Arabs and Jews
Sir: With regard to your review of the new Cambridge History of Islam (August 28) and in view of the present situation in the Middle East, it is strange to recall that at the peak of the Islamic civilization Arabs and Jews were working together in scholarly harmony: translating and interpreting the cultures of ancient Athens and Rome; and so bridging the intellectual gap caused by the neglect of the pagan classics during the period of the Dark Ages — a cultural collaboration that was eventually obliterated by the Inquisition. However, today, Jews and Arabs are once again working in intellectual harmony at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem outside the pale of politics, and exploring their joint heritage in the fields of science and medicine; while at the same time developing and applying both to the needs of the present. F. E. Isaac 124 Lexham Gardens, London W8
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