As part of the activities of the International Publishing and Book Fair in the Moroccan capital Rabat, the Muslim Council of Elders organized a seminar titled ‘A Reading of the Book 'Dawn of Andalusia’ by Dr. Hassan Oureid, Professor of Political Science at Mohammed V University in Rabat.

At the beginning of the seminar, Dr. Samir Boudinar, the Executive Director of the Al-Hokama Center for Peace and Research introduced the seminar while pointing out that the book 'Dawn of Andalusia’ serves as a model and reference for managing diversity and coexistence within societies.

Meanwhile, Dr. Hassan Oureid expressed his gratitude to the Muslim Council of Elders, under the Chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, for their great efforts in promoting the values of coexistence among people.

The Moroccan scholar also praised the importance of the book ‘Dawn of Andalusia’ for its widespread dissemination and impact on society. He discussed his journey in search of the book and the challenges he faced before meeting the late Moroccan scholar and thinker, Mohammed Ben Cherifa, who gave him the only available copy of the book. He noted that he discovered that ‘Dawn of Andalusia’ was one of the books that did not receive sufficient attention in Arabic Andalusian studies.

Dr. Oureid also discussed the book’s author, Hussein Moenis, who held the position of Professor of Literature at Cairo University in the 1950s. He highlighted Moenis' pioneering proposal to establish an Institute for Andalusian Studies in Madrid, which was accepted by the late Minister of Education, Taha Hussein. He further explained, "Dr. Moenis spent ten years as the director of this institute and made frequent visits to Morocco, which he considered an extension of Andalusia."

Dr. Oureid emphasized that ‘Dawn of Andalusia’ is a book about Andalusia in the Arabic language which covers a time period from the Islamic conquest to the establishment of the first emirate by Abd al-Rahman al-Dakhil. It also sheds light on the components of Andalusia and its various tribes associated with the Arabic language.

He pointed out that Arabs were not the dominant element in Andalusia, which was home to many other tribes and nationalities. He explained that the writer, Hussein Moenis, reviewed each tribe and the homogeneity and coexistence that resulted from it, emphasizing that Muslims relied on Sharia as a reference for administrative affairs in that era and built laws based on interests. He also highlighted the important relationship between the Maliki school of thought and Roman law, emphasizing that a researcher in Andalusian studies cannot succeed in their study without reading this book due to its enjoyable and simple language.

The seminar was attended by a large audience, and there was intense interaction from the visitors of the exhibition, who also sought to explore the publications of the Muslim Council of Elders exhibited at the International Publishing and Book Fair. 

The Muslim Council of Elders' stand at the International Publishing and Book Fair in Rabat is set to host several seminars and activities aimed at rectifying misconceptions, promoting dialogue and tolerance, and building bridges of communication and coexistence. These efforts align with the Council's message, under the Chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, which aims to enhance peace in Muslim and non-Muslim societies.