Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

Speaking in Syria, the Aga Khan called for new links between technology and Islam.

'Syria has demonstrated the power of Islam as a crucible for the spirit and the intellect, transcending boundaries of geography and culture. The Aga Khan celebrated a quarter century of his Awards for Architecture (AR November) at the Citadel in Aleppo late last year.

He was clear that 'his 'goal was to create an intellectual space' in which 'there will be no possibility of suffocation from the dying weeds of dogma, whether professional or ideological. Where the flowers of articulation and challenging ideas could grow without restraint. Where the new plants of creativity and risk-taking could blossom'.

The aim is to find how 'the profound humanistic tradition of Islam could inform the conception and construction of buildings and public spaces'.

'At its core', he said, is 'a message of opportunity, of potential, of hope.' He asked for greater understanding of the great plurality of the Muslim world, 'it is essential that we respect and value that plurality ... to build unity in diversity'. His Awards are intended to be 'an intellectual trampoline to generate ideas for building the future productively and constructively in terms that will be meaningful and beneficial to Muslims generally'.

Most of us were extremely puzzled when the first Aga Awards started to recognize humble works for poor people in the Third World and were given acclaim equal to buildings by world-renowned architects. In fact, the Awards' sensitive understanding of the relationships between people and their buildings, their public places and landscapes has greatly added to our understanding of what architecture is for.

The Awards undoubtedly give us another dimension of thought and criticism. The Aga argued that 'We need to achieve a better understanding of how dynamic cultures have and do lose their vitality, and to identify the potential new linkages between technical issues ... and the historical traditions of Islam'. The cultures of the West can learn. P. D.