Persian Heritage
Persian Heritage Vol. 19, No. 74 Summer 2014 www.persian-heritage.com FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK 6 Persian Heritage, Inc. 110 Passaic Avenue Letters to Editor 8 Passaic, NJ 07055 E-mail: [email protected] NewS 9 Telephone: (973) 471-4283 The Farewell with Lotfi 9 Fax: 973 471 8534 Live Below the Line 11 Editor COMMENTARY Shahrokh Ahkami Iranians’ Role and Buddhism 12
Editorial Board (AliAsghar Mostafavi) Dr. Mehdi Abusaidi, Shirin Ahkami Raiszadeh, Dr. Mahvash Alavi Naini, How Social Stress Affects Immigrants to the United States 15 Mohammad Bagher Alavi, Dr. Talat Bassari, Mohammad H. Hakami, (Hassan Bakhtari) Ardeshir Lotfalian, K. B. Navi, Dr. Kamshad Raiszadeh, Farhang A. Sadeghpour, Mohammad K. Sadigh, Dr. David Yeagley. THE ARTS & Culture REVIEWS 18 Managing Editor HALLEH NIA Proud Achievements 19 advertising The Revolt of Babak Khoramdin (Kaveh Farrokh) 21 HALLEH NIA An Interview with Atesheh Firouz 24 * The contents of the articles and adver tisements in this journal, with the exception A Perpetual Paradigm.... (part two) 26 of the editorial, are the sole works of each individual writers and contributors. This maga (Davood Rahni) zine does not have any confirmed knowledge as to the truth and veracity of these articles. Interview with Dick Davis, (part one) 29 all contributors agree to hold harmless and indemnify Persian Heritage (Mirass-e Iran), (Brian Appleton) Persian Heritage Inc., its editors, staff, board of directors, and all those indi viduals directly associated with the publishing of this maga zine. The opinions expressed in these articles are the sole opinions of the writers and not the IMPORTANT Advertise journal. No article or picture submitted will be returned to the writer or contributor. All articles NOTICE submitted in English must be typed. * The appearance of advertising in this maga Your Business zine does not constitute a guarantee or en All written submissions to dorsement of the products by Persian Heritage. In addition, articles and letters published do not Persian Heritage with the ex reflect the views of this publication. or Services * Letters to the Editor should be mailed, faxed or pectation of publication in the e-mailed to the above addresses and numbers. The journal reserves the right to edit same for magazine must include the in space and clarity or as deemed appropriate. * All requests for permissions and reprints must writer’s name, address and be made in writing to the managing editor. telephone number. When an Published by article is submitted we assume Persian Heritage persian heritage, inc. A corporation organized for cultural and the author has complete owner literary purposes ship of the article and the right CALL Cover Price: $6.00 Subscriptions: $24.00/year (domestic); to grant permission for publica $30.00 & 50.00/year (International) tion. (973) 471-4283 Typesetting & Layout persian-heritage.com TALIEH PUBLICATIONS
Summer 2014 5 From the Editor’s Desk
With the summer issue of Persian Heritage, I am re- East has been in turmoil. Is it ironic or is their destiny because minded of the summer 2009 and the Green Movement in Iran. of their potential natural resources? This was a movement in which the Iranian people, young and Yes, the internet, social media and twitter have brought old, stood and fought to attain equality, freedom, the right to the people of the world closer together, creating a global choose their political system, the right to choose their religion, community. Despite instant media exposure the leaders in the right to choose their appearances, the right to speak freely, Iran continue, their path of destruction, making the life of the right of political and social expression, the right to freely the Iranian people more difficult and miserable. Inflation, publish, etc. Unfortunately, based on the release of a video poverty, lack of medicine, medical access, drug addictions and recording, by the head of the Sepah and his admissions, the other social difficulties have crippled the people, especially movement faced a “coup d’etat.” This resulted in the murder the lower and working class. These social concerns must be of many Iranian men and women and the arrests of several addressed! Remember the down fall of the people will impact of the movement’s leaders, journalists and intellectuals. As a their sovereignty and place Iran in a very dangerous situation. result the dreams of the youth, who believed there was a real Despite the world’s attention on these issues the Islamic chance for change and freedom were shattered. The glory days government officers, in the country, continue making the of that summer were followed by executions and oppression. argument that religion is the only way for Iranians to have After this came days of superficial freedoms and superficial peace. They insist that religion and their help is the only way change, provided by the regime. These “superficial” freedoms to pave a path to heaven. and changes, however, resulted in additional incarcerations According to the Imam Jomeh of Tehran, it is the respon- and executions which continue to rise. For many years Iran sibility of the political leaders to pave a path to heaven, for was in third place in the number of executions, following its people. He believes that if the Iranian people are given China and the United States. Today they are number one, freedom, that they will make the wrong choice, one that will certainly not a statistic to be proud of. put them directly on the path to hell. I have always believed, Remembering the days of the summer of 2009 I look or at least thought, that it is the government’s responsibility back at how the use of social media and the news media were to pave REAL roads, that lead to REAL destinations and used to cover this story. These new forms of instantaneous roads that are safe to travel, not FICTIONAL ones that lead communication, like an avalanche, brought this movement to “Heaven!” I have always believed, or at least thought, into our living rooms and to the attention of the world. Sadly, that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure the health the sudden death of Michael Jackson, during the same month, and welfare of its people, not to build a FICTIONAL path ended the movement’s media coverage and with that the to heaven! I have always believed, or at least thought that is movement lost the attention and the interest of the world. the government’s responsibility to create new jobs that al- Surprisingly, demise of the movement was similar to events low its citizens to develop new technology, ie: planes, cars, that took place during the Carter administration, when President buildings, not to build a FICTIONAL path to heaven! I have Jimmy Carter beautifully expressed his views to the people of always believed, or at least I thought that is the government’s the world, “Iran was an the ocean of tranquility, ” a few months responsibility to provide avenues of education for its citizens, prior to the 1979 Revolution. Within months, as if a bomb ex- not to build a FICTIONAL path to heaven! I NEVER BE- ploded, the revolution consumed Iran. Isn’t it ironic that Presi- LIEVED OR THOUGHT THAT IT WAS THE GOVERN- dent Obama, a few months before the Arab movement, also used MENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE ITS CITIZENS similar kind and calming words while addressing the Egyptians A PAVED AND DIRECT PATH TO HEAVEN. I BELIEVE in Egypt and Arabs of other nations. He labeled the movement THAT IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERN- the “Arab spring.” These kind and calming words were used MENT TO PROVIDE JOBS, SHELTER, MEDICINE ETC. and yet the upheavals continue throughout the Arab nations. TO ITS PEOPLE AND THAT RELIGIOUS GUIDANCE BE What good, I ask, has come from gentle words, destruction of TAUGHT, BY RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN RELIGIOUS IN- the political systems of Libya, Egypt, Syria, Tunisia and death STITUTIONS, MOSQUES, CHURCHES AND TEMPLES. of so many of their citizens? Throughout history, the Middle Interestingly, the Iranian president himself, while wear-
6 No. 74 F R O M T H E E D I T O R ’ S D E S K ing his religious attire, has stated many times “don’t meddle in peoples personal business, allow people to find their own path to heaven, one cannot force people to choose the heavenly path it should be by choice.” Yet the mullah argue with the president’s statement and threatens to use physical force to teach people the heavenly path. I suppose that by convincing and insuring the people that religion will help build a path to heaven for their people, secures their power. But 75 million Iranians young and old, will not listen to them. 75 million Iranians young and old know that their path to heaven is only paved by the freedoms they are denied, by their ability to be educated, by their ability to provide for their families and by their ability to secure a solid and respected place in the world community. 75 million Iranians know where to find God and know how God expects them to live! 75 million Iranians know that the mullah’s use of religion IS NOT a path to heaven, but rather their way of controlling them and staying in power. This reminds me of an old saying, “kindness and mischief the wise ones can control the people like sheep and cut their throats with a butter knife.” Like these words the religious leaders will try to herd their citizens like cows and sheep, to THEIR “promise land.” This kind of herding brings back a memory of my child- Nahid Pourshabanan, Iranian Taolu athlete in girls Nan Dao with hood. It was a time when milk pasteurization was not fully point 9.22 and won first gold medal for Iran caravan. implemented in Iran. The locals would herd their own cows for milk to avoid diseases from outside cows. These cows were Happy Birthday well taken care of. Vets would come several times a year to clear them of any disease. I remember we hired a young boy “Persian Heritage”! to take out the cow during the summer time to graze the land. Initially I thought it was a great job and initially envied him. I am very proud of my brother, Shahrokh Ahkami. I remember the first couple of weeks the boy had a difficult He is doing such a wonderful job in opening the eyes of time convincing the cow to leave its comfortable stable. By our younger generation to Iranian culture and wonderful the third week, much to my surprise, the cow was well trained. history... to know and understand Iran’s past , present and The cow simply left her stable, with head pointed straight and future... and for introducing them to Iranian known and followed the boy. I asked him how he accomplished this and unknown artists, scientists, writers, models, journalists, he told me by convincing the cow with a bit of a mental and musicians, actors,designers, poets and more and more. physical beating. Just look at this magazine, Persian Heritage, and be proud I am in no way trying to compare people to animals. of who you are and what you have. People like animals, however, are also innocent. And, like the Behzad Ahkami innocent cow who gave milk to us, fed us and so kindly took care of us became a slave to our needs, the Iranian people too, so innocent, are becoming slaves to the religious preaching of their leaders. This is very dangerous. I wish my fellow Iranians nothing but peace, prosperity and freedom. God has already given them the gift of kindness and intelligence. It is they who must continue to fight for earthly leadership, that Special announcement: will guide them back into the path of reality. NOT earthly leadership that wants to build a path of control. They must Contact our know and believe that with all their wisdom and intelligence they should never be forced or condemned to follow the path California based Advertising Agent paved by someone else, but rather their own path to freedom and respect. for your ads. 973 471 4283
Summer 2014 7 l e t t e r s t o e d i t o r The splendid journal strategy, the authority is no substitute for penetrating influenceُ Douste Daneshmand va Aziz, Dr. Mossadegh and the Shah. Just a few words to thank you for so kindly publishing my As a student at Abadan Institute of Technology during l950- article on the Azarbaijan Crisis of 1946. It was a pleasure and 53 and an active participant in the nationalization movement I saw an honor to have been associated with your splendid journal. how the communists, under the guise of nationalism, weakened I was interested to read Behruz Boroumand’s letter in your and damaged a natural movement and managed, in the course latest issue, where he mentions his recollections of our collabora- of time, to subvert a powerful pent up demand for sovereignty. tion before the Islamic revolution. The rest may appear in the next issue of the Persian Heritage. Finally, I am so glad that you plan to get in touch with M. Reza Vaghefi, Ph.D. Atesheh Firouz regarding the Caspian pony and the life of her late mother Louise Firouz (Laylin). Louise’s adventure of discovery MAGAZINES APPRECIATED is truly fascinating and deserves to be more widely known. Dear Editor: Just for your interest, John Laylin (father of Louise) was Thank you very much for the magazines, which gave me the probably the most prominent international lawyer in Washington opportunity to appreciate the beauty of Negar Ahkami’s paintings in the mid-1940s. My father, as Iranian Ambassador in Wash- and the message they carry. ington, retained his services and those of his firm, Covington & In Vol. 18, no71, page 28 (in English), besides my husband’s Burling, to help in constructing a case at the UN Security Council, photography, you put a picture of his master book “Tavalodidi- against the Soviet Union, which remained in occupation of north- gar.” This was a very generous idea. However, that edition is western Iran well after World War II hostilities ceased. This was unknown to me and is an unauthorized one. It is the work of how I came to be acquainted with John Laylin’s children, John, someone who has made a business out of it, without any consid- Louise and David, all of whom spent many years in Iran. Louise eration for the writer’s work. I am not blaming you at all. I just of course married Narcy Firouz, son of General Mohammad- wanted to mention it and let you to know with what we have had Hossein Firouz in the 1970s. to deal with for thirty years, and more as far as I am concerned. With my renewed thanks and kind regards, Your “sokhanrani” was very interesting indeed. Fereydoun Ala Sincerely yours, Claudine Shafa
CASPIAN PONY impressed with your grandson Dear Editor: I was quite impressed with your grandson Ryan. His keen I read the article about the Caspian Pony, in the Spring edi- interest in the Persian culture and history is impressive. I have tion of your publication. Louise Laylin Firouz was my sister. She two grandchildren that are much younger than Ryan and I hope is buried on her property at Ghara Tapeh Sheikh, near Kalaleh, to instill the same interest in our culture that you have done with in the Turcoman Steppe.Her son, Caren, and younger daughter, your grandson. Atesheh, have Caspians and were recently invited to judge a I have a two part response to your Editor’s Letter. First, is Caspian pony competition in Bandar Enzeli. the beautiful story you shared about Ryan. It concerns me greatly A book of Louise’s memoirs was recently published by that Persian culture, history and achievements have been lumped Brenda Dalton and is called Riding Through Revolution. in with the Arabs. Ryan’s school and teacher are not to blame for Regards, David Laylin this grievous error in the curricula but rather the writers of the textbook must be reprimanded. Yet, it is disheartening to know Commentary on that our educators and schools are so ill informed. We should Dr. Mossadegh’s Achievements contact them with the correct information or we will have no one I am indebted to Mr. Diba’s clarification and in-depth histori- to blame but ourselves as you point out in your letter. cal background on the “Capitulation” issue. Obviously my com- You have alerted this grandfather to be on the lookout for ments did not go far enough to offer the extent of Dr. Mossadegh’s false information being fed to our children and grandchildren. I struggle with colonial agents. I am aware of his constant friction hope all the grandparents pay attention to this important lesson. with British and other foreign officials who assumed that they had Sincerely, David A. Yazdan some extraterritorial authority in dealing with Iranian officials. In a subsequent paper, in progress right now, I will elaborate the factors that nullified early achievements of Dr. Mossadegh Mother at the International Court in Hague, as well as later at the UN When can I hear Security Council. But the full force of the British government, Your melodious voice which still considered herself one of the powers inheriting the When can I see Your kind look benefits of WW II was at work from the very outset stating that When can I stare at they cannot do business with Mossadegh’s government. Never Your lovely face in Iranian history had only one man gained so much grass-root You That alas! and nation-wide support. But the British had decided that they would not succumb to Dr. Mossadegh’s demand for full rec- Passed away ognition of the law nationalizing the entire oil industry. In the Many years ago following paper these factors will be discussed: early coalition You That are buried of forces and its collapse, local agents and their effectiveness Under tons of soil….. in neutralizing the national movements, the destructive role of Majid Kafaï (Ottawa,11 May 2014) the communist party, charisma not a substitute for structure and
8 No. 74 N E W S Mohammadreza Lotfi
The Farewell with the Great Maestro of the Persian Classic Music and Tar Virtuoso
TEHRAN – Tar and tion in Shiraz in 1976 and the United States in 1986, record his arrangements of setar virtuoso Moham- their joint performances and a few years later all the traditional Iranian pieces. madreza Lotfi, who had were warmly received at bands broke up. He per- His colleagues and sev- collaborated with promi- the event. formed widely in concerts eral officials offered their nent Iranian vocalists Shortly afterward, he in countries across Asia, condolences over the death Mohammadreza Shajarian established the Sheida Europe, and North America of Lotfi. and Shahram Nazeri, died band along with tar virtuo- in this new stage of his life. “The sage of Iranian of cancer at Tehran’s Pars so Hossein Alizadeh and a However, he returned music left us,” Deputy Cul- Hospital May 2nd at the number of other musicians home in late 2006 after ture Minister for Artistic age of 68. to remake some works by 20 years and reopened the Affairs Ali Moradkhani Born in Gorgan, he Iranian music luminaries. Mirza Abdollah Music said in a message. moved to Tehran and Composer and santur School and the Ava-ye “He made great efforts began learning music from player Parviz Meshkatian Sheida Institute recording to create eternal works in masters like Ali-Akbar joined the group to set up company. Persian music,” he added. Shahnazi and Habibollah the Aref Ensemble in 1977. He also gathered a num- “People of Iran felt grief Salehi at the Academy of Many analysts believe that ber of female musicians to over the death of their be- Music. the two bands revolution- found the Women’s Sheida loved memories and lives,” He then completed his ized Persian music. and he struggled to elimi- Hossein Alizadeh said. studies with other maestros They also founded the nate Iran’s prohibition on “He was one of the like Nurali Borumand, Chavosh ensemble, which solo vocal performances by sources of Iranian music Abdollah Davami and Saeid created many memorable women. and a link between the old Hormozi. Lotfi, Shajarian, works during the 1970s In addition, he estab- and new generations of and Nasser Farhang came and early 1980s. lished the Sheida of Resto- music,” vocalist Alireza together at the Art Celebra- Lotfi left Iran to live in ration band to perform and Qorbani stated.
9 No. 74 N E W S
Temple of Mithras SOLAR CAR CHALLENGE This summer a group of Iranian students will be ven- turing across America to participate in the American Solar Challenge. It takes place in July and the Iranian team is managed by Professor Beitollah Akbari. The team is made up of 19 students and teachers and their car which is fu- eled by the sun.The car, known as the Havin-2, or Brilliant Sun was already tested in Iran , in the hopes that it will make the American journey. The car’s predecessor, the Havin-1, ranked 17th in the 2011 World Solar Challenge in Australia. In charge of the electronic part of this project is Farkhondeh Naziri, a woman and is from Qazvin Azad University. “Our young scholars and university students can sig- nificantly contribute to Iran’s economic growth, particu- larly in the field of clean energies that can help us reduce This amazing ancient creativity to the world. dependency on oil. Especially now that our country is in Roman temple was acci- In order to allow recon- dire need of cutting off reliance on energies derived from dentally unearthed as part struction work to continue oil by all means,” said Professor BeitollahAkbari. of reconstruction work un- the site was excavated, ar- Transportation expert Masoud Mohajer said solar dertaken on Walbrook Street tefacts were placed in the energy could potentially be a good investment for the in the city of London after Museum of London and the government, given that the country has more than 300 World War Two. temple itself was moved. sunny days a year to power the cells. Dedicated to the Persian It was elevated and “As Iran cuts energy and fuel subsidies, solar energy, god of light and sun, temples placed on public view. which is available almost all across the country, will be a such as this mithraea were The are plans to move good alternative,” he said. typically built partly or to- the temple from Temple tally underground. Court, Queen Victoria Street The reason for this is returning it to its original lo- that they were intended to cation below ground off the symbolise the cave where Walbrook River as part of the Mithras brought down the Walbrook Square develop- primordial bull and thus ment by Norman Foster and released powers of life and French architect Jean Nouvel.
Iranian President Donates $400,000 to Jewish Hospital VOA News, February 06, 2014 Iranian news agencies report that President Has- san Rouhani has donated $400,000 to a Jewish hospi- tal in Tehran. Rouhani was quoted as saying his govern- ment will pay more attention to Iran’s minorities. Middle East outside Israel. The Dr. Sapir Charity President Rouhani’s Hospital was founded by promise to attend to the and is operated by Jews, but needs of Iranian Jews is a treats all patients and has a sharp contrast to his pre- large Muslim staff. decessor Mahmoud Ah- At least 25,000 Jews madinejad, who denied the live in Iran.It is the largest Holocaust and called for Jewish population in the Israel’s destruction.
10 No. 74 N E W S Humbled, grateful, thank- through these 10 days. I am ful, guilty, blessed: just a few Live Below the Line honored to have such amazing, of the sentiments I have felt caring people in my life. These over the past 10 days while Leila Manii last 10 days were honestly real- partaking in the “Live Below ly hard -- mentally, physically, the Line” challenge. Living on “Surely” the homeless people, basic needs or well-being, not emotionally -- to get through. $1.50 per day for food/water the homeless men, women, being able to take care of your- Starving yourself really gets has been quite the experience and children of New York self, or your loved ones -- these to you. But on that note: I did (two fainting stints included). City, do not live under such are not “practical” situations. this by choice. For 1.2 billion Hunger hurts, point blank. extreme situations. Whether or Poverty is not a practical situ- people (and rising) -- this is Over the course of 10 days, I not this is true, I cannot factu- ation. Poverty is Real. I took their reality. In whichever way subsisted on tap water, 1 cup ally verify. Homeless people on this challenge as a means to that we have stumbled upon it, of oatmeal (oatmeal bought in in New York, in LA, in Europe spread awareness to as many we are all “blessed” to have bulk and from KMart), and 2 -- in any First World country, people as possible. Not only the good fortunes that we do apples each day (bought cheap might not necessarily live in to spread awareness, but us (IE. enough money to provide from the bodegas/street carts such extreme situations of all (myself included) to un- for ourselves, our loved ones). outside my office building). $1.50 per day. However, what derstand the Reality of the Definite wake up call that peo- Not much at all. This experi- about those even less fortunate situation (these are two very ple around the world (outside ment, this experience, was than the poor at home ? As in, different things). of our “bubble”) Might have eye-opening to the realities those people who live in sec- I initially set out in hopes and/or face more serious, fatal that more than 1.2 Billion peo- ond, third world countries ? to raise just $1000 in fundrais- problems on the regular day- ple (17% of the world popula- Countries that might be over- ing for Global One. At nearly to-day than we in the First tion) live each day. populated, under-developed, $2600, I am touched and over- World do (IE: the 4/5/6 metro Many people were con- or both ? Chad, India, Mexico, whelmed -- not only at those is delayed again; dry-cleaning fused as to the practicality be- Indonesia, the Congo, and the of you who were generous is not ready; Starbucks line is hind my taking on this chal- list goes on. enough to donate to the cause too long; et cetera -- I myself lenge: New York City is one I did not take on this chal- (for which I am deeply thank- am guilty of having com- of the most expensive cities in lenge out of “practicality”. Not ful), but also for all of the kind, plained of such “First World the world to live in, after all. being able to take care of your encouraging words of support Problems”....)
Summer 2014 11 C O M M E N T A R Y In the six century BCE and simultaneously with the forma- translated his two books into the Chinese language and bestowed tion of the Achaemenid Dynasty in Iran many Indians abandoned them to followers of Buddha in China. their homes and wandered as monks into deserts and jungles. Besides these two princes, a number of Parthian followers of Their purpose from such wandering life was to lead a religious Buddhism traveled to China from east of Iran during the end of life in order to get rid of all the pains that mortals are doomed the Parthian period and preached that religion. Among these one to suffer. One of these monks was Gautama or Buddha whose can name T. An Wan Ti, an Iranian worshipper of Buddha, who real name was Sidarta. translated several Parthian books into Chinese in 254 A.D. in Luing. It didn’t take a long time for the followers of Buddhism to An Fagin, another famous Iranian Buddhist monk, wrote spread all over India. During the reign of Ashuka, an Indian king several books in Chinese language but his books have been lost. of Parsi descent, who ruled the Indian subcontinent from 273 to Fagin was another Iranian missionary who preached Bud- 236 A.D. he became a convert to Buddhism like Goshtasb the Ira- dhism and wrote several books in Chinese of which two books nian supporter of Zoroastrian religion or Constantine who laid the have survived. foundation of Christianity in Rome. After that Buddhism crossed As to why these names were not Iranians it was because the Indian borders and the domain of Buddha preachers stretched foreign preachers elected Chinese names in China but affixed the to Kashmir and Qandehar and Kabul from the Indian northwestern name of their homeland to their Chinese names as a distinction. As borders. Later on the religion spread to the Jeyhoon Sea and greater we can see the Iranian preachers were called by adding the prefix Khorassan and Balkh and Bukhara and eventually to the Persian “An” to their names because the Parthians or Arsacids were called empire. It did not take a long time by the Iranian Buddhist converts An Shi in Chinese or An Suk in Japanese and since the letter “r” to build a magnificent temple in Balkh and many of these temples was not spelled out in the Chinese language, the word “Arsacid” flourished until the thirteenth century A.H. (19th century A.D.). or “Ashk” was shortened to “An” in that language. In a book written by Alexander Polyhistor 80 or 60 years In the eastern Iranian empire Buddhism greatly influenced before the birth of Christ he speaks about Buddhism, mysticism and recent excavations in present Afghani- its relation with Iran and specially Balkh and gives stan have revealed that influence to the world, but detailed account about Shamans in Balkh1. it does not prove whether Buddhism influenced This reminds us that during the first the official Mazdian religion in the central, century A.D. Balkh was famous with western or southern Iran. Even if it did, Buddhism temples and a large Religion in Iran there is no evidence available to that number of Iranian citizens in effect today. But as we can clearly Balkh were followers of that see below, Buddhism greatly in- faith and preached and propa- Iranians’ Role fluenced mystical sects in east of gated Buddhism. Iran after the birth of Islam. In the In the same manner that same way the influence of Bhud- the Iranian scholars contributed in Expansion of dism is visible in Manichaeism, greatly to the propagation of which was considered as one of Islam after its birth, many cen- Buddhism the official religions of the Sassa- turies before Islam they propa- nid empire for a number of years. gated Buddhism in the eastern part Also we do not know how By: Dr. Ali Asghar Mostafavi of the Persian empire and wrote many many Iranians were converted into books about it. Buddha worshippers by the missionaries of What we can gather from Chinese text- Ashuka, an Indian king, who was a Buddhist. books proves that the propagation of Buddhism in But history says that during the reign of Kanishka, that country 67 years before the birth of Christ was due the Indian king of Kushan Dynasty, Buddhism reached to the exertions of Parsi missionaries and monks. One can even its peak and many Buddha temples were built throughout the east- see the name of a Parthian prince called An Shi Kao among these ern Iranian borders some of which survived until second, third, and missionaries who is said to have been a learned prince and skilled fourth century A.H. It is well known that the giant Buddha statue in many branches of science and industry. This Parthian prince in Bamian, Afghanistan, which is gravely threatened by fanatic was very keen to learn the language and religious books of other Taliban militia (they destroyed the biggest Buddha statute in the nations and after the death of his father, depressed with the life of country) was built during the time of Kanishka3. mortals in a passing world, bestowed the crown to his uncle and Buddhism which gradually stopped its spread in parts of sought seclusion and mental contemplation. He then studied the Transoxiana during the end of the Sassanid Dynasty, for a long Buddhism doctrines and the mortifications of the monks’ ascetic time preserved its strongholds in Bukhara, Balkh, Qandehar and life. In 148 A.D. he arrived in Luing, the capital of China, and Kabul. According to Hodud-ulAlam written in 372 A.H. Kabul preached the Buddhism religion until 170 A.D. During this time possessed an idol temple that Raj Ghanouj visited as a pilgrim he wrote a book on Buddhism principles and translated the sacred from India. Raj Ghanouj used to receive the scepter of his kingship Buddhism books into Chinese language2. from the monks of that temple4. Also during the time of Noshakhi, An Huvan was another prince from the Parthian tribe who the chronicler of the History of Bukhara (who died in the year 348 has been praised for his good morals and motives. An Huvan also A.H.), Bukhara possessed a market which was known as the idol preached Buddhism in China and grew so famous in virtue that worshipers district, where idols were sold to customers5. was appointed as a colonel of the cavalry by the Chinese emperor. This enraged the Muslims who put the town on fire which This Iranian prince became known as Prince An or Colonel An in burnt for three days and razed it to the ground because until that China. Along with Yen Fo Tao, another Chinese scientist, An Huvan time Buddhism was the official religion of the citizens of Bukhara.
12 No. 74 C O M M E N T A R Y According to Noshakhi many of the idol temples in Bukhara and Takharestan state in present Afghanistan, were Buddha worship- Bikand and other cities were plundered and burnt by Hojjaj’s army6. ers until the fourteenth century A.H. and were eventually converted The gradual advance of Islam in Transoxiana limited the into Islam by Amir Abdolrahman Khan (1844-1901) and their state operation of Buddha missionaries and preachers and put a halt to was named Noorestan or the realm of light10. the spread of that religion but the impact of Buddhism principles Barmakians were one of the biggest and oldest tribes of Ira- has survived among the mystic sects and part of Islamic scholars7. nian scholars and rulers among whom several dignitaries served Referring to Balkh, the writer of Turkestan Nameh says: as ministers for the Abbassid caliphs. The Barmakian tribe which “Balkh was the most ancient city in the Amu Darya region. Muslim dwelt in Khorassan were followers of Buddha before the birth of writers have rightly called Balkh the mother of cities. Islam. Because of being the guardians of the well known Now Ba- Balkh had been the capital of semi-mythological Bacteria har Temple in Balkh, the Barmakians had accumulated enormous which was later converted into a western Satrap (Bacterian Satrap) wealth from donations made to the temple and were envied by the of the Achamenid Dynasty and during the time of Darius, Marvi- caliphs in Baghdad. Their wealth and strength and reputation insti- ania (or Marv district) was part of that territory.” gated the caliph in Baghdad to find a pretext to destroy them and According to Islamic historiographers Balkh was the resi- confiscate their property. At last they found a pretext to attack them dence of one of the four governors of Khorassan during the by alleging that Jafar, the Barmakian king had unlawful relation- Sassanid Dynasty8. ship with the sister of the Abbassid Malek-ul Shoara Bahar9 says: caliph, and under such provocation “Undoubtedly during the fifth cen- they massacred the Barmakian tribe tury A.D. and a little after that a and seized their properties. great part of Iranian eastern territo- The term Baramakeh or Bar- ries were converted into Buddhism. maki in this tribe is derived from It is therefore not strange for some Parmookhia in Sanskrit language Buddhist scholars to have said that which means a head (which is the the religion of Buddha had stretched customary title of the custodians of to Aloub islands, Mecca and Yemen the Now Bahar Temple in Balkh). and part of Saebeh and Haranians In his Albaldan, IbneFaqid- and Hanfa were followers of that Hamedani says: “Before turning to faith. These Buddha worshipers ex- feudal the Barmakians enjoyed high isted until the end of the Sassanid position and reputation and were period and early centuries of the idol worshippers. The citizens of Islamic period. Buddhist priests Mecca had told them about the cus- had strong influence in Khorassan tom of the Qoraish tribe and Arabs and after them the Manichians and in Mecca who worshipped the idols later on the Zoroastrians held the in Kaaba. This induced the Barmak- majority. The coins surviving from ians to build a rival giant idol temple the Sassanid kings of Khorassani in Balkh. They called this temple descent show that during that time the Now Bahar Temple or the new Mani, Buddha and Zoroaster were temple. They respected the temple worshipped in Khorassan province and presented gifts to the temple and but the Buddhists held the majority.” adorned it with silk and ornamented Baharats or Buddha idol tem- the dome with flags. The dome of the ples which were called Now Ba- temple was 100 x 100 gaz (one gaz is har in Balkh, and Beit-ul Sanam in about 93 cm) in size. 360 nosegays Bamian, existed after the emergence (cells) were constructed around the of Islam and a long time after that. temple in which the temple’s ser- Each year Buddhist pilgrims from vants and guards dwelt. Each day China and Khotan used to visit the one servant served the temple and sacred Buddha temples in Khoras- thus in one year 360 servants served san and right now the dungeons in Bamian, Afghanistan, point to the temple by turn so that each servant worked one day in the year. that period of the history. The grand custodian of the temple was called Barmak or a custo- Zandbils, the kings of Zabolestan and Sind who have been dian from Mecca or ruler of Mecca. Thus those who were appointed erroneously called Zanbils or Zantbils in ancient Persian manu- as the custodian of the Now Bahar Temple were called Barmaks.” scripts (the last of whom was slain during the third century A.H. The kings of China and Kabul also worshipped idols and by Yaqoub, the Safari ruler), were Iranian Buddha worshipers and whenever they traveled to the Now Bahar Temple they worshipped the remnants of Indo-Sakkidynasty which stretched from Sistan the grand idol. Thus all the properties surrounding the Now Bahar to Punjab. They were Sakkis of Aryan origin who have presently Temple and seven hundred villages in the Takharestan region abandoned their former religion, are living in India and are known known as Zavan which was 8 x 4farsangs in size were owned by as Sekkeh or Sikhs. These were Buddhist immigrants who migrated the Barmakis. All these villages were ruled by Barmaki headmen. from Sistan to India and after settling in Punjab they called them- Their sway continued until the time of Othman, the caliph, when selves Singe, Segeh, Sek or Sikh. Khorassan was conquered by Ibne Offan. The residents of Kafarestan state, located southeast of When Khorassan was taken the grand custodian of the Now
Summer 2014 13 C O M M E N T A R Y Bahar Temple was Barmak, the father of Barmak and grandfather spring the temple was adorned with beautiful flowers. For that of Khalid. reason the temple was called Now Bahar. It was in that season According to Masoodi Now Bahar, the giant temple in Balkh that pilgrims flocked to the temple from all over Iran. The temple was called Mah Bonyad during Manouchehr Shah11. At that time was capped with a dome called Asten that was 100 gaz (nearly the custodian of the temple was greatly respected by the kings 93 meters) high and was adorned by flags. Many pilgrims from and all the citizens obeyed his orders and presented much prop- Kabul and Indo-China visited the temple, worshiped the idol erty and money to that idol temple. As we said the custodians of and kissed the hands of the Barmak or the grand custodian of the temple were called Baramakeh and Khalid Barmak was the the temple.”14■ last custodian of the temple. This was a very lofty building and adorned by spears on which green silk was hung. Footnote YaqootHamavi (539-626 A.H.) relates a lengthy story from 1. The History of Iranian People Before Islam, AbdolhusseinZar- Omar Iibne Azraq Kermani about Now Bahar12. Qazvini and Mo- rinkub, p. 389. hammad Ibne Mahmoodibne Ahmad Toosi have also described 2. Pashts, Vol. 2, by Professor Poor Davood, p. 31. the temple like that written by Hamavi. 3. Iran in Ancient Times, by JavadMashkoor, pp. 377 and 315. The following inscription was written on the gate of the 4. Hodud-ulAlam, p. 2393. Now Bahar Temple: “Buddha says the courts of the kings need 5. The History of Bukhara, p. 29. wisdom, patience and money.” Under that inscription an Arabic 6. The History of Bukhara, p. 62. script says: “Buddha is in the wrong because a man who possesses 7. The History of Iranian People Before Islam, AbdolhusseinZar- one of these qualifications would never agree to be a vassal in rinkub, p. 159. 8. Turkestan Nameh by IbneKhordad, translated by QarehJanloo, p. 17. the court.”13 9. Mehr magazine, first year, 3rd. issue, p. 227. The second part of Hamavi’s chronicle depicts other aspects 10. Al-baldan, by Ibne-ulFaqidHamedani, translated by H. Masood, of Iranian influence on Buddhism and the impact of Buddhism p. 172. on the Iranian civilization. 11. Rooh-ulMazaheb, translated by AbolqasemPayandeh, vol. 1, p. “The religious custodian of the Now Bahar Temple was 589. called a Barmak and the Barmakians descended from these priests 12. Ma’jam-ulBaldan, Beirut edition, 1957, vol. 5, p. 307. and inherited the title from generation to generation. Now Bahar 13. Ajayeb-ulMakhlooqat, edited by ManoochehrSotoodeh, p. 279. Temple was constructed to compete with the Kaaba in Mecca. 14. Historical Geography of Eastern Caliphate Lands, Guy Listering, Its walls were adorned by precious jewels and covered by gold translated by MahmoodErfan, 1958, p. 447. embroidered curtains. On many occasions and especially during *** Note: This article is the courtesy of CAIS at SOAS.
14 No. 74 C O M M E N T A R Y recent wave of immigrants to the United Qualification How States, which began with the passage of and Exclusion: border-opening legislation in 1965, has Immigrants from Mexico were ex- been dominated by arrivals from Latin cluded from this study. The main reasons Social Stress America (about 50% of the total) and Asia for this exclusion are twofold: (27%). Each of these individuals, even A: The sheer number of Mexicans those who visit as a tourist, experience living in the United States of America. It is Affects some type of stress and tension. reported that at least over 20 million Mexi- The following is the composition of cans (legal and not authorized) are living U.S. immigrants by region: (as reported by in the United States. In 2010 Mexican the United States Census Bureau in 2010, immigrants represented 29% of all U.S. Immigrants to expressed in million): immigrants, which equaled to 4% of the United States total population. Therefore, Asia 11,284 any statistical analysis and conclusion will the United States Africa 1,607 be dominated by immigrants from only Europe 4,817 one country. Latin America & Caribbean 21,224 B: The geographical proximity of By: Hassan Bakhtari, Ph.D. All Other 1,044 Mexico to the United States. Mexico Total 39,976 shares thousands miles of borders with Introduction: The following are the top five coun- the United States, which makes the travel The topic of stress and its effect on tries where immigrants to the U.S. come and movement less stressful. Long bor- human behavior has only recently be- from: (as reported by the United States ders with states of California and Texas, come a topic of interest to researchers. Census Bureau in 2010): in particular, enable Mexicans to travel Until the mid-1970s, research on stress Mexico 11,798,258 and emigrate to the U.S. with a less ten- was essentially confined to its effect on Puerto Rico 4,623,716 sion compared with individuals traveling health and was conducted by individuals China 2,422, 970 from other countries who sometimes wait in the medical profession. In recent years, India 1,855,705 for a US visa for many months and years. stress has become a social phenomenon, Philippines 1,814,875 which impacts peoples’ health as well Vietnam 1,253,910 Data Collection: as behavior. This phenomenon becomes The form, duration, and severity of A total of 62 immigrants were inter- more compounded by the amount of relo- stress on people who relocate to the United viewed or received the questionnaire. The cation, movement and changes mandated States of America varies, and is largely data analysis is broken in two categories: by today’s social, political and economic considered unavoidable. The problem Personal Data and Stress Data. Table A situations. People involved in these situ- becomes more serious when those indi- summarizes the collected data. Out of ations seek alternatives and, for the most viduals have already experienced other all stress factors provided by the study part, relief. While they work to achieve forms of stress totally unrelated to their subject, 11 categories were common in their goals, a series of unplanned and relocation. Often, the separation of those all respondents. Table B summarizes the unexpected events can occur which can two events becomes difficult. Those immi- result of responses in order of importance. result in added tension, stress and anxiety. grants must deal with a new culture as well Obviously, residents of the most as their own cultural impediments, which Table A: Personal Data industrial countries, such as the United usually results in more stress and tension. Category Number of Individuals /% of Total States of America, are more exposed Gender to stress and tension. It is believed that Purpose of this Study: Male 38 62 stress is less severe in non-industrialized The purpose of this study is to review, Female 24 38 countries. examine, and identify those elements (stressors), which cause stress to immi- Background: grants in the United States of America. Historically, the United States of America has been regarded as “the land Research Method: of immigrants.” Regardless of recent A combination of personal interviews economic, political and social changes, and a questionnaire forms the basis of this the United States of America continues study. The questionnaire is formatted into to admit millions of people from other two parts. Part A is designed to collect countries every year. The United States is relevant personal data such as gender, age, by far the world’s leader as a destination country of birth, and marital status. Part B for immigrants. A total of 39.9 million aims to collect data regarding the elements immigrants represented 12.9% of the to- that have resulted considerable stress to tal U.S. population in 2010. Immigrants the immigrant. In the interview process, to the United States include a variety of the interviewee is requested to identify at categories such as immigrants, refugees, least five (5) events or situations which political asylees, visitors and students. The caused him/or her most stress.
Summer 2014 15 C O M M E N T A R Y Age The focus below is on analyzing the stress tember 11, 2001 felt ‘un-welcome and 18-25 14 23 data. The stressors, which were common isolated.” This group felt the cultural dif- 26-39 26 42 with most immigrants will be reviewed ference more than other groups living in 40 & Over 22 35 and analyzed in order of importance. As the United States. applicable, direct statements, quotations, Immigrants from Europe and Central Region of Origin and memories of immigrants collected America seem to be somewhat familiar Middle East 26 42 in the interview process will be briefly with American culture and appears to cope Asia 20 32 presented. better with this problem. An Iranian im- South & Central America migrant stated “culture shock was very 14 23 Language Barrier: stressful. By culture shock, I mean a dras- Europe 2 3 The language barrier is considered tic change in way of living and doing day- the most stressful factor for immigrants. to day routines.” Most immigrants stated Marital Status This stressor consists of two parts: knowl- that dealing with the culture differences Married 34 55 edge of the English language and knowl- was more difficult than dealing with chal- Single 16 26 edge of the American accent. Immigrants lenges associated with learning English Divorced/Separated 12 19 from India, Europe, and Australia experi- language. A few immigrants maintained ence more difficulties with the American that “learning English was achievable” Level of Education English accent than immigrants from other whereas understanding American culture High School 16 26 countries. Immigrants from the Middle seemed impossible. BA/BS 22 35 East and South America, on the other Most immigrants, however, agreed Graduate 24 39 hand, may lack basic knowledge of Eng- that the fact that Americans are friendly lish. They are particularly weak in gram- and accommodating helped them to deal Skill Classification mar. Immigrants from Asian countries are with the cultural differences and helped Administrative 16 25 generally weak in pronunciation. lower their tension and anxiety. Technical 40 65 Most immigrants felt embarrassment The tension and stress was much Managerial 6 10 frustration and stress in dealing with this greater on immigrants who arrived to the factor. A lack of understanding American United States as refugees than on those Years in the U.S. accent and challenges in communicating who planned and studied American cul- 0 to 3 years 6 10 with Americans, on both personal and ture before arriving. The levels of stress 4 to 7 years 10 16 professional levels, created anxiety with and tension on individuals who came to Over 7 years 46 74 most immigrants. To remedy this stress, a the U.S. as refugees and social or politi- number of immigrants tried to find their cal asylees were much acute than other Table B: countrymen to communicate and socialize. groups of immigrants. In some cases, the Stress Data This action often prolonged their learning tension and sense of hopelessness resulted 1st column: Stress Factor (Stressor), process to the point that they learned little in suicide or experiencing severe mental 2nd column: No. of Responses, or no English. and physical illnesses. 3rd column: % of Total The number of immigrants who Ironically, the common practice in the learn English through formal education United States of referring one’s supervi- Language Barrier 31 22 or in specialized language institutions is sor at work, or one’s teacher/instructor in Different Culture 27 19 less than immigrants who learn English school, by his/her first name was consid- Loneliness 16 11 through working and living in American ered a stressor by some immigrants. This Racial Discrimination13 9 society. Nonetheless, they are under con- is an example of a seemingly insignifi- Going to School 11 8 tinuous tension. cant, yet important hallmark of cultural Homesickness 10 7 A Nicaraguan high school student in differences between American culture Felt Poor 10 7 an interview stated “when I went to school, and other cultures. Although this practice Fear of Deportation 8 6 other students laughed at me whenever I is common in the U.S. it is considered Transportation Problems wanted to express myself. Some called me impolite and disrespectful behavior by 6 4 stupid, and some made fun of my accent.” most immigrants surveyed. An Iranian Getting a Job 5 3 Quarrels over bilingualism have re- immigrant remembers, “whenever I had Uncertain Future 6 4 sulted in many states, counties and cit- to call my supervisor by his surname, as Total 143 100 ies passing laws that officially designate I was trained to, I felt embarrassed. My English as the official language for their supervisor constantly reminded me that Data Analysis: residents. These laws added more tension I should call him by his first name. That Although the sample of data collected and stress, particularly for Spanish speak- was stressful for me.” is relatively small in quantity, Tables A and ing, immigrants. B provide important information about Loneliness the challenges that immigrants face in the Different Culture: and Homesickness: United States. The population selected, Living in a different culture, or “cul- For the purpose of this analysis, though small in quantity, covers a variety ture shock”, as viewed by a many im- loneliness and homesickness stressors of elements and disciplines. migrants, was the second major stressor. are combined as both categories are in- The personal data is self-explanatory. Middle Easterners, especially after Sep- terrelated.
16 No. 74 C O M M E N T A R Y Immigrants from Middle Eastern statements and speeches as an affirmation goals, on the other hand, make the future countries particularly felt this element of racial intolerance and discrimination of most immigrants living in the U.S. un- more than other immigrants. The culture against this group of immigrants. certain, unclear and ambiguous. A few of and customs of Middle Eastern countries An immigrant from India told the immigrants surveyed stated that believed place a strong emphasis on the family, interviewer, that “the most stressful thing “they will not make it in the U.S.”. Most unity, closeness of family members, and for me was racial intolerance.” Another immigrants felt obligated to change their friendship. Arriving in another country immigrant said “white is right attitude was prior plans and goals after living in the with no other family member or friend a killer!” An immigrant from Philippines United States for a short period of time. was viewed as a major stressor. stated “in the first two years of my em- This uncertainty, coupled with forced re- The stress caused by loneliness ployment as a financial analyst I felt my planning and adjustment, often result in and homesickness is more pronounced coworkers always looked down on me and anxiety, tension, and fear of unknowns for in younger immigrants. In some cases, treated me as second class citizen. I cannot immigrants living in the U.S. younger immigrants experiencing severe get away from this feeling even after living tension and anxiety attempted suicide. in the U.S. for over 8 years.” Conclusion: Nervous breakdowns, severe depression, Most immigrants felt discriminated Stress on immigrants is an unavoid- and even physical illness have been report- against more in the work place than any able fact. Each immigrant, regardless of ed by this group. An Egyptian immigrant other social setting. A sense of “low self- his/her place of origin, gender, age, reli- said “the most stressful thing for me was esteem and lack of confidence” was more gious beliefs, and level of education feels that I did not know anybody. I was alone serious in immigrants of ages 40 and old- pressure, tension, and anxiety from the in a foreign city for a long period of time. er. Tension resulting from inequality in moment they arrive in the United States of I did not have anyone to talk to, and that wages and benefits, and most importantly America. Acquiring wealth and financial was most frustrating for me.” less opportunities for advancement, was comfort, ironically, does not diminish such Homesickness was experienced more shared by most immigrants who work in stress. Even people visiting the U.S. for a in female immigrants than male immi- administrative positions. short period of time have expressed stress grants. Ironically, the interviews revealed and fear from the moment they landed. that immigrants with technical occupa- Other Elements: However, although the severity of their tions, such as engineers and Information Among all other elements of stress stress is variable, it is not inevitable. Technology technicians, were less home- identified by the immigrants (Table B), The stressors for immigrants seem sick than the immigrants with administra- getting a job, fear of deportation, and un- to be much the same no matter where the tive and managerial occupations. certainty of future were shared commonly. immigrants come from and do not seem Getting a job was particularly stress- to be preventable. Racial Discrimination: ful for immigrants form Middle East and Much of stress stem from the fact The most negative and emotional India. This group wanted to obtain a job that immigrants to U.S. must deal with a stressor identified by the immigrants sur- commensurate with their education and new culture as well as their own cultural veyed was racial discrimination. Immi- specialized profession. They were more issues (colloquially referred to “cultural grants from South America and the Middle stressed when, due to financial necessity, baggage”). Some immigrants, especially East were heavily exposed to this stressor. accepted unskilled job or a job completely ones arriving to the U.S. as refugees and The events of September 11 significantly unrelated to their education and training, political asylees carry pain, emotional and exposed immigrants from Middle Eastern such as working as a taxi driver or con- sometimes physical illness often result countries to this factor. Statements and struction worker. On average, most im- from genocide, war, and the destruction speeches made by government officials migrants to the U.S. could not secure an of their countries. They may have suf- who referred to Middle Easterners as employment during their first three years fered through imprisonment, torture, and “terrorists” “extremists”, and “evil-do- of living in the U.S. loss of family. From the moment of their ers” exacerbated this tension even more. The stress and fear of deportation was arrival, in addition to their own anxiety Many average Americans viewed those mostly experienced by the immigrants and tensions, they face a language barrier, from the Middle East and Asian. Also, loneliness, and new customs, among other students with student visas were mostly factors discussed earlier. affected by this factor. As indicated by most of the inter- A Chinese student stated “every viewed immigrants, the amount and sever- time I had bad grades on my exams I was ity of this stress tends to decline between most depressed not for my record, but for two to three years after immigrant’s ar- possible deportation to my homeland.” rival. However, this stress does not com- An Iranian student said “in the first few pletely disappear, even after living in the months of my arrival in the U.S. almost U.S. for decades. As one immigrant elo- every night I had a nightmare. I pictured quently stated, “this is the price we pay myself to be arrested by the college secu- for living in the United States.”■ rity officers and deported to my country for bad grades and failing in my school The author is an adjunct professor at the assignments.” University of La Verne, California.He received Dealing with cultural difference, on his doctorate degree from Alliant International one hand, and attempting to achieve their University in San Diego, California.
Summer 2014 17 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E Reviews Moon at Nine Deborah Ellis A riveting novel set in Iran, where sexual orientation can have deadly consequences. At a time when issues of homosexuality and human rights are making headlines around the world, Pajama Press is proud to stand behind internationally acclaimed author and humanitarian Deborah Ellis and her groundbreaking new novel Moon at Nine. Based on a true account, Moon at Nine is the gripping story of two young teenaged girls who are arrested for be- ing gay in Iran—a country in which homosexuality is considered so abhor- rent that it is punishable by death.
UNDYING DREAMS
The New action film “Undying Dreams” is a dramatic story of the fight for democracy in the Middle East “Undying Dreams” is the gripping story of Mike, an Iranian- American man whose American wife Christine is kidnapped in war-torn Iraq where she is volunteering as a pediatric nurse. Instead of heeding the advice of his Iraqi contacts to go back home, Mike embarks on a dangerous mission to find Christine. The movie started four years ago in 2009 and is the result of a huge effort by Ashkan Kohan and his team. It is entirely self-financed with no backing from any studio. It has more than 40 speaking roles and was shot in Los Angeles and Palmdale, California and Amman, Jordan. Even though the film crew did not encounter any problems, the fear of retaliation against Americans filming a sensitive subject was always a concern. “Undying Dreams” also covers the 2009 Iranian youth protest against the results of the Presidential election that lasted for several months. While “Undying Dreams” is not a documentary, it is a narrative feature film showing this part of history of Iran and Iraq. “Undying Dreams” is a timely example of the currently popular type of independent movie-making where the filmmaker has total control of the product and tells a story that is not ma- nipulated by outside influences. During the selection of footage for “Undying Dreams”, Ashkan Kohan watched over two thousand videos shot by insur- gents during their training and preparation for attacks or while carrying out attacks on civilians, Iraqi forces and the coalition forces in Iraq. This is a side of the reality of war in Iraq, which has not been shown by mainstream media and movies coming out of Hollywood.
18 No. 74 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E Science, has received a Presidential Early Career Award for Sci- entists and Engineers (PECASE) — the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on science and engineering researchers in the early stages of their careers. Jarrahi, who is working to develop ultra-fast optoelectronic technologies for use in health Proud care, telecommunications, remote sensing and other applications, joined the UCLA Engineering faculty in 2013. She is one of 102 scientists and engineers to receive a 2013 PECASE. “The Achievements impressive achievements of these early-stage scientists and engi- neers are promising indicators of even greater successes ahead,” The following list of achievements was compiled by Firouzeh President Obama said in announcing the awards. “We are grateful Mirrazavi (Deputy Editor of Iran Review). Persian Heritage for their commitment to generating the scientific and technical extends a grateful thank you to Ms. Firouzeh, for her work advancements that will ensure America’s global leadership for on sharing this information with the Persian community. many years to come.”
NASA Kepler Telescope Confirms Mashhad University Professor Iranian Professor’s Predictions Awarded in Geneva The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration A Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Professor, Dr. (NASA) Kepler Space Telescope has confirmed the predictions Ehsan Soltani has been awarded a gold medal at the 42nd In- of Iranian professor over black holes and white dwarfs. Sohrab ternational Exhibition of Inventions, in Geneva. Soltani, who Rahvar, a professor of Sharif University of Technology Physics is specialist in general surgery and a lecturer, won the prize for Department in an article published in 2011, predicted that the design and manufacture of device for blood exchange transfu- black holes and white dwarfs are some types of compact objects sion for infants with severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. The in the space that are not directly observable. The researchers of International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva was held 1-7 the University of Washington also have experimentally observed April with inventors from US, France, Germany, Korea Republic, the predictions of the Iranian expert after examining the Kepler Russia, Switzerland, Thailand, Spain, and Iran in different fields. Space Telescope data. Iran’s Ershaqi Joins US Engineering Academy Nader Engheta Receives An Iranian petroleum engineering professor, Iraj Ershaqi, Balthasar Van der Pol Gold Medal has become a member of the US National Academy of Engi- Nader Engheta, H. Nedwill Ramsey Professor of Electrical neering (NAE). Teaching at the University of South Califor- and Systems Engineering, is the recipient of the Balthasar van der nia, Ershaqi has been selected as a member of the NAE, ISNA Pol Gold Medal from the International Union of Radio Science reported. Ershaqi holds a BS in petroleum engineering from (URSI) for “groundbreaking contributions and innovations in Tehran University. He also holds an MS and PhD in petroleum electromagnetic theory and applications of composite materials, engineering from the University of South California. The Iranian metamaterials and nanoscale optics, bio-inspired imaging and professor has made innumerable contributions to the university sensing, and material-based optical nanocircuitry.” The van der over the past four decades. In 2012, he received the Society of Pol Gold Medal is one of the highest awards URSI gives and Petroleum Engineers’ highest distinction, the Honorary Member is awarded only once every three years. The Medal is awarded Award, and in 2010, the John Franklin Carll Medal. to outstanding scientists for career achievements with evidence of significant contributions within the most recent six-year pe- Iranians Help Produce riod. The award honors the memory of Balthasar van der Pol, a Hydrogen as Green Fuel physicist who was closely associated with URSI for many years. Iranian researchers from the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences studied the thermodynamic stability of layered Iranians, Finns Devise Model components of manganese oxide and compared them to other to Decipher Nanocomposites manganese oxides. Conducted in association with the University Iranian researchers from Isfahan University of Technology, of California, the researchers showed layered manganese oxide in association with Finnish researchers from Alto University, have had vindicator properties with high performance in oxidation presented a micromechanical model that can predict mechanical reactions, Fars News Agency reported. properties of various types of polymeric and metallic nanocom- The research can result in designing and producing more posites.Taking into account the malfunctions of nanocomposites, effective catalysts for the oxidation of water and production of the model is able to present an appropriate and ideal method for hydrogen as a green fuel. In this research, various concentra- the production of a nanocomposite with the best mechanical tions of potassium permanganate were dissolved in water, and properties, Fars News Agency reported. The method has appli- manganese acetate and calcium acetate were added to it in the cations in various industries, including aerospace, automobile alkaline media. In the next stage, the obtained solid was strained manufacturing and medical engineering. and dried. It results in the synthesis of a number of layered oxides with various characteristics. UCLA Iranian Professor Mona Jarrahi Wins Presidential Early Career Award Iranian Helps Discover Mona Jarrahi, an associate professor of electrical engineering Molecular Shift in Brain at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied An Iranian scientist Mahsan Mobser, along with his col-
Summer 2014 19 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E leagues at the University of British Columbia, identifies an im- computer with a “super zoom” feature that can magnify objects portant molecular change that occurs in the brain when we learn allowing users to “see”, according to ISNA. and remember. Published in Nature Neuroscience, the research A built-in camera can process images while a super-smart shows that learning stimulates our brain cells in a manner that microchip analyses the data to inform the wearer of any approach- causes a small fatty acid to attach to delta-catenin, a protein in the ing objects. The concept is in its early stages, but intellectual brain, ISNA reported. This biochemical modification is essential property blog Patent Bolt believes the smart contact lens could in producing the changes in brain cell connectivity associated one day be used to benefit the 180 million people worldwide who with learning, the study finds. “More work is needed, but this are blind or visually impaired. discovery gives us a much better understanding of the tools our They said: “A blind person wearing Google’s contact lens brains use to learn and remember, and provides insight into how may want to cross the road. The analysis component of the lens these processes become disrupted in neurological diseases,” says can process raw image data of the camera to determine if a car co-author Shernaz Bamji, an associate professor in UBC’s Life is approaching.” Google also said the lens will be able to detect Sciences Institute. It may also provide an explanation for some faces and its wireless capabilities can link it up to mobile phones mental disabilities, the researchers say. People born without the and other devices. It comes after Google developed a smart con- gene have a severe form of mental retardation called Cri-du-chat tact lens for diabetics, which analyses tears to warn users if their syndrome, a rare genetic disorder named for the high-pitched sugar levels are low. Announcing their breakthrough last month, cat-like cry of affected infants. Disruption of the delta-catenin founders Babak Parviz and Brian Otis said, “We hope this could gene has also been observed in some patients with schizophrenia. one day lead to a new way for diabetics to manage their disease.” Parviz’s project dubbed Bionic Contacts was listed as one of the Iran and Spain Study Nanostructured Steel top 50 inventions in Time 2008. Iranian researchers from Sahand University of Technology, in association with researchers from the National Center for Partovi Twins Quietly Emerge Metallurgical Research in Madrid, Spain, studied microstructural as Top Silicon Valley Angel Investors changes of nanostructured bainitic steel at low temperature and Ali and Hadi Partovi may not be household names, but succeeded in its thermal stabilization during low-temperature the twins have quietly helped launch some of Silicon Valley’s thermal operation. Microstructure stability is very important biggest startups of recent vintage. Hadi co-founded Tellme Net- in low-temperature nanostructured bainitic steel to identify its works, which Microsoft bought for a reported $800 million. Ali limitations and to resolve them, Fars News Agency reported. co-founded Internet advertising pioneer LinkExchange, which Microsoft bought for $265 million; he later became one of the Iranian Helps Overcome first investors in Zappos, the online shoe retailer launched by Antibiotic Resistance LinkExchange co-founder Tony Hsieh. Amazon bought that A group of researchers at the University of Notre Dame, led one for about $850 million. The Partovis also snapped up early by Iranian scientist Shahriar Mobashery, have discovered a new stakes in Dropbox and Facebook. And while they’re both still class of antibiotics that can treat antibiotic-resistant infections active angel investors, they’ve gotten increasingly involved in such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA. philanthropic work, including founding Code.org. The nonprofit, The group was led by Shahriar Mobashery and Mayland which encourages kids to learn software development, made a Chang. The study was published in the Journal of the American splash last year with a video that featured tech celebrities such Chemical Society titled “Discovery of a New Class of Non-beta- as Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey and Bill Gates. lactam Inhibitors of Penicillin-Binding Proteins with Gram- Positive Antibacterial Activity, ISNA reported. Retirement of FaridehTehrani Iranian Scientist Heads From Preservation Librarian, June 2014 Team for Lab-grown Organs Born in Shiraz, Iran, Farideh studied at Pahlavi Univer- Researchers of the Royal Free Hospital headed by Alexander sity (now Shiraz University). where she received a BA from Seifalian have succeeded in growing various body organs such as the School of Arts and Sciences.She received a Certificate nose and ear using stem cells. The hospital is affiliated to UCL for Accelerated Training in Medical Librarianship from the (University College London). Various laboratories worldwide World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, and her seek to produce transplantable lab organs using stem cells. MLS from the Pratt Institute, Graduate School of Library According to Professor Seifalian, head of the research team, and Information Sciences. After further study, Farideh the method for growing lab organs is like baking a cake. Various received a DLS from the Columbia University, School of organs are grown in different moulds using stem cells. The poly- Library Service in 1987. mer products are put in a special machine to grow these organs. Farideh settled in the United States and became head of The researchers made a laboratory-grown nose for a patient who lending services at William Paterson University in 1988.She had lost his/her nose due to cancer. came to the Alexander Library as Head, Access Services in 1992 and was tenured in 1996. In 2006 Farideh became Iranian Lens Tests Blood Sugar, Preservation Librarian and liaison to Middle Eastern Stud- Helps the Blind ies. In this role she developed a skilled staff responsible for An Iranian scientist working for Google Company, Babak the repair of more than 7,000 volumes of the circulating Parviz, along with his colleagues, has designed an eye lens for collection, while overseeing the remediation of more than checking blood sugar. The contact lens can also provide hope for 4,000 moldy volumes. millions of blind people. The ingenious invention contains a tiny
20 No. 74 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E An Overview of the Historical Circumstances that led to the Revolts of Babak Khorramdin
Dr. Kaveh Farrokh
he Arabian conquests of of vandalism by the Arabian 637-651 CE destroyed conquerors at Persepolis, the Tthe Sassanian empire, capital of the ancient Ach- terminated the independence aemenid dynasty (559-323 of Iran and subjugated it to BCE) (Mackie, 1996, p.47). the Caliphates. The actions of Even Persia’s ancient tradition the conquerors as recorded by of learning was attacked, with historians, left their imprint the Arabs destroying massive upon the population. Ctesi- libraries housing ancient texts phon, the capital of the Sas- in the name of religion. sanian Empire, was system- Zarrin’kub (2002) has atically looted by the Arabs: noted that the Ummayad Ca- 256): 1. prevented from under- against the Abbasid Caliphate up to 40,000 Iranian women liphate (661–750) instituted taking all frontier guard duties was especially strong in east- were sold into slavery in Ara- a number of discriminatory 2. granted lesser jobs and low- ern Iran (Khorasan) after the bia. According to Benjamin, anti-Iranian policies to elimi- er pensions 3. openly discrimi- Abbasids executed the east every Arab soldier was able nate the Persian language and nated against during prayers Iranian leader Abu Muslim to appropriate 12,000 Dirhams wider Iranian culture, as sub- when Arabs were present (i.e. Khorasani in 755 CE. The worth of goods (1888, p.278). stantiated by Islamic sources Iranians were not to stand in Abbasids had utilized Abu- The Arabs also captured Per- describing of punitive poli- the first row or lead prayer Muslim and the Khorasanis sia’s cultural icons, notably the cies meted against Persian- congregations) 4. barred from in their quest to overthrow ceremonial swords of Kavad, speakers (Al-Isfahani, Vol 4, marrying Arab women (Arab the Umayyads. The Iranians Bahram Gur and Khosrow II. p.423). The Caliphates also men however were allowed had supported the Abbasids, The crown, jewels and royal banned the Persian language in to marry Iranian women) and only to witness their political garments of Khosrow II as Iran for nearly three centuries 5. Iranian Muslims were for- aspirations ignored once the well as the sword of Heracles (Abivardi 2001, p.468). Arab bidden from dressing in Arab latter had seized power. Seated (captured earlier by the Sassa- sources report of severe pu- clothing (Goldziher 1889- firmly in Baghdad, the Abba- nians) also fell into Arab hands nitive measures taken against 1890, Volume II, pp.138-139). sid Caliphate now viewed Abu (Tabari, XIII, p. 247). Newark any citizen who dared speak Among other discriminatory Muslim and his Iranian follow- has noted the following:“The Persian in public. According policies were declarations that ers as expendable. Abu Mus- barbaric behaviour of the vic- to Clawson the Arabs applied a only persons of “pure Arab lim was executed, possibly in torious nomads shocked the system of “…ethnic stratifica- blood” were worthy to rule the part for his potential ability in more refined Persians. The tion that discriminated against Caliphate (Momtahen 1989, rallying the Iranians in a new Arabstore up priceless car- Iranians” who then “chafed p.145). Mackie has noted that anti-Caliphate rebellion. pets studded with jewels and under Arab rule” (2005, p.17). the Arabs considered non-Ar- Nevertheless, though shared them among each other. Al-Baladhuri for example re- abs as an inferior race (1996, conquered, Persian language Dogs were fed off gold plat- ports of the Ummayad Caliph p.51) which helps explain why and cultural traditions such ters and aromatic substances Muawiyah (602-680) stating the Caliphates discriminated as the Nowruz (Iranian New were mistaken for food spices “…never treat them [Iranians] not just against Iran’s ancient Year) continued to endure (Ax- and tipped into soups” (1988, as equals of the Arabs” (trans. Zoroastrian faith and Persian worthy, 2006, p.107). Etting- p.91). The regal symbol of the Hitti, p.417; Bahar 1381/2002, language but also against Ira- hausen corroborates this by once-mighty Sassanian Spah p.82; Qomi 1361/1982, pp. nian converts to Islam. noting that Iran had “…lost its (army), known as Drafsh e Ka- 254-256). Muawiyah’s letter The Abbasid Caliphate independence, though not its viani (Standard of Kaveh) was to Ziyad Ibn Abih declared (750–1258) that succeeded the cultural identity” (Ettinghau- also sold as booty in Arabia the Caliphate’s Iranian Mus- Ummayads failed to amelio- sen, 1972, p.1). While Arabic for thirty thousand Dirhams lim subjects to be (trans. Hitti, rate the anti-Persian discrimi- had spread throughout ancient (Benjamin, 1888, p.278). p.417; Bahar 1381/2002, p.82; natory policies and rising Ira- Egypt, North Africa, Syria, Mackie has documented acts Qomi 1361/1982, pp. 254- nian discontent. Resentment Mesopotamia and even Arab-
Summer 2014 21 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E occupied Spain by the 10th CE)” (2002, pp. 109-110). played the tanbur and sang ment as having been a deriva- century, the Iranians resisted Primary historical for the people as he sold fruits tive of Mazdak’s original reli- cultural assimilation. In con- sources are clear that Babak in Sarat/Sarab (Abu’l-Maʿali, gion in which joy was seen as trast to other regions assimi- was a Persian. One of these 1962, p.299). There are also re- an fundamental element of the lated by the Arabs, the Iranians is medieval Armenian histo- cords of an interesting legend universe. The Khorram-dinan engaged in a number of revolts rian Vardan Areweltsi, approx. portending Babak’s sense of however were also sternly loy- against the Caliphates (Um- 1198-1271 CE (Muyldermans, destiny. The Al-Fehrest reports al to the memory and legacy of mayad and Abbasid). Arab his- 1927, p.119). The full history of a legend in which Babak’s Khorasani. It is also possible torians, notably Ali Ibn Ahmad of Babak’s career is derived mother saw her son asleep and that the movement had been Ibn Hazm’s (994-1064 CE) Al from Waqed bin Amr Ta- naked one afternoon under a founded in part by Sindbad, Fasl fil Milal Ahwz n Nihal mimi’s (now lost) Akbar Ba- tree covered by blood on his another past Iranian rebel in have recorded the Iranian bak that was quoted by Ibn chest and scalp; Babak then Khorasan province who had rebellions. According to Ibn al-Nadim’s Al-Fehrist (Flü- woke up but there was no trace been a close associate of Abu- Hazm “the Persians…were gel, 1869, pp.406-407). The of blood on his body, leading Muslim Khorasani. greater than all of the people… sources however are more his mother to assert “I know The Khorram-dinan or after their defeat by the Arabs, divergent with respect to Ba- that my son has a great task neo-Mazdakites were not re- they [the Persians] rose up to bak’s familial origins, notably ahead” (Ibn al-Nadim, Al- stricted to Iran’s Azarbaijan fight against Islam…among with respect to the name and Fehrest, 1871, p.406). province. There were Khor- their leaders were Sunbadh background of Babak’s fa- ram-dinan sects in Hamedan [Sindbad], Muqanna, Usta- ther. Waqed (the most reliable Babak and the (northwest), Gorgan province sis, Babak [Khorramdin] and source) reports Babak’s father Khorramdin Sect (in the north) and even Rayy others…”. The defeat of these as having been a cooking-oil The Khorramdin sect in (near modern Tehran). There rebellions did little to dampen merchant named Abdullah Azarbaijan had built a strong were also strong pockets of negative Iranian sentiments from Madain (formerly Cte- following during the 9th cen- Khorram-dinan in the southern against the Caliphate’s forced siphon, capital of the former tury. The Khorram-dinan (Per- Caucasus, especially Armenia Arabization polices. This is Sassanian Empire) who had sian xorramdinān: those who and Albania/Arran (modern seen as late as the 11th century migrated to the village of Be- follow the Joyful religion) sect Republic of Azarbaijan since in the epic Shahname [Book of lalabad in Azarbaijan (Flügel, was an Iranian movement that May 1918). Just one century Kings] by Iranian poet Firdow- 1869, p.406). Tabari however based its teachings upon the after the Arab conquests of si (940-1020 CE) who quotes cites Babak’s father as a drifter pre-Islamic Iranian religion Sassanian Iran, a Khorram- an Iranian general fighting named Matar. However even of Mazdakism (Madelung, dinan or neo-Mazdakite rebel- against the invading Arabs as the notion of Babak’s humble 2009, pp.63-65, Goldschmidt lion had broken out in Gorgan having declared “Damn this class origins have been chal- & Davidson, 2005, p.81, in 778-779 CE. This led to world, damn this time, damn lenged. Sadighi for example Whittow, 1996, pp.195, 203 serious battles with Amr bin this fate, that uncivilized Arabs has suggested that Babak may & 215). Some researchers de- Ala, the Caliph Muhammad have come to make me Mus- have hailed from the Iranian scribe the Khorram-dinan as ibn Mansur al-Mahdi’s (744 lim” (Mackie, 1996, p.63). nobles (1938, pp.239-241). a “neo-Mazdakite” movement or 745-785 CE) delegate in Babak’s mother, Mahru (Per- (Zarrinkub, 1343/1964, p.544; Tabaristan (roughly corre- Babak Khorramdin’s sian: Beautiful; lit. moon- Amoretti, 1975, p.503; Mad- sponding to modern-day north- Origins faced one) was a native of elung, 2009, p.64). Mazdak (d. ern Iran comprising Gorgan, Khorasani’s legacy would Azarbaijan. Waqed then states 524 or 528 CE) had been the Mazandaran, Rasht and parts be evoked just six decades lat- that shortly after Babak’s birth, spiritual leader of a reformist of Talysh). The Gorgan rebels er after his execution by Ba- his father Abdullah was on his Zoroastrian movement during had fought alongside another bak (from Ardashir Babakan way to the Sabalan region in the late 5th and early 6th cen- group of Iranian rebels known founder of the Sassanian dy- Azarbaijan when he died as a turies CE which had based as the Bateni. These also fol- nasty) Khorramdin (Persian result of a bitter altercation. its theology on the egalitar- lowed pre-Islamic Iranian for “those who follow the Babak was then raised by his ian teachings of the ancient cults and flew the red banner joyful religion”)(795-838 CE) now-widowed mother Mahru prophet Zoroaster (Farrokh, as their symbol. The caliphate who led the Iranians in their who worked as a wet-nurse. 2007, pp.158, 221-223). The did succeed in containing and most determined revolt against Babak worked as a cowherd as Khorram-dinan held a number suppressing the northern re- the Abbasid Caliphate for two a child until the age of twelve, of pre-Islamic Iranian beliefs volts, but as events in Babak’s decades in 816-837 CE. to then variously work as a ser- such as the idea that all reli- time soon demonstrated, anti- Lewis states “... The vant and fruit seller.He then gions, despite their apparent Arab independence move- memory of Abu Muslim him- returned to his native Belala- doctrinal differences, were all ments among Iran’s northern self was…frequently invoked bad from Tabriz when he was essentially truthful in worship- population had been far from by Iranian rebels who claimed eighteen. ping the same great spiritual destroyed. Another serious to be his heirs and avengers Babak also learned to entity (Yarshater, 1985, p.1008). revolt by the Khorram-dinan against the Caliph who be- play the tanbur (most likely The Persian term “Khor- broke out during the reign of trayed him... By far the most a Sassanian-style stringed ram-din” or the “Joyous reli- Caliph Harun al-Rashid (r. 786 serious of these movements instrument or Lute) while he gion” supports the multitude of – 809 CE) in Iran’s interior and was that of Babak (816-837 was in Sarat/Sarab. He then sources confirming the move- northwest, especially in Isfah-
22 No. 74 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E an, Hamedan and Rayy. The succumbed to his wounds and been intended to gain support Book of Politics]. Tehran. Caliph’s delegates, Abu Dolaf died just three days later. One from an Iranian populace still Secondary Elji and Abdullah bin Malek day after Javidan’s passing, his retaining memories of Abu References brutally suppressed this rebel- widow Banu informed Babak Muslim Khorasani (see Yu- 1. Abivardi, C.(2001).Iranian Ento- lion (Amoretti, 1975, pp.504- that she would announce to sofi, 1966, pp. 175-78, 165). mology: An Introduction, Volume I. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 505; Madelung, 2009, p.64). the Khorram-dinan congrega- What is known is that the 2. Amoretti, B. A. (1985, reprint Just eight years after the death tion that Babak would now be Khorram-dinan of Azarbaijan 1993). Sects and Heresies, in R.N. of Harun al-Rashid, Babak their leader. There have been led by Babak were known for Frye (ed.), Cambridge History of and the most Khorram-dinan suggestions that Banu had their reverence for Abu Mus- Iran: Vol.4 The Period from the would lead the most serious been in love with Babak; this lin Khorasani (Neẓam-al-Molk Arab Invasion to the Saljuqs, New anti-caliphate Iranian rebellion is certainly possible as Banu Ṭusi, 1969, pp.359, 367-368). York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 481-519. from their base in Azarbaijan. married Babak shortly after Ja- The connection with 3. Bahar, MT (ed.) (1381/2002). Prior to the rebellion, two vidan’s death (Sadighi, 1938, Khorasani is indicativethat Tarikh e Sistan [History of Seistan]. men were vying for the leader- p.244). Banu also declared to Babak’s anti-Caliphate revolt Tehran: Moin. ship of the Khorram-dinan in the congregation that Babak represented the entire Iranian 4. Benjamin, S.G.W. (1888). Persia. Azarbaijan’s Bazz mountain would revive Mazdak’s doc- realm. It is noteworthy that London: T.Fisher Unwin. region: Javidan bin Shahrak trines and liberate them from Babak had originally joined 5. Farrokh, K. (2007). Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War. and Abu Emran. Mahru (Ba- the rule of the Caliphate. The the Khorramite sect known Oxford: Osprey Publishing. bak’s mother) had welcomed seeds of Babak’s rebellion as the Fatemiyeh, which had 6. Goldschmidt, A., & Davidson, Javidan into her home as the were now in place. been named after Fatemeh, L. (2005). A Concise History of the latter sought shelter in the vil- who had been the late Kho- Middle East (8th Edition). Westview lage of Balalabad after having Babak’s Goals and rasani’s daughter (Amoretti, Press. travelled through the bitter the Legacy of Abu- 1975, p.503). 7. Mackie, S. (1996). The Iranians: Persia, Islam and the Soul of a Na- winter snows in Azarbaijan. Muslim Khorasani tion. New York: Penguin Putnam. Javidan met the youthful Ba- Babak’s early 9th century Primary Sources 8. Madelung, W. (2009). “Khurram- bak in Mahru’s home and was CE anti-Caliphate rebellion in 1. Abu’l-Maʿali, Mohammad bin miya” in Encyclopaedia of Islam ( soon impressed by the young Azarbaijan (northwest Iran) Obaydollah. Bayān-e Adyān (ed. P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bo- man’s intellect and charisma. was both anti-Muslim and M.T. Dānešpajuh, 1962), Tehran: sworth, E. van Donzel & W.P. Hein- FIZ 10, pp. 282-318. Javidan then asked permission anti-Arab (Tabari, III, p.1226; richs (eds). Brill, pp. 53-65. 2. Al-Baladhuri, A.Y. (1916). Kitab 9. Newark, T. (1988). The Barbar- from Mahru to take Babak Sadighi, 1938, pp.265, 275; Futuh al-Buldan [Book of the Islamic ians: Warriors & Wars of the Dark with him to serve as his prop- Amoretti, 1975, p.509). Ba- Conquests] (trans. PK Hitti), New Ages. Hong Kong: Colorcraft. erty manager. With Mahru’s baknow embodied the aims York: Columbia University. 10. Qomi, H.A.H. (1361/1982). permission Babak accompa- and ambitions of the Iranian 3. Al-Isfahani, A.F. (2004). Kitab Tarikh-e Qom [History of Qom]. nied Javidan. It is generally population, especially in his Al-Aghānī [Book of Songs] (25 vol- Tehran: Jajale Din Tehrani. umes), Beirut: Dar Sader Publishers. believed that it was at this goal to restore Iranian inde- 11. Sadighi, G. (1938). Les Mouve- 4. Al-Masudi (originally ed. & trans. ments Religieux Iraniens au IIe et juncture when Babak joined pendence and her pre-Islamic to French by B. de Meynard. Paris, au IIIe Siècle de l’Hégire, Paris: Les the Khorram-dinan move- religions (especially Zoroastri- 1861–1877; revised and ed. by C. Presses Modernes. ment. An important branch of anism and Mazdakism). There Pellat, 1968-1979). Muruj al-Dha- 12. Whittow, M. (1996). The Making the Khorram-dinan was named is also a possibility that Babak hab. Beirut. of Orthodox Byzantium, 600-1025. after Javidan. This sect was had some form of family re- 5. Al-Masudi (ed. and trans. to French London: Macmillan. by M. de Goeje, 1893–1894). Al- known as Javidaniin 807-817 lationship with the late Abu 13. Yarshater, E. (1985, reprint 1993). Tanbih wa’l-ishrāf. Leiden. Mazdakism, in E. Yarshater (ed.), CE and it was during this time Muslim Khorasani. Dinavari 6. Al-Tabari, (trans. by E. Marin, Cambridge History of Iran: Vol.3(2) when Babak became Javidan’s has stated that “What seems 1951). The Reign of al-Muʿtaṣim. The Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanid student (Sadighi, 1938, p.107; to us to be true and proven New Haven: American Oriental Periods, New York: Cambridge Uni- Ibn Khaldun, pp. 256-262). is that Babak was a son of Series. versity Press, pp. 991-1024. In the meantime the ques- Moṭahhar, the son of Abu 7. Ibn al-Nadim (ed. G. Flügel, 1871). 14. Zarrinkub, A. (1343/1964). Al-Fehrest. Wiesbaden. Also Ibn al- tion of leadership of the entire Moslem’s daughter Faṭema, Tārix-e Irān ba’ad az Eslām [The Nadim (ed. M. R. Tajaddod, 1971) History of Iran after Islam]. Tehran. Khorram-dinan movement in and that the Faṭemiya group Al-Fehrest. Tehran. 15. Zarrin’kub, A.(1381/2002).Ru- Azarbaijan had not been re- of the Khorramis took their 8. Ibn Khaldun, Ketāb al- Ibar (ed. by zgaran: Tarikh-e Iran az aghaz ta solved. Tensions came to a head name from this Faṭema, not N. Hurini in 7 volumes 1867-1868). soqut-e saltant-e Pahlavi [History by 817 CE when Javidan’s ri- from Faṭema the daughter Cairo: Bulaq. of Iran from the beginnings to the val Abu Emran decided to per- of God’s Prophet.” (As cited Nezam-al-Molk Tusi (1969, edited Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty].Tehran: by J. Se-ar), Siyāsat Nāmeh [The manently settle the leadership from Yusofi “Babak Korrami”, Sokhan. question and end the rivalry Encyclopedia Iranica). for good. Abu Emran rushed While the thesis of Ba- down with his fighters from bak-Khorasani family ties Advertise Your Business in their mountain strongholds to can be debated, it is possible combat Javidan. After a brief that Babak may have claimed Persian Heritage but bitter battle,Javidan slew such ties for political reasons. Abu Emran. Javidan’s victory Like previous anti-Arab reb- proved short lived. He soon els, Babak’s claims may have (973) 471-4283
Summer 2014 23 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E Thank you for granting this An Interview with interview with Persian Heri- tage magazine. Can you tell us where you Ateshe Firouz grew up? Breeder and Protector of the Caspian Horse I grew up in Norouzabad on my parents’ farm on the back of a Caspian Persian Heritage Miniature Horse. As children, our lives centered around these horses. Our games always revolved around Caspians and on the weekends we were usually to be found at the racetrack or the show jumping grounds of Khargoosh Dareh.
When did your mother first discover the Caspian horse?
My mother, Louise Firouz, had dis- covered this little horse in 1965 on a trip to the Mazandaran. She acquired a few mares and stallions and started a breeding program. There was much demand for this talented, agile, well mannered horse as the perfect child’s mount. As the breeding program took shape and more Caspians became available, sporting events such as races, gymkhanas, show jumping competi- Louise Firouz tions and three day events were organized.
Your mother’s interest in the Your mom passed away but movements. Caspians went beyond own- you still remain interested in Do you think that the Cas- ing a few, how else was she the horses, what activities are pian’s population in Iran will involved? you involved in? continue to increase or is it headed for extinction? Louise was very curious about the I have always been a passionate horse’s unique characteristics. This led horsewoman. I was very involved in show The Caspian Horse is very well her to carry out extensive research in col- jumping both in Iran as well as in Eu- known in Iran and is flourishing thanks laboration with scientists throughout the rope. After moving to Europe in the early to the efforts of many enthusiasts. There world. These horses are now thought to be 1990’s I took up dressage and traveled to are also many breeding operations in Eu- the ancestor to the modern horse. Hirosham in 1994 as part of the Iranian rope, North America, Australia and New delegation to the Asian Games. Since I Zealand. However, the current economic Can you tell us about the have competed extensively in Europe. I crisis has affected many breeders as well horse itself? teach riding as well as train horses. My as sales. Breeding operations suffer as well daughter, Leyla Larsson has competed for from lack of sufficient bloodlines. The Caspian is native to the Gilan and the Belgian Dressage Team for the past Mazandaran provinces of Iran and looks 5 years. She was the Belgian Champion I am aware of a Caspian like a perfectly shaped little horse. They in 2011. horse festival in Iran, what is have a silky mane and tail, with almost We have a small Caspian breeding that about? no feathering around the fetlocks. They operation in Belgium and have bred and have very strong, dense hooves that rarely competed many ponies in both the show A yearly Festival of the Caspian need shoes. jumping and dressage arenas. Horse is held in Rasht, an event which Over the years, Caspians were export- attracts participants from all over the ed to the UK, Austalia and New Zealand, Have these horses ever been country. Classes such as show jumping America and many European countries. cross bred with other horses? and conformation classes are held. There Estimates for their numbers range from is also a Caspian riding school in Tehran 2500 to 5000 with the biggest numbers out- I have in fact successfully crossed a which provides riding instruction of a very side of Iran in the UK and America. They Caspian with a Holsteiner to produce a high quality to children. are used for show jumping, pony games, beautiful, talented sportspony who was racing, driving and are very successfully very successful in the show jumping ring. What efforts are being made to crossbred to produce a large pony. He also performs very high level dressage protect this beautiful animal?
24 No. 74 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E
We are working hard to establish the future of the Caspian through on-going projects. Efforts are being made to set up a gene bank to safeguard all known bloodlines, and registration is being streamlined to ensure an accurate record of all known horses. Next year is the 50th anniversary of the rediscovery of the Caspian Horse. We are working on a special calendar depict- ing the breed throughout the world. The calendar will be sold to raise funds for ongoing projects designed to safeguard the future of this unique animal.
In the United States where is the best place to see the Caspian?
One of the largest breeding operations is in Texas but there are other Caspians in other parts as well.
Backsplash by Negar Ahkami
Today we’re featuring a brand new to 20x200 artist, painter Negar Ahkami. As a first-generation American born to Iranian parents, Ahkami’s work is heavily influenced both by Persian-Islamic tradi- tions and Western notions of the individual, personal emotions and experimentation. Her first collaboration with us, Backsplash, is powerful, wonderful and impossible to resist. Backsplash by Negar Ahkami 11”x14” ($60) 16”x20” ($240) 24”x30” ($1,200) for morw information and to order (212) 219-0166 or [email protected]
Summer 2014 25 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E A Perpetual Paradigm on the Concept of Time, Calendar, and Norouz part two Davood N. Rahni
Again, recognizing the green warming season vs. the dry Nisan, the first month, resonated to the first zodiacal sign. From chilling season, early humans learned to plant crops at cer- as far back as 4,698 BCE, when the sun entered the first point of tain autumnal periods in order to optimize the growth output; Aries at the vernal equinox in the time of Hiparkhus and before germinations also coincided with the birthing period of many then, New Year was observed by the Accadians based on zodiacal domesticated and wild animals. In other words, the importance observations. Nisan was the first month of the year. The earliest of the spring season as the period during which birth and rebirth evidence support the fact that the first Acadian Calendar dating (survival) of vegetation and animals is at a maximum (presum- back to 6,000 BCE, had originated when the winter solstice, per- ably for evolutionary reasons) was recognized, and most probably haps the time of planting seeds for germinations to appear early celebrated. That in and of itself provides the strongest evidence in subsequent year and not the vernal equinox, coincided with of the vernal equinox, now March 21, as the commencement of the sun’s entry into the constellation Aries; this was later moved a New Year in subsequent calendars that were developed in the to Nisan, the first month of spring. The Accadian months were: Mesopotamian region, Iran and beyond. Once again, this might Nisannu (Barzig-gar in Accadian), Airu, Simjannu, Duzu, Abu, have as well been tens of thousands years ago but who exactly Ululu, Tischritu, Arah-samna, Kislimu, Tebitu, Sabatu, Adaru 2. knows; nonetheless, we have no record of it, only circumstantial Barzig-gar in early Pahlavi and perhaps in Proto-Indo- evidence and speculative extrapolation back in time. Calendars European languages meant the season for seeding. In fact, in developed by the various peoples of Mesopotamia, as far back Persian, the word “Barz” refers to crop seeds, and “Gar” is a as 6,000 years, are among the first calendars known to-date. subjective suffix referring to one’s propagating profession similar The eighth century British Bede in his book History, computed to “-smith” in English. The word Barzgar is still used in Iran and the day of the creation to be “exactly” March 18, 3952 B.C.E., the surrounding countries, synonymous to a farmer who spreads another indication of the importance of the beginning of spring! and cultivates crop seeds. In the northern valley of Karkas (Vul- In fact, spring vernal equinox as late as the eighteenth century, ture) Mountain (altitude: 4,200 meters) located in Natanz the was the first day of European Common New Year. Have you ever provincial town between Kashan and Esphahan in Iran and my wondered why the current so-called western months of Septem- ancestral hometown, there is a fertile oasis village called Barz. ber (7), October (8), November (9), December (10) necessitates It is located in the vicinity of Abyaneh, another historic village January to be the 11th and February as the 12th, and thus March (registered by UNESCO as a historical community) where the the first month of the subsequent New Year?! inhabitants still speak a middle Pahlavi dialect, and where the The term “Kalends” as the precursor to the word “calendar” religion was Zoroastrian until presumably as recently as 18th for tracking times and events, is Latin, meaning the beginning of century in the Safavid era. In fact, the Zoroastrian temple and the month. Professor W. Sayce in an 1874 article in the Transac- the mosque co-exist side by side today, a few miles north Deh tions of the Society of Biblical Archaeology writes, “The standard Zireh, where the Natanz Nuclear facility is located. astrological work of the Babylonians and Assyrians was one Professor M. Hommel of the University of Oxford in the consisting of seventy tablets, drawn up for the Library of Sargon, 1899 March volume of the Proceedings of Biblical Archaeology the King of Agane, in the 16th century BCE. This date is however, calls attention in his Assyrianological anthology to the name revised recently to date this back to 3,800 BCE. The Accadian “Assara Mazas” appearing among the Assyrian Gods; its simi- calendar was arranged to suit the order of the zodiacal signs. larity with the Persian God Ahura Mazda is hard to miss. The
26 No. 74 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E older Persian word in the Kassitic Surias, “sun”, later became Xingjian’s western China, central Asia to the Caucuses region, Ahura and Hvarya. In Sanskrit, Asura and suria are of the high- Iran, Iraq and west to Turkey and Asia Minor. Norouz occurs as est importance for the history of Aryan languages. In the same the sun enters the zodiac sign, Ram, when the constellations of Kassitic period, between 1,700 and 1,200 BCE, the Assyrians Leo and Taurus at their zenith, coincide with the spring equinox. most likely borrowed the Iranian God Assara-Mazas. Asura in Celebration of Norouz reaffirms the interconnectedness between the Vedic literature means Spirit, or simply “the wise”. humans and nature. In Persian mythology, “Uncle” Norouz is an The Dionysian year commenced with March 25th that being old humble man, an emblem of benign authority and wisdom. the date usually assigned to the “Incarnation of the World”. The Year after year, he is expected to appear from the invisible world earliest Roman calendar had ten months – January and February at the time of the Persian New Year, when an old woman having had no place and March was indeed the first month of the year, cleaned her dwelling and worn new clothing, has set up ceremo- which was confirmed by the ceremony of rekindling the sacred nial display and special offerings, the Haft sins, but misses him fire in the Temple of Vesta. Macrobius recorded the practice of by falling asleep right before he arrives6. During her sleep she placing fresh laurels in the public buildings. Such observation dreams of renewal and rebirth, a reflection of the myth believed and the scared treatment of fire were Zoroastrian rituals adopted by all people. from Persia. A closer re-examination of the current Western The “Poem of Creations” on the seven tablets, dating from Gregorian calendar reveals that the suffixes Sept-, Oct-, Nov-, the ninth Century BCE, was recited in the course of the Baby- Dec-, refer to the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th months of the year. That in lonian festival at spring. It tells of the victory of Marduk, the turn makes January, named after the two-faced god Janus, and sun-god, who also symbolized the forces of spring. These hymns February named for the cloak of the godess June (februa), which of creations were revered by the people who inhabited Mesopota- naked men wore during the very important Lupercalia fertility mia- the Sumerians, the Semites, and the Indo-European Iranian festival held at that time of the year, were added in the first stocks; they can be viewed as a precursor to later celebrations like century CE as the 11th and 12th months of the year. This was yet Passover, Good Friday, Easter and Norouz7. The figure “seven” another indication of March as the first month of the year and became a mystical number when the seven celestial objects, Sun, mid-March as the turning point of the New Year3,12. At the time Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn became the when Christianity was being introduced, two religions, Graeco- precursors to the names of the seven days of a cycle: the week16. Roman and the Mithraic faith of Persian-Hindu origin, were the In practice, the Norouz celebration begins from almost a dominant religions in Asia Minor and Mesopotamia. For Persian week to thirteen days before the New Year and ends thirteen days Mithraism December 25, Dies Natalis, the date that invincible thereafter, called Sizdeh Bedar (April fool’s Day). Water (con- Sun God (Sol Invictus) was born, and, for the Roman Saturnalia tinuity, dynamism, passing), green sprouts (rejuvenation, birth, December 17, named after Saturnus the later defied first King of growth), and fire (energy) all strong components of nature, play Latinum, were the two most important festivals in their calendars. preeminent roles in observing the celebration. When the New Year The Christians, however, had very few holidays of their own that Came in March is a 1940’s American children’s novel based on they could unanimously agree on the dates at that juncture: the true story of a family who crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the 1630’s Jewish Passover (Pesakh), the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. to come to North America. The story is narrated by Humphrey, a Besides, these Christian holidays were very somber. So, they small boy who frequently talks about specific stories revolving adopted the pagan Dies Natalis (God’s Birthday), i.e., December around March 25, the New Year. A whole chapter is allocated to 25 for the birth of Jesus, in essence to mask the preceding pagan the [Common] New Year, commencing about March 25 when celebratory ritual. That would in turn make January 1, the Day of the spring arrives. Archery, i.e., arrow shooting and convening Circumcision of the baby Jesus according to the Jewish faith as of planing crops were the main events of the day8. Archery and practiced by Mary and Joseph, where the eighth day after birth a horseback riding are among the most historical sports by the boy had to be circumcised in order to be a “Son of the Covenant” peoples of southwest Asia (Iran) that have found their way into (Ben Brith). So, once again, the indirect contribution of Persian every epic and national story in Persian mythology! This further Mithraism to Western civilization and the global observation of supports the notion of celebrating the New Year at the commence- January 1 as the New Year become evident. ment of spring hat has its root in Persia and Babylonia. While at one point the ancient Romans in pagan times, began As the third Christian millennium has arrived, it is timely to January 1 as the “New Year’s Day”, most others including the present yet an anthology of various calendars, their epochs, their Hebrews, Persians, and others in what is now misnamed as the promoters, etc. A comparative presentation of the names of the Middle East observed the spring vernal equinox. The Greeks zodiacs, days of the week and the names of the months, would observed the summer solstice, the Egyptians observed the harvest demonstrate the amazing commonality among such seemingly or the Nile flood time4,5. divergent calendars and cultures. One could inextricably conclude Norouz, the first day of Spring on or about March 21 when that the inter-cultural communications among various cultures the vernal equinox crosses the equator and makes the days and from South Asia to Central Africa must have been much more nights equal in length in the northern Hemisphere, has been deeply rooted in the prehistoric era than once was even imagined celebrated for millennia by the Iranians, Babylonians, Assyrians possible9. It is noteworthy to mention that the English friar free and Chaldeans (900 BCE) on the Persian/Mesopotamian plateau. thinker, Roger Bacon, despite being chastised by Rome, was the In fact, Norouz is observed by well over a dozen nations, from first to have noticed that the solar calendar was a month faster
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Summer 2014 27 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E every 120 years. It almost took many decades before the Catholic length of daylight and dark. The year apparently began on the Church ultimately recognized the leap year correction anchored new moon nearest to the vernal equinox, presumably in March. on logical reasoning and not misconstrued as heresy. There is The first Babylonian month was called Nisanu, which in early an old prayer in Iran that one wishes another Good Samaritan Aramaic languages meant spring. The months were as follows: 1 to outlive live 120 years. In antiquity especially before the 11th Nisanu, 2 Aiaru, 3 Simanu, 4 Duzu, 5 Abu, 6 Ululu, 7 Tashritu, 8 century Jalali calendar by Omer Khayyam, they added one month Arahsamnu, 9 Kislimu, 10 Tebatu, 11 Shabatu, and, 12 Addaru. to every 120th year in order to retroactively correct for the thirty Although we don’t know how the months were divided, it days of preceding leap years! is highly probable that a month was divided in “Decans” of ten A comprehensive explanation of calendars, mostly ancient days each with the last decan either 9 or 10 days, a reflection of as well as newer ones are as follow: the number of fingers on both hands. The vernal equinox was the Historical: Babylonian, Era of Nabonasser, Macedonia, He- New Year day. The origin of the Decan is based on the numbers brew, Selucid, Zoroastrian, era of Antioch, Olympiad era, the era of fingers, the first calculator there ever was. Though we have of tyre, Roman, Armenian no clear record of the number and dates of holidays, one could, South/west: Iran, Islamic, Fasli (Soor san), Yezdezred, Jalali, nonetheless, infer that new year, the anniversary of the ruler’s Afghanistan, India, Akbar, Fasli, ascension to the throne, the winter solstice, new moons, planting Asia: Deccan, Parasuram, Burmese, Arakanse and harvesting festivals were among special “holi-“ days. Far East: Chinese, Tibet Although Babylonians used the lunar calendars for religious Africa: Egypt, Coptic, Ethiopian and daily purposes, a solar based calendar for astronomical pur- Central Am: Mayan, Aztec, Inca poses had also been devised; the latter was also used by Assyrians Western: Early Northern European, Julian, Gregorian, Chris- and Chaldeans, based on 12 months with the day beginning at tian ecclesiastical Saints, and the French Revolutionary era, and 6:00 am (dawn). It is quite clear that the Babylonians invented the former Soviet Union Republics. the Zodiac. The sun determined the length of the year by pass- ing through the 12 signs, and the moon passed through them all BABYLONIAN CALENDAR in about 29½ days. Our horoscope is the direct descendent of A lunar calendar was used in the “Middle East” in early the Babylonian Calendar. The Babylonian epoch is March 23, recorded history. Its influence spanned form Egypt and Greece, 625 BCE. through the Arabian Peninsula, Mesopotamia, Persia, and India to the Himalayas. This calendar was the plausible precursor to ZOROASTRIAN CALENDAR the Hebrew calendar still used to-date. It had 12 months of 29 The Zoroastrian calendar epoch is the birth of the prophet or 30 days. The day began with sunset, which gave an uneven Zoroaster on March 3, 389 BCE. It was a vague solar calendar of 365 days, 12 months each comprised of 30 days, with five days added at the end of the year. It didn’t have a leap year as it was more aligned with the sun than the moon, nor did it divide the months into decades or weeks. Each of the 30 days of the months had its own proper name carried in much the same way as we use a number for a day in a month today. The Zoroastrian months were: Furvurdeen, Ardibehesht, Khordad, Tir, Amerdad, Sherever, Moher/Mehr, Aban, Adur/Azar, Dey/Deh, Bahman, Aspendadmadz/Espand. The names of the days in a month are: Hormazd, Bahman, Ardibehesht, Sherevere, Aspundad, Khordad, Amerdad, Depadur, Adur, Aban, Khurshed, Mohr, Tir, Gosh, Depmhel, Meher, Se- rosh, Rashne, Furvurdeen, Behman, Ram, Guvad, Depdin, Din, Ashasang, Ashtad, Asman, Zamiad, Maharesphand, Aniram. The five extra days at the end of the year are: Ahnuvud, Ushtuvad, Spentamud, Vhi-Kashusthra, and Vashishtrusht. The names of the months and zodiacs are then used to denote the names of the days of the months. The most important celebration for Zoroastrians was the observance of the New Year, Norouz on March 21, at the spring vernal equinox. There is also Mehregan, the harvest celebration in early fall, and the winter solstice celebration called, Yalda (means birth), and finally the summer solstice, Tirgan/abrizan. Whenever the names of a day coincided with the name of that month, it was also celebrated as well. The Zoroastrian calendar was well established all over Persia and Asia Minor by 300 BCE, nonetheless, it continues to be used by the people of Zoroastrian faith in Iran, India, and elsewhere. The Persians, have however, used a modified version of it since 7th century ACE called, the calendar of Yezdezred. to be continued
28 No. 74 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E The most important event of my early life was the suicide of my brother when I had just turned 21; he was 19. It was An Interview with mainly because of this event that I left England as soon as I went down from Cambridge – I just couldn’t bear to be Dick Davis there. And leaving at that age meant that a life out of England seemed to become Professor and Translator more or less inevitable for me. I feel a stranger when I go there now. As I do in the US too of course. I’m English, wholly part one so I think, but my England is the England of my adolescence, so not I’m not English as England now is.
What attracted you to Iran and Persian culture? Did the national past time of poetry have anything to do with it? What makes Persian culture different from that of other nations?
I went to Iran serendipitously. I had a friend who was working there on an ar- chaeological dig, and he absolutely loved it. He suggested I come out for a year and that we share an apartment and both teach English somewhere; it was fairly easy to get a job doing that then. So I found a job Brian Appleton at Tehran University, sponsored by the British Council, and went. After the year was up my friend went back to England, Tell us about your childhood, English teacher. His name is John Gibson; but I stayed, mainly because by that time perhaps a unique incident or he’s in his 80s now, and like me he moved I had met the person who later became experience that influenced to the US. He lives in Indiana, and we my wife. you in your career path and see each other once or twice a year. In a The importance of poetry in Persian did you have a role model way I owe him everything “professional” culture was certainly something that I or someone who had a large that has ever happened to me, as those found extremely attractive once I discov- influence on you? Which of things certainly wouldn’t have happened ered it; it was one of the many things that your parents was Italian and if I hadn’t gone to Cambridge, or they held me there. As for characterizing Per- where did you grow up? wouldn’t have happened in the same ways. sian culture, this is terribly hard to do in a Obviously I’m extremely grateful to him sentence or two without stereotyping and I was born in Portsmouth, on the for all he did for me. caricaturing, which of course we emphati- south coast of England, in 1945. We Neither of my parents was Italian. cally don’t want to do. I can perhaps say moved around quite a lot when I was My mother’s mother came from near that I’m constantly struck by the cultural young, but I spent much of my childhood Bellinzona, the border area between Italy parallels between Italy, where I also lived and adolescence in Yorkshire, again on the and Switzerland, and culturally she was for a while, and Iran. Both cultures have coast. I love the sea, and miss it, living in wholly Italian, so my mother was you extremely chaotic pastspolitically, with the mid west as I now do. A very impor- could say half Italian. My grandmother foreigners periodically marauding over tant person in my life was my high school was brought to England as a teenager to be the country and grabbing bits of it; both English teacher. It was fairly unthinkable a chambermaid in a hotel, before the First cultures are the heirs of great empires in for someone from my kind of background World War; she was virtually sold in fact, antiquity and aren’t going to forget that to go to Oxford or Cambridge at that time, by her parents. It was a sad awful story, fact; both have the most marvelous artistic but he strongly encouraged me to try, and and her presence in my childhood was a heritage of which they are very conscious to my and I think everyone else’s aston- very dour dark fraught one, through no and very proud; the cities of both cultures ishment I got a place at King’s College, fault of her own of course. Only after her have a wonderfully vibrant street life, full Cambridge. This literally changed my life, death did I begin to realize what she must of jokes and put downs and spectacle; mainly by the way it so vastly broadened have gone through, the violence that had both cultures have elaborately distinctive my sense of life’s– in particular my life’s been done to her psyche and the way this cuisines and a love of good food; both - possibilities. I’m still in touch with that had affected her whole sad life. cultures have a very powerful religious
Summer 2014 29 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E establishment that spreads its authority How is it that you did not Western world, or even just the English- into almost every aspect of life, public or take an interest in translating speaking world, it’s obviously the case private, but is still shrugged off by large contemporary Persian poets that it’s, as you put it, “largely ignorant of sections of the populace; both cultures like Forough Farrokzhad or classic Persian literature and poetry”. In a place great importance on not losing face, Akhavan-Sales? way, that’s ok, because there are an awful in appearing admirable before others; both lot of cultures in the world and one can cultures have a rather obsessive sense of I mentioned my love of the past, and only take on board so much – given how honor centered on the family;both cultures especially the medieval past. Coupled with long we tend to be here, there just isn’t love conspiracy theories, and so on, and this, I fell in love with poetry very early time to read all the major works by all the so on. And if anyone feels that there has on, and because so much of my mental life major authors of every culture. But if you never been in Italy anything like the early as a child was taken up with pre-modern become interested in a culture’s literature, years of the Islamic Republic in Iran, I rec- things it was pre-modern poetry I mainly and its great works seem to you to be re- ommend that he/she read about the (thank- read and learned by heart and, when I ally marvelous, easily equal to anything in fully brief) ascendancy of Savonarola in started to write verse myself, imitated. your own culture’s literature, naturally you 15th century Florence, or the activities of Of course as an adolescent I learned that want to proselytize for them a bit. When the Roman Inquisition from the 16th to free verse existed, and I duly read a lot I was young I devoured Arthur Waley’s the 18th centuries. of it – the canonic authors as it were (I translations from Chinese and Japanese; was a total nerd as a young person, I was I thought they were wonderful, and they What caused you to take such always, always, always reading) and even opened up a whole new, enchanting (and an interest in the medieval tried to write a bit of free verse when I largely medieval…) world for me. They period? Is there something was about 17 or 18, but I quickly realized, are much criticized now, but his achieve- romantic or nostalgic about “This is not for me”. It seemed so thin and ment in drawing attention to literatures the pre-industrial age when meager, and also so narcissistic, compared that were hardly known in any depth in the fealty and chivalry were of with the richness of the poetry of the past. English-speaking world is unassailable. paramount importance and The urge to be like one’s peers, and un- He made available to us an astonishing and mysticism flourished? like one’s predecessors, is one I’ve never very beautiful world we’d barely heard really shared in any deep way,although of, and later scholars may quibble and I’ve always, from early childhood on, like all young people I flirted with it for a nuance what he did, but his achievement been fascinated by the past, in the sense of while. The notion that you can’t write in a was a great one. When I started my PhD wondering what people’s lives were like particular way because it is unfashionable in medieval Persian my advisor asked me “then”. How like us were they, and how / old-fashioned, or that you must write in why I wanted to do this, and I answered, unlike us? I think a lot of children feel this a particular way because it’s fashionable “I want to be the Arthur Waley of Persian (Whatever were our parents like before we / avant-garde, has always seemed silly to literature”. I’m not of course, or anything were here? That kind of thing). me. Equally silly to me has always been like it, but his achievement has remained And then the further back the ques- the notion that poetry is most interest- a kind of beacon for me, an unattainable tion takes you, the more mysterious, and ing when it breaks pre-existing rules. It’s model. for that very reason the more fascinating, the easiest thing in the world to break a the lives become. As a child the only lan- rule; it’s far harder to keep to one and You are one of a handful of guage I could read was (of course, in my still do something that seems real / true British Persophiles starting case) English, and the furthest back you to you, and which is, perhaps, authenti- with Edward G. Brown an can go reading English is to the medieval cally “you”. “The fascination of what’s amazing individual. Do you period; there isn’t English before then. difficult”, as Yeats says. You write, and have any thoughts or insights And so the medieval period became quite translate, the kind of thing you want to about him? What about Rich- an obsessive interest early on, and it’s just read, and free verse wasn’t what I was ard Burton? About the Shirley stayed that way for me. Later I learned interested in reading. Most contemporary brothers.... other languages, or tried to anyway, and Persian poetry, like that by the two poets read translations, and my horizons wid- you mention, is in free verse, so it doesn’t Every English speaker who is seri- ened, but the medieval period has always really attract me. I’m less doctrinaire ously interested in Persian literature is been where I’ve felt the strongest tug of about this than I used to be, and there is profoundly indebted to Brown, who re- intellectual, empathetic, interest (although some (not a lot, but some) free verse that ally established Persian literature as an most medieval societies must have been, I can now read with pleasure, but it’s not academic subject in the English-speaking for most people, really appalling – “nasty, at all where my heart is. world. Given the excessively jingoistic brutish, and short” as Hobbes says - to live period in which he lived, his sympathy in, by our standards and expectations), Did you feel that the world for non-European cultures, and for Persian and all this comes from my childhood I was largely ignorant of classic culture in particular, is a truly extraordi- think. My favorite poet in English, for ex- Persian literature and poetry nary act of sustained, life-long intellectual ample, by a long way, is Chaucer. And as I and were/are you on a mission and emotional empathy. And his multi- grew up this interest in medieval England to educate the world in that volume History of Persian Literature is morphed, as it seemed naturally, into an regard? the bedrock text on the subject, at least in interest in non-English medieval societies English, even though much of its schol- and literatures. Well, if by “the world” we mean the arship has been revised by subsequent
30 No. 74 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E scholars, and some of its judgments can precedent of such works in Persian, all the especially hard because I only translate seem a bit eccentric (bravely eccentric, grammatical examples he gives are taken works I really love (I don’t see any point like his dislike of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, from medieval / classical poetry, which in translating things I feel half-hearted but still eccentric). But, as the adage has it, makes it a very charming read). One of about, especially when there’s so much I “if we see better it’s because we stand on my most treasured possessions is a first feel whole-hearted about). But if I abso- his shoulders.”He was at Pembroke Col- edition of Jones’s Persian Grammar. The lutely have to choose one, I must say that lege, Cambridge, and I’m lucky enough to Shirley brothers are, I agree, absolutely I have a special affection for Gorgani’s have been shown round his rooms there; I fascinating – and Bravo!that you got to Vis and Ramin. This is not an especially was delighted to learn that his rooms had act one of them in a movie! One of the admired work in Iran itself, but for me previously been the Cambridge home of longest of my own poems is a monologue it is an absolutely extraordinary poem, the poet-scholar Thomas Gray (the Elegy by Teresia Shirley, who was more or less a unique in its beauty and charm, and one in A Country Churchyard Gray), who was present given by Shah Abbas to Sir Robert of the truly great love stories of the world. equally averse to jingoism and sympathet- Shirley, to be his wife. As you know, she I have never felt so close to an author as ic to non-English cultures and literatures; was an extraordinary woman, and against when I was translating Gorgani’s poem; a nice coincidence of minds across the all odds, as we might think, the marriage almost as if he were spookily in the room centuries in that cozy little wood-paneled was apparently a very happy one; after Sir with me at times, particularly when I was space. Robert’s death she became a Catholic nun, translating in the silence of the night. There were people before Brown of and died in Rome. An incredible life! It’s But then there is marvelous, ungraspable course, though none, with perhaps one true there haven’t been that many rabid Hafez – a poet who, as a friend has phrased exception, as distinguished as him. For ex- Persophiles from England, but in general it, “remains always just out of reach”. If I ample, there was quite a lot of translation they’re an interesting bunch,who’ve led had to characterize the difference between done from Persian into English throughout interesting lives. my relationship with Gorgani’s work and the 19th century, mostly by people with with Hafez’s, I feel that Gorgani perhaps connections to the British Raj in India. Which of the medieval poets welcomes me, and does so with a kind of The exams for the Raj included papers or authors is your favorite and complicit affection, but that Hafez is a in Persian, and so anyone who wanted why? Which is your favorite perpetual, very fascinating, tease; indeed to do well in that world had to learn at work? part of the great allure of Hafez’s poetry is least a modicum of the language, which that so much is shown, but that so much is meant that you get lots of bored army of- This is a very hard, perhaps impossi- also withheld. He is absolutely not going ficers and Indian civil servants translating ble, question to answer. The works I know to be pinned down. the odd Persian text in their spare time, best are naturally enough the ones I’ve of which some of them seemed to have translated (there’s nothing like translating What are your thoughts an inordinate amount. And then there’s a work to ensure that you know it very on Sufiism? Tell us about Edward FitzGerald, someone for whom thoroughly indeed, or at least you should translating Rumi, Attar,Hafez I have enormous affection, in so far as if you do your job properly) and to choose and El Ghazali and what one can have affection for someone dead between those would be like asking a par- you think of them....Nizami’s long before one was born, who put Persian ent to choose between his children. It’s Divan. poetry on the map in England, popularly at least, with his 1859 publication of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. You mention Richard Burton; it’s a moot point whether he knew any Persian at all, and probably he didn’t. The one translation from Persian published under his name, a version of Sa’di’s Golestan, was in reality done by another scholar, Ed- ward Rehatsek. It was probably published under Burton’s name to boost sales, as Burton’s works were known to include lots of titillating sexual details about the cul- tures he was concerned with, often in his footnotes. Rehatsek didn’t do this, so there were probably some very disappointed buyers of “Burton’s” Golestan. The one scholar before Brown, whom we can perhaps put on a par with him, is the 18th century linguist Sir William Jones – the first man to postulate the ex- istence of an Indo-European family of languages - who published the first Per- sian grammar in English (following the
Summer 2014 31 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E Another very difficult question! He’s more than a bit of a bully, in spiritual were, precisely, dogmatic. Now, whether When I was young, before I ever went to terms, and this can occasionally leave me Rumi “really” believed in the kind of open Iran, I was interested in medieval Euro- cold or irritated. Also his reputation in come-one come-all sentiments of some of pean mysticism, and read a fair number of the West as a kind of catch-allwelcomer his lyrics, or in the dogmatic exclusiveness its most famous texts (The Cloud of Un- of travelers on all spiritual paths really of some parts of his Masnavi, is hard to knowing, Dionysius the Areopagite, that ignores important aspects of his writings say, and perhaps it’s an irrelevant question. kind of thing …). When I started to learn (I think he himself would be appalled by (We can see a similar kind of genre-driven Persian it didn’t take me long of course to it, could he know how he is seen nowadays content in medieval Persian love poetry; realize that a great deal of Persian poetry by most of his western readers). narrative love poems are about hetero- has a Sufi / mystical tinge to it, and some His major work, the Masnavi, has sexual pairs of lovers, lyric love poems of it is all-out Sufi, as it were. My inter- a number of passages condemning other are taken to be about exclusively male est in mysticism continued after my wife religions, including Judaism, Christianity, couples (unless there is internal evidence and I left Iran, at the end of 1978, and I and Buddhism (which, like most medieval to the contrary, which is very rare); some even edited a little volume of the poems Persian poets, he confuses with Hindu- poets write both kinds of poem, and what- of the 17th century mystical poet Thomas ism) and their adherents. Now you might their own sexual preferences were seems Traherne, whose work I really admired say that this is just par for the course for largely irrelevant, the gender of the lovers very much (and still do). My wife Afkham his time, what do you expect? But Attar is decided by the genre in which the poet and I decided to translate Attar’s Manteqal doesn’t say such things (Attar is explicitly happens to be writing at a given time). Tayr mainly because we thought it was a sympathetic to other religions, and in the Given this it’s very hard to say whether text that could appeal to people from very Valley of Insight section of the Manteqal Rumi “really” believed in the latitudinar- different backgrounds, but also to some Tayr he says that each person reaches truth ian mysticism of his lyrics or in the much extent because we found its Sufi content following his own path, and this is fine, more dogmatic, Islam-centered, mysti- very attractive. – “Our insight comes to us by different cism of his Masnavi, but my own feeling is Over time I became rather weary of signs / One prays in mosques and one in that if he had to decide he would probably mysticism, both in its Christian and Sufi idols’ shrines …” etc). Neither does Hafez come down on the side of dogma (he’s forms, and I now think of myself more or condemn other religions; he too explicitly much more specific when he talks about less as an atheist. When I read mystical says that, if the heart is “true”, there is an dogma, as if the details of belief matter verse now it is really the poetry that I am equivalence between faiths.I think this is to him). For someone who doesn’t share interested in, rather than the Sufism. Still, partly to do with the personal backgrounds the dogma this is a barrier, one that isn’t a kind of respect for the spiritual serious- of the poets, and partly to do with poetic there in the work of either Attar or Hafez. ness of someone like Attar (or Traherne) genres. Rumi was trained as a theologian Don’t get me wrong, Rumi is obviously has remained with me, and in fact has and,despite everything that is said to have the most marvelous poet, a truly great begun to increase again over the years I happened with Shams-e Tabrizi, he has poet; but he’s less sympathetic as a poet think. That seriousness is just so humanly retained that sense of the importance of for me than either Hafez or Attar – I can moving, and even an avowed atheist can- dogma in his writings; neither Hafez nor find both his tone in many passages, and not wholly discount, I feel, the wisdom Attar were people whose profession was his didacticism, antipathetic (as one might gained by living a life with that kind of the religious life, and dogma means much acknowledge that Tolstoy is the most mar- focus and intensity. So I’m very drawn less to them. velous novelist, though still frequently to, and really respect, what I take to be The genre question is interesting; a finding both his tone and his preachiness authentic (a very loaded word, but it will lot of lyric poems in Persian celebrate a very off-putting). have to do) spiritual exploration / commit- kind of come-one come-all mystical reli- I’ve hardly read Al-Ghazali, and the ment, but I remain outside it; it’s not the giosity, and Rumi has a number of such bits I have read don’t do a lot for me. He’s world in which I live, or in which I think poems (and his popular Western reputa- an argumentative so-and-so, and I don’t I could live. tion largely rests on moments in poems of read literature to be argued with. He’s not Of the other writers you mention the this nature, and what we might call their really writing literature, he’s writing the- one of whom I have read the most, apart new-age extrapolation). But his didactic ology and philosophy, sometimes thinly from Hafez, is Rumi. I have problems poem, the Masnavi, has far fewer mo- disguised as a sort of quasi-literature. I ad- with Rumi. Both Attar and Hafez are poets ments like this, and it includes moments mire Nezami, but he takes an awfully long who admit ignorance, who say constantly when dogma is quite scathingly exclusive time to say anything, because his poetry is (especially Hafez) “I don’t know, we can’t of other faiths. In the Masnavi ignorance so extraordinarily self-consciously deco- know”, and this is one of the things that can be forgiven (as in the lovely story of rative (he’s quite like the British Elizabe- makes me trust them, and makes them the shepherd who wants to comb God’s than poet Edmund Spencer in this way); sympathetic to me (because I don’t know hair and catch his lice etc., who is reproved his poetry is very charming, but it’s very either, and like Hafez I really doubt any- for his blasphemy by Moses, and then much, for me, an incidental often rather one can truly claim to “know” about spiri- God reproves Moses for his reproof), but glittery charm (one is more impressed by tual matters, though some might be further adherence to the “wrong” faiths cannot. an image’s brilliance than by what is actu- along, as it were, than others). Now Rumi It’s partly poetic genre that dictates ally being said). I may well be wrong of is very sure he knows, and by God he’s such a division; Persian lyric poems tra- course. I have a feeling I should give Ne- going to tell you and you’d better listen ditionally were fairly latitudinarian about zami more time, as so many people whose and take his word for it. He hectors his religion, but long didactic / dogmatic judgments I trustthink so highly of him. audience; I really don’t like to be hectored. poems, like the Masnavi, were not; they to be continued
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