Seeing Iran as One Timeless Entity ( with Marzieh's blogpost )

Iranian Election - Picture is by Bahman Sadeghi from JameJamOnline

A 'Creature" Named Iran! by Marzieh

Taking Iran as an organism, I would have to say that Iran is somewhat a mythical creature for it’s not just ONE creature on its own but rather made up of some.

In its outer layer alone one can describe it as being two distinctively different creatures. When observed from afar it can be either a monster or something as opposing as a fairy, all depending on your perspective. If you are all friend determined on seeing nothing but goodness then the fairy will appear to you and if you are all foe then the monster becomes very much visible.

But if you are willing to take a closer look with the eyes of a critical observer then the appearance changes altogether. For upon a closer inspection you will notice that Iran is neither of these alone, but a mixture. On the one hand it claims to have left much evil behind and be on the road to glory and harmony. Yet, on the other hand it encounters so many evils on its path so as to make the onlooker unsure of the road it is to take next. There is a human side to it as well as a monstrous one and so the most important thing is to decide on the side which would prevail in the end. But it is no easy matter to simply fix on one or the other. If the evils which it encounters on its way are seen as a consequence of its actions and decisions, then doom is inevitable for surely the “monster” is leading the way to self-destruction. But what if the hardships and the trouble are taken to be as natural phenomena it should face on its way to power, glory and victory? Will that not help to consider this yet unknown creature with more sympathy than it is now awarded?

And therefore, on observing the ambiguity with which it is connected, you are likely to see the uncertainty of its current state such that it will leave you with a feeling of indecision as to a complete determination of its full nature.

From Marzieh's blogpost Saturday, June 13, 2009 Find the original here

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Concluding Notes from Connie - oneheartforpeace blogger

Efforts toward peace between Iran and the West:

Recently I attended a presentation by a US peacemaker priest from the order of St. Francis. He said that when he went with a group of peacemakers to Iran some months back Iranians told of the candles lit all over Iran right after 911 in peace-loving empathy for Americans. The photo he showed was a candle representing these with beautiful persian art decorating the base of these lights of peace. I remembered something a Pakistani scholar said about how America could have "had it all for love" if only other choices had been made after that tragic event.

When I picture Iran with my limited inner vision - the one symbol which comes up for me continually is "Mirrors" and next is "Gardens" ...These and so many other positive and rich "living metaphors" emerge when many of us in the West read with our inner vision - looking for connections and beautiful additions from or about the Persian culture. So when I happened across a recent notice of the following literary award - I was quite pleased - just as some other lovers of Persian poetry here may be as well.

And by the way - how about the following for echoing Marzieh's poetic vision?

"...in Persian literature symbols exist in a single cosmos and are split from a luminous charter" quote from literary report below.

The Jalal award winning author on his newest work "Cosmos Mirrors"

A few excerpts from "Literary symbols as split from a luminous charter"

"Hosein Ali Ghobadi", the first Jalal award winner in literary criticism category, says "Cosmic Mirrors" is the continuation of "Mirror's Faith".

Ghobadi believes that this book which is about the symbolic net of Shams sonnets...He said: "while working on Mirror's Faith I realized Iranian symbols are not merely single stars that decline...Some of these origins turn into archetypes and are the source of some metaphors and also some myths...'I believe there is no other literary work that is filled with more poetic impression than Rumi's sonnets. In my opinion this book is the most poetic book of all.' For the original and full article here



Illustration by Marianne Goldin.