From: bashir@acsu.buffalo.edu (Noushin Bashir)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian
Subject: Let's hear it from Shamloo (WAS: A few pure Persian words ...)
Date: 21 Jan 93 16:13:44 GMT
Organization: State University of New York at Buffalo/Comp Sci

Dorood bar to ey Zamie Doroodsaraa,

>I guess it was almost a few years ago, that somebody (I think it was it
>was Mr. Shamloo) who tried to say the Shahnameh is bunch of lies 
>and now today he is back in Iran.

So? Is he supposed to be on the planet moon, or is he expected to reside
in South California next to my aunty?

>I finally could not understand such a
>character as Shamloo could do such a thing to his people.

What would you like to understand about such a character, dear? And
what exactly has he done to his people, I am quite curious to learn
about his crime.

Anyhow, to clarify the point, I am presenting parts of Shamloo's
interview with "aadeeneh" No. 72. The comments in [] are mine and are
used to abbreviate this interview. I am using <national culture>
instead of <farhang-e melee>, could someone think of a better word,
somehow it sounds sagheel to me.

Interviewer:
------------

your speech on "forgery in history"  caused a diverse reaction,
especially the part you talked about Zahak and Kaveh. Some believe
the study of history and mythology requires two different
approaches. And some took criticizing Ferdowsi as an attack to the
national culture. In your opinion, how should a contemporary
intellectual measure the values and anti-values of people such as
Ferdowsi? And on what bases should they find a correct understanding
of the history?

Shamloo:
--------

[he goes about expressing his disappointment with the so
called educated class of Iranians whom he finds backward and not
capable of confronting a personal opinion (right or wrong) in a
civilized manner. I take it he was harshly attacked for his speech!]

We are infected by a terrifying desease that is the genetical heritage
of centuries of inhuman living under the absolute oppression. We don't
know how to carry on a conversation, as we haven't learnt how to
participate in one. If you think they are listening to you, possibly
you're day dreaming. "oo az hamaan do se jomley-e avalet dar-e
sandog-khaneh raa basteh daared aan posht dandaan-haayash raa baraay
dareedan-e to teez meekoned."

"Ferdosi aaghaa? Ferdosi? ey vaay! be farhang-e aziz-o moghadas-e
melee, be shenaas-naamey-e melatee cheneen-o chonaan az taraf-e
shakhs-e ma`loom-o-l-haalee ke doshman-e har cheez-e eeraanee ast
hamleh shod!"

[he gets to where he says these people have mixed up "farhang-e melee"
and "meeraas-e ejtemaaee".]

It suffices to say that social legacy carries its name: museums are
full of objects that are the heritage of the past but are not
considered an element of the national culture. The custom ("Shaliteh")
of women during Nader's period in the anthropology museum has nothing
to do with the national culture. It is a set of actions and reactions, 
interactions, acceptances and denials, and re-examination of opinions
that forms a nation's culture, be it these elements are
inherited or are contemporary.

An individual who is not backward ["vaa-pas-garaa"], only looks at
the future, and all his efforts is toward the elevation of human
being, not only as an assigned duty but naturally reacts to the
elements of the past. 

[then he talks about the anti-people culture and how he gets upset
when he hears phrases such as: "Tork-o hadis-e dosteey ghesey-e aab-o
aatash ast" or "magar johood geer aavardeh-ee?".]

Now let's look at the "national culture" of these gentlemen who
claimed I have insulted:

In Boostaan (chapter 8) we read that someone slaps on the neck ("pas-e
gardanee") of a devout ("paarsaa") man, as he is thought to be Jewish. When
he realizes his mistake he apologizes to him. Do you know what the 
response of the devout man is? He gently says: I am worse than what you 
thought (I am worse than a Jew!) ("Khoshvaghtam  keh aanee ke pendaashtee
neestam!"). Just as easy as that!

I wonder how The master of the word himself would think of being
punished by a Moslem if he was born of a Jewish parent.  Of course,
the hatred of the master does not end to the tribe of the Moses, in
general whoever is not from us is naturally considered our enemy: 

ey kareemee ke az khazaaney-e ghayb
gabr-o tarsaa vazeefeh-khor daaree
doostaan raa kojaa konee mahroom
to ke baa doshmanaan nazar daaree!

In Masnavi, the "wise man" is recommanded to kill the Ghazvini
instead of the snake ("maar raa begzaar va ghazveenee bekosh!").
("Jaay-e ostaadaan-e deegar-e-maan Ali Akbar Dehkhodaa va Mohammad
Ghazvini khaalee ast ke nazareshaan raa darbaarey-e maar be-porseem! -
az hazrat-e Javad Mojaabee porseedam, farmood maa baraay-e een ke
emkaan-e entekhaab raa az moreedaan-e goosh be farmaan-e Molaanaa salb
koneem khodemaan peeshaapeesh tarteeb-e hamey-e maarhaay-e velaayat
raa daadeheem!")

In Shahnameh, a woman and a dragon ("ejdehaa") are both considered impure
("naa paak") and deserve to sink in the dirt ("to khaak foroo
berand"). A dog is preferred to 100 women ("sad ras zan"), and not just
any atheist ("az khodaa bee_khabar") woman, but precisely 100 pious
women, and the saying goes like: ("agar kotak zadan_e oo kaaree
mokrooh bood, fel_vaaghe: mar oo raa "mazan" naam boodee na "zan"!)

Do such beliefs really deserve to be called "our native culture"? or
am i "az marhaleh part"? Are these really the elements of the national
culture?  ("aayaa laghab_e "ostaad_e sokhan" javaaz_e be meeyaan
afkandan_e har yaavey_e sharm_aavaree ast?") If someone criticizes
such points, does it mean that he has attacked the national culture?
How come no one criticizes Hafiz who is exempted from such deviousities? 

Why do we assume that everything was perfectly said in the past? Why
do we assume all the life's guidelines are the same irreversible things
that were written 1000 years ago in the books? ("cheraa maa mardom har
az chandee beh khaaneh-takaaneey-e zehnee nemeepardaazeem? cheraa az
be mooze sepordan-e aghaayed-e ahd-e boogheeyemaan vahshat meekoneem?")
Why don't we ever realize we need a cultural revolution or at least a
serious investigation of our beliefs and whatever we have read or
heard? 

I ("bee taaroof") consider the media guilty for that ridiculous and
meaningless chaos which its market is still hot in the US. 

("albateh ozr-e aan dasteh az matbooaat-e faarsee zabaan-e chaap-e
aamreekaa ke teoreeseeyan-haay-e dar be dar-e havaadaar-e
"khodaayegaan" taghzeeyeshaan meekonand rooshan ast. hamaan
gonde-baafaan-e aashnaaee ke dorost yek vajab maandeh be darvaazey-e
"tamadon-e bozorg" paskhaaneh raa be peeshkhaaneh dookhtand. aanhaa
baa janjaal va hayaahoo ooftaadand meeyaan taa baa doshnaam goftan-e
be man, jol-e pooseedey-e bee-etebaareey-e taareekheey-e khodeshaan
raa az aab beeroon bekeshand. jaay-e aan chand taa lagadee ke khordand
taa saalhaay-e deraaz dard khaahad kard.")

[and then he goes on about another group of people who enjoy making a
mess (lajan maalee) in any situation. The rest of this section of the 
interview is about the letters and articles that were received or
published on this subject]. 

------ end 

				
				Noushin


-- 
Happy the man, and happy he alone. He, who can call today his own. He
who, secure within, can say: Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived
today. 
				-John Dryden