Reminiscence of a Place

The events in Iraq are tragic and painful especially to one who remembers a different Iraq at different time. I have been away from Iraq, continuously, for nearly 30 years. The reality of the situation there comes in the news every day. It may be just a piece of news to others, but for me it has a long history and personal memories. The latest explosion in Al-Mutanabi Street, the famous book market in Baghdad, was of a very special significance to me. It was a massive attack on culture and civilized values and also on lives and properties. Iraqis always treasured books. They sometimes collect them just to have the feel of them. During the sanction years auctioning books became a huge trade. It is sad to see people selling their precious possessions but it is also a relief to see others, within the country, are interested in obtaining them despite the harsh economic realities of the day. I remember with great affection this street and the one adjacent to it (Al-Sarai) where I spent afternoons, after classes, going through magazines and books to buy what I could  afford together with a sandwich and a cooling yogurt drink.  Our representative in Baghdad, Mr. Walid Abdul-Amir Alwan, sent me some photos of the damage to this street. It is shocking. But I am sure that the street and its auctions will survive because the love of books and culture is deep rooted within Iraqis. I had these thoughts and pictures while I was passing through Hay-on-Wye. It is a village that can be described as a Book Heaven, a place where you can buy new books at a cut price or clean second-hand books at a reasonable price. I find myself always attracted to this place, possibly because of the old place I miss everyday during my years of exile. On the matter of remembering a place, the article on Seville in this issue, written by an Arab, Mr. Habeeb Salloum, who grew up in Canada and retired there, also has this nostalgic taste. Finally, the concept of Islamic Tourism became a subject of intensive discussion in a specialised conference in Tehran. I hope that you will enjoy the review of this conference and other articles in the latest issue. I look forward to receiving your comments. Please write to (post@islamictourism.com)      

Dr. Abdul-Rahim Hassan
Editor-in-Chief