Between Polemics, Pragmatism and Textual Ties: Dutch-Muslim Relations Through Arabic Scholarship, Trade and Diplomatic Missions in the Early Modern Times

The talk highlights Dutch perceptions of Islam and Muslims during the sixteenth-century Revolt against the Spanish Catholic monarchy, revealing a complex interplay of curiosity, fear, and pragmatic diplomacy. It highlights the role of the Ottoman Turks as both a religious and military threat and a model of religious tolerance, symbolized by the popular motto “Liever Turks dan Paaps” [Rather Turkish than Papist]. The establishment of Leiden University in 1575 marked a significant development in Arabic studies, with the arrival of the French humanist and Protestant convert Josephus Justus Scaliger (1540–1609) in 1593 further enhancing its reputation in classical and Arabic studies. Scaliger’s approach to Oriental Studies, focused on establishing a unified chronology across the East and West within a humanistic philological framework, shaped academic standards and perceptions during this period.

The paper investigates how the formal study of Arabic at Leiden influenced Dutch perceptions of Islam, examining the roles of scholars like Josephus Justus Scaliger and Thomas Erpenius (1584–1624),in shaping these perceptions. It explores how the incorporation of Arabic texts into academic curricula reflected broader trends in European orientalism and humanism, aiming to support Dutch trade relations and counter Islam by understanding its religious texts. The pragmatic and multifaceted Dutch approach to Islam is exemplified by the arrival of Moroccan diplomatic missions during the Twelve Years’ Truce (1609-1621).

Key questions addressed include the influence of the Catholic-Protestant confrontation on Dutch attitudes towards Islam, the persistence of changing perspectives within Dutch society through the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, and the broader socio-political and economic ambitions reflected in the scholarly pursuit of Arabic studies at Leiden University. The paper also examines encounters with Moroccan diplomats, such as the friendship between Jan Theunisz and ‘Abd al-‘Azīz b. Muhammad al-Taghlibī, and the detailed account of Aḥmad Ibn Qāsim Al-Ḥajarī, a Morisco who traveled through the Low Countries in 1613 and developed friendship with the Dutch orientalist Thomas Erpenius. Al-Ḥajarī’s autobiographical work, Nāṣir al-Dīn ala al-Qawm al-Kāfirīn [The Supporter of Religion against the Infidel], documents his experiences in a Calvinist environment, providing unique political, cultural, and religious insights of the Dutch Republic in particular.

By tracing the cultural intersections and geographic links embedded in these texts, the paper seeks to uncover the nuanced connections between local dynamics and global communities. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of texts in shaping and reflecting the multifaceted interactions between the Dutch Republic and the Muslim world during a pivotal era in early modern European and Islamicate history.

Umar Ryad is currently professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies and the head of the department of East Asian and Arabic Studies (Faculty of Arts- KU Leuven). Prior he has worked as assistant professor at the University of Leiden and as associate professor at Utrecht University. He earned a BA in Islamic Studies in English from Al-Azhar University in Cairo, followed by an MA degree in Islamic Studies and a PhD degree, both from Leiden University. His current research includes the dynamics of the networks of pan-Islamist movements, Arab reception of Orientalism, the European trans-imperial connections with the Hajj, transnational Islam in the modern world and the application of Digital Humanities to Arabic and Islamic Studies. He led a European Research Council (ERC) project which focused on the “History of Muslims in Interwar Europe and European transcultural history” (2014-2019). Ryad also taught at the universities of Bern and Oslo; and was a research fellow at the University of Bonn, the Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures and Societies (Free University of Berlin), the Leibniz Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO) in Berlin and the Leibniz Institute of European History (IEG) in Mainz. He is a board member of the Netherlands Interuniversity School for Islamic Studies (NISIS).