In 1979/’80 I was thrown out of Catholic religious studies in my high school for the offense of marking major oil and gas fields in the back part of the school bible, where there were maps of the holy land. Soon kids joined me in the school library during these hours. Their offence was, that they had been displaced by terror from a cradle of civilization into a run down 5th tier city in Germany called Neuwied. Of course they became my friends and well, they were among the best students in town, which I wasn’t.
I kept my affection for Muslim cultures through the decades and it even grew by travels, starting from the Alhambra, then North Africa, the Middle East, Central, East and South East Asia. Don’t get me wrong, I am more of a secular type. I am talking about culture. It’s like Christmas, which I like. But I won’t forget my mom crying after work in her Catholic hospital and being bullied by nuns for being pretty. And not the priests and their subordinates having other things in mind with small boys than leading them to the right path. And even I like Christmas, I hate Christmas trees. Such a stupid concept!
I did not know what to expect when visiting the Aga Khan Museum Toronto. It is located a little outside of town, probably in a neighborhood you would not expect such a wonderful place. While most museums in Toronto are mere (and quite thin) collections, this one is really outstandingly designed and curated. It holds a collection of 1200 pieces representing a large variety of Islam cultures, and combines this with changing and carefully selected contemporary arts exhibitions, events and more. It has an amazing garden and is connected to The Ismali Center, where also guided tours are offered. The Aga Kahn Museum has the mission of “Through the arts, the Aga Khan Museum sparks wonder, curiosity, and understanding of Muslim cultures and their connection with other cultures”. And I think, it does that like no other. There was a book I liked, among many, while sitting in the sofas. It’s A companion to Muslim cultures (2011) by Amyn B. Sajoo. It was sold out at the (excellent) museum shop, unfortunately. So, I went to Amazon (not the river in Brasil, but the online book seller), and typed in something like “Muslim cultures …”. I found it somewhere on place 25 behind a string of books on Muslim terrorism. Yes, we need more museums like the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. Many more.