First Iran-Spain Congress on Dialogue Among Civilizations to Be Held
The congress is to be supervised by the prominent Spanish Orientalist, Professor Jose Maria Blazquez Martinez. Having conducted widespread research on Iran's culture, civilization and religion, Professor Blazquez Martinez, speaking to IRNA, referred to his special interest in Iran's culture and stressed the need to extend his research to the history of mutual ties between the two countries.
He expressed hope that the upcoming congress will contribute to further acquaintance of both countries with one another's potentials and cultural talents.
The congress slated for May 6-7 is to be attended by a number of Spanish cultural and scientific authorities, the great Islamologist Seyed Hossein Nasr, currently residing in U.S. and Professor Mehri Nasr from Tehran University.
Referring to Iran-Spain mutual relations since the Middle Ages, he stressed that the great number of Islamic monuments and the prevalence of Gnostic outlook in Spain since the arrival of Muslims marks the traces of Iranian thinking trend and artistic style.
Underlining that the traces of Iranian culture is evident in Spain, he referred to the Spanish men of Gnostics such as Santa Teresa and Juan Della Cruze who have been impressed by Iranian Gnostics who have been penetrated into Spain via the Arab world, specially Syria and Egypt.
He added, "Once the process of economic globalization is being materialized, culture will be the next, since goods such as carpets and other artworks representing a nation's culture and thinking trend are spread worldwide through trade exchange."
Regretting the expansion of materialism worldwide, he referred to it as a great damage to culture.
Professor Blazquez Martinez added that today's world is confronted with the crisis of philosophical thinking and no one has qualified to replace the vacuum felt by the absence of the great philosophers of 20th century's second half.