Seminar Beyond Orientalism, Ahmad Ibn Qasim Al-Hajari Between Europe And North Africa.

Pr.Oumelbanine Zhiri

Pr.Ali Benmakhlouf

November 7, 2024

UM6P Campus – Benguerir

The second lecture titled “Beyond Orientalism, Ahmad Ibn Qasim Al-Hajari Between Europe And North Africa.” will be held on November 7, 2024, will be presented by Prof. Oumelbanine Zhiri from University of California San Diego, UCSD). The seminar will talk about the theme : Ahmad ibn Qasim al-Hajari was Morisco, born in Spain around 1570, who made a life and career first in Marrakech, then in Tunis, where he died after 1640. He was an official in the Saadi makhzen, an envoy to Europe, a translator, and a writer, who produced a fascinating autobiography. His story and his cultural role are not only interesting in themselves, they also help understand the time in which he lived. Most importantly, they illustrate the exchange and interactions between the Maghreb and Europe in the early modern period, in terms of diplomatic, intellectual, and technical cultures. Ahmad al-Hajari is an emblematic figure of his time, who is now getting the attention he deserves. Through his life and work, one can go beyond the Orientalist views that still define our understanding of the relations between North Africa and Europe, and describe these connections in a more complex and balanced way