Madrid City Council has notified Casa Árabe of its eviction from the Escuelas Aguirre building, setting September 1 as the deadline. The decision has caused a clash with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which warns of serious damage to Spain's international image.
Madrid City Council, led by José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has informed Casa Árabe that it must vacate its headquarters at the Escuelas Aguirre before September 1. The eviction order has triggered a diplomatic conflict with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose head, José Manuel Albares, has already contacted the mayor to try to halt the measure.
According to municipal sources, the decision is based on the deterioration of the building, which they deem "unacceptable," and on the situation of the consortium following the exit of the Community of Madrid, announced in January and confirmed on June 29. The City Council argues that this exit activates a clause allowing it to reclaim the building's lease.
For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that the eviction would cause "serious damage to foreign policy, to Spain's international image, and to Madrid's international projection." Albares has described the decision as "incomprehensible to the governments and societies of our Arab friends" and has offered Almeida a meeting to seek a negotiated solution.
The conflict has transcended the municipal level. More than 300 intellectuals from 40 countries have signed a petition urging the authorities to revoke the order and ensure the continuity of Casa Árabe's cultural work at its historic headquarters. Among the signatories are former Jordanian Culture Minister Salah Jarrar, former Palestinian National Authority Minister Hisham Ali Abdel Razek, former Palestinian ambassadors Elias Sanbar and Muhammad Amro, as well as Iraqi musician Naseer Shamma and poets Qassim Haddad and Nouri Al Jarrah.
The initiative, led by the president of the World Forum of the Arabic Language (FOMLAR), Bahira Abdulatif, highlights that for two decades Casa Árabe has played "an exemplary role as a bridge between Spain and the Arab world," promoting "mutual understanding, intercultural dialogue, and academic, artistic, and scientific cooperation." The signatories argue that "in a time when misunderstanding, polarization, and exclusionary discourse are on the rise, institutions dedicated to culture and the meeting of peoples are more necessary than ever."
The Network of Cultural Spaces in Support of Emergency Situations (TEJA) has also expressed its "deep concern" over the eviction and has urged the Casa Árabe consortium to find "a solution for Casa Árabe to remain at the Escuelas Aguirre." In its statement, TEJA emphasizes that Casa Árabe has been "a meeting place between cultures" and "a reference for mutual understanding between Spain and Arab countries," warning that the loss of its historic headquarters would mean "a serious deterioration of an institutional heritage built over twenty years."
The network argues that "protecting cultural spaces also means protecting the people and communities that find in them a place for meeting, reflection, and shared creation." TEJA also points out that the Escuelas Aguirre is "one of the most emblematic examples of neomudéjar architecture in Madrid" and that its use by Casa Árabe reinforces "the symbolic value of a space where architecture, memory, and intercultural dialogue coexist."
On the political front, the opposition in the City Council, led by Más Madrid, has accused Almeida of practicing "cultural sectarianism" and jeopardizing a reference institution for "ideological reasons." The conflict has been addressed by Albares in a meeting with the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Madrid, who have expressed their concern over the decision. On July 23, the minister met with the ambassadors to discuss the matter, and this Tuesday he is scheduled to meet with Arab students from Casa Árabe at the Palacio de Santa Cruz.
The City Council defends that its decision aims to rehabilitate the building and allocate it for municipal use, although it has not yet specified what that purpose will be. The September 1 deadline for the eviction has opened a scenario of uncertainty regarding the future of an institution that organizes more than 300 activities a year and that, according to the petition signatories, constitutes "a top cultural asset for Spain and for the entire Arab world."
For now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains its willingness to engage in dialogue and hopes that the City Council will reconsider its stance. The cultural and diplomatic community remains mobilized to prevent Casa Árabe from losing its historic headquarters, a building that, in addition to its heritage value, symbolizes the meeting of cultures.
You may also like
