Fundación Mezquita de Sevilla Fundación Mezquita de Sevilla y Centro Cultural Islámico de Sevilla®
“We Andalusians want
Hymn of Andalusia
to return to be what we were,
men of Light that to men
soul of men we gave them.”
On the occasion of the approaching Andalusia Day, the Islamic Cultural Association “Blas Infante” of Almonte and the Seville Mosque Foundation, organized on Saturday, February 18, 2023, a cultural activity to bring the students of the Arabic school of Almonte, the life of Blas Infante, father of the Andalusian homeland, and the symbols that, in the Assembly of Ronda in 1918, were adopted as an expression of the Andalusian Provinces gathered there, that is, the Flag and the Coat of Arms of Andalusia.
The activity began at the same door, and inside the bus, where Mr. Estanislao Naranjo Infante, grandson of the notary of Cantillana, was exposed to all kinds of questions about the life of his grandfather and the meanings of the colors of the Andalusian flag and the coat of arms. The students were very accurate in their questions, and Mr. Estanislao, who had arranged this visit, at the request of Sidi Said M’fetah, director of the Arabic school, was very kind to the children, and told them the most important milestones of the childhood and youth of Mr. Blas. So before entering the enclosure, they had gone over the contents that were going to be developed inside, by the hand of the grandson himself. This proximity, this familiarity that all of us present perceived gave an endearing character to the whole tour through the different rooms and rooms, along with the patience and fair transmission of the monitors who guided us. Especially Alicia with the group of the youngest ones who put tenacity and patience throughout the tour.
As we entered Dar al Farah, looking at the group of children between 5 and 10 years old, I commented to Mr. Estanislao the number of boys and girls who had participated in this activity, to which he replied: “they are the future”.
At the time, one does not realize all that this means. But when, from a distance, the circumstances become clearer, one appreciates very outstanding meanings. Of course, they are the future, because they, who were born of day laborer and immigrant parents, are taking the referents of our culture, of our art, of our language. When I hear them speak, I who spent my youth linked to this town, I say, is that they are Almonteños. They are the future, because they will contribute to this land in which they live, not only from the work that their parents worthily perform, but the hope we have is that they will be doctors, engineers, teachers or entrepreneurs, people who give value and light to this land of beauty that is Andalucia. And they love it, with a solidary and overcoming look of the history as it has been told. They are the future because they are a reality in our entire country, from Punta Paloma to the Pyrenees.
At the end of this part, the students had a snack in the same premises, before leaving for the next meeting point: The Gold Tower, where they would take over from those who had led the first visit.
We descended to the zero level of the city, the Rio Grande. To understand the height that the city has had to develop to defend itself from the historical floods of the Guadalquivir. We explained the Torre del Oro, as a watchtower, entering the sandy areas from the defensive wall and how this wall, which we approached from the Torre de la Plata, also served as a retaining wall for the floods of the Guadalquivir. With much order and under the care of their teachers, Mrs. Hind Sbai, and Mr. Abdelkrim Abdelilah and Mr. Younes Charroud, we headed towards the Abdelaziz gate and through it, to the entrance gate to the Reales Alcazares, the Lion Gate. After organizing a group photo in the Plaza de Triunfo, the esplanade of the Khaldun in history, with the Neo-Gothic door of the Cathedral to the back and the Archivo de Indias to the right, we headed to see the minaret of the Yamia Mosque of Seville, the Giralda. At that time of day, two o’clock in the afternoon, the little ones were already beginning to show signs of tiredness, so we headed towards the headquarters of the Seville Mosque Foundation. We crossed almost without a break, from the Giralda to the Plaza del Pan, leaving the mosque of Ibn Adabbas on the left, and looking for the Encarnación to head towards Santa Catalina, which welcomed us with its splendid minaret, announcing that we arrived at the Plaza Ponce de León, where they would rest and appease the desire to eat that gives these long walks, with a very good cous-cous cooked especially for them, because half of the group was female. The fathers and mothers took advantage of the mousalla of our Foundation and, before serving the food, they prayed the midday prayer, accompanied by those who were already obliged to pray.
Lunch for the sixty of us who had gathered was served by a group of parent volunteers from the Foundation and some of our children who had come to help.
The final part of the day was more playful and open, appreciating the majesty of the Plaza de España and strolling through the Maria Luisa park.
Sidi Said told me that it was the first time in the history of his association that a trip had been organized with the children of the members of the Moroccan community of Almonte. And that if all went well, it would be the first of other visits that we could make together the two entities, and Mértola in Portugal appeared on the horizon.
Finally, we would like to thank the collaboration provided by the City Council of Almonte, which covered the cost of transportation, making possible the realization of this “historic” trip. A trip that has made us discover a living reality in our land and that deserves attention, appreciation and recognition.
Khalid Nieto, Vice President of the Seville Mosque Foundation, chronicler of the trip.
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