Muslims and Christians have far more in common than they have differences, Britain's Prince Charles said at the opening of an exhibition of Islamic art in London Thursday. 'So much attention is paid to the outward differences between faiths. Almost reflexively, this becomes translated into seemingly impenetrable divisions between people,' said Prince Charles, who has made the promotion of inter-faith understanding one of his main interests. 'People who - if they did but know it - are in fact linked by much and separated by little,' he said. The masterpieces on display at the Spirit and Life exhibition at London's Ismaili Centre bore witness to 'the close ties between the Abrahamic faiths,' he added. They were a reminder of the 'spirituality from which our faiths draw their real strength and of the heritage and traditions which we share.'
The exhibition, organized by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, features rare Islamic art and manuscripts never before seen in the Britain. It includes miniatures from Persian epic Shahnama (The Book of Kings) and an extremely rare copy of the Canon of Medicine of Ibn Sina which was used both in Europe and the Middle East as the standard medical textbook for more than 500 years.
The display, which mixes religious artefacts with secular exhibits, also features musical instruments, sculpture, pottery and paintings. The show presents treasures from the permanent collection of the Aga Khan Museum, which will open in Toronto, Canada in 2010. The Aga Khan said he hoped the exhibition would show the arts could transcend barriers between cultures.