields of philosophy, astronomy, medicine, mathematics, optics & c.

The Flying Man recounts the glorious, tolerant age of Islam and in many aspects one is led to include in its compass the great compassionate rule of Salladin especially vis a vis his inclusive attitude towards Christians and Jews. One cannot but draw the distinct impression and conclusion that the zeitgeist of liberal tolerance which infused the golden age of Islam also imbued the contemporaneous rulers like Salladin with empathy and forbearance towards rivals in war or faith.

At the same time one cannot but be struck by the disproportionate contrast in attitudes towards both combatants as well as civilian adversaries that so starkly appears in the present day Gaza conflict and that was adopted by Salladin during the crusades. In Gaza one witnesses use of indiscriminate force, by one of the most lethally equipped militaries of the world against a few militants with devastating effects for the whole population.

Since October 7, 2023, according to the UN, 32,000 Palestinians have been killed, with 12,300 of them being children; and one in every five children living in Gaza whose population of 2.3 million is displaced, shelterless without proper food, water, electricity and health.

At least 12,300 children and 8,570 women have been killed by Israel in Gaza since October 7, 2023 compared to 2,992 women, 579 children killed in the two-year Russia-Ukraine War.

The 7^th October Hamas attack on Israel, killing of unarmed civilians and taking of hostages was reprehensible. But events have a history. For three quarters of a century, 2.3 million Palestinians have been subjected to state backed dispossession, deprivation and ejectment from ancestral lands.

Nearly a whole nation has been forced to take refuge in camps in their owned lands, sans the basic necessities of housing, water, food, medicines, education and health. Nearly three generations of Palestinians have born and raised in hovels of tents and shanties.

What would the predominant sentiment of such a community be anywhere in the world? Nothing but disenchantment, frustration, ire and a desire for freedom from harsh occupation and continuous humiliation and restoration of a life of dignity. Being deprived of the means of conventional war, terrorism has always been the weapon of the weak dehumanised.

Eight hundred and forty six years back, in the same region, one comes across a personality like Salladin portraying unmatched magnanimity and compassion towards men, women and children of other faiths.

After the battle of Hattin in 1178, retaking the holy lands, Salladin allowed the Jewish community, earlier banished by the Frankish rulers, to resettle in Jerusalem. Christians too, unarmed, were allowed to perform pilgrimage. Contrarily Muslims even today are not allowed free access to Al Aqsa mosque.

During the conquest of Jerusalem in 1187, a three-month old baby of a Frankish woman was sold in the market. Salladin personally intervened, repurchased the child and handed it over to the mother with orders for a horse to carry her and the child back to their camp. As the mother received back and cuddled her baby with tears of joy streaming down from her eyes, Salladin’s eyes were also wet.

Jews from Ascalon, a large Jewish settlement, responded to Salladin’s offer of resettlement in Jerusalem. Despite opposition by Salladin’s treasurers, 50,000 Frankish residents of Jerusalem were let off on payment of small tribute.

Some poor residents were given freedom without payment of any tribute.

Notwithstanding the slaying in Acre of 3,000 Muslim prisoners of war by Richard I during the 3^rd Crusade in 1192, Salladin allowed unarmed Christian pilgrims into Jerusalem. Recounting Salladin’s charity in 1203 the German King Phillip was advised by his minister: “A king should have holes in his hands through which the gold falls” to his subjects.

The Flying Man, along with Salladin, portrays interfaith tolerance and forbearance standing in stark contrast to the rules of war being trampled in Gaza. Yet from out of these contradictions there may arise hope for a better future.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2024.

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