Well, why a book? Moreover, on Arabs and the Muslim world? What's the use of it?

"It is not true that, in order to overcome cultural barriers, it is necessary to give up part of oneself. On the contrary, one must begin to make efforts to really get to know himself"

This quotation of Luca Doninelli, taken from "La polvere di Allāh", (The dust of Allāh) sheds light over one of the great truths which can be perceived in some of the best novels I had the pleasure to read while travelling in the Arab world. Besides "La polvere di Allah", The thousand and one nights, Tahar ben Jallun, and many essays on the magic world of sufism.

On the other hand, as the brilliant theosophist Hillman is quoted as saying: "we reckon to possess one foot only once we happen to find a pebble in our shoe". The diverse, be it by religion, language, or country, can only enrich us in the confrontation.

While proceeding towards an increasingly global society, rejection, fear, disapproval or obstinacy against a different and often unknown culture are becoming more and more meaningless. Indeed the unknown has always threatened stability. But today everything can be learned and investigated. Therefore fear loses its significance. This is the use of a book. To testify truths. Throughout an essay on art and sufism and the best contemporary muslim artists, and by interviewing the two authors, Gaia Serena Simionati and Ivan Ferrari, who have both been visiting almost all islamic countries, from Indonesia to Marocco, from Turkey to Egypt. Lands where Ivan Ferrari, entrepreneur and writer, achieved the goal of documenting the spirituality, generosity, deepness, emotivity, art and creativity of their people by means of intense and magic photographs. In front of Allāh. Before anything else. And then towards us, ready to start to know them.