And so, the Grail was nothing other than the Black Stone of the Ka'aba, the central shrine of the world's last religion, purified judaeo-christianity, Islam. Makkah is named in the Qur'an as the Mother of Cities, and thus the 'birthplace of all nations' and the Ka'aba is named the 'primal shrine of all mankind'. Embedded in one corner of the Ka'aba stands the Black Stone which every muslim raises his lips to and kisses when he arrive dusty and exhausted as a pilgrim, kisses as if quenching his thirst. This is the extraordinary tale that Wagner has, partly despite himself, and partly aware, chosen to tell the world in his farewell revolutionary message. Both the Bey of Tunis and Abd al-Hamid II , Caliph of Islam, contributed to the foundation of Bayreuth, they had not yet heard Parsifal , but their hearts drew them to this most spiritual of men among men in an age of darkness. When Parsifal ends in its vast serenity, 'One of the most beautiful ...
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Maybe we should start a fund to give Mr. Sarkozy some geography lessons!
Except for Constantinople, a traditionally European/Chrsitian city until capture by Turkish/Muslim imperialists in 1453, the vast majority of Turkey is indeed in Asia, and it is wishful thinking - culturally, politically, and economically - for fashionable multi-culti leftists to pretend Turkey is as "European" as any of the EU states.
And Dennis, comments are very welcome on the path, name calling isn't - and I'm very strict on that one.