Exploiting History and Engineering Hatred: Lesson from Balkan War

 This was my take on a fascinating essay by Farangis Bayat on the Balkan war and how nationalism led to one of the most heinous acts of genocide in modern Europe.

This is a dive into Yugoslavia's contemporary history post-world war II. How Tito's relatively benevolent dictatorship provided a shift from Stalinist ideas and a ground for nationalism.

The new-age nationalism was not the result of a single party's ideology and movements. Actually, a group of social groups including intellectuals, academics, artists, and religious figures collectively helped promote nationalism. To this end, they invested heavily in pseudo-narratives of history, a fabricated image of Serbians throughout history. Secondly, they exploited these narratives against non-Serbian ethnic groups (i.e. Croats, Albanians, Bosnians, and Slovenians). 

The role of intellectuals should be cautiously interpreted as the social class in Yugoslavia was oppressed under Tito's regime. This oppression was more pronounced for nationalist intellectuals and pushed them toward a more militant approach instead of targeting existential questions that you'd e expect an intellectual to be engaged with.

On the other hand, Marxist intellectuals were more adherent to social and philosophical methodology and attempted to tackle social issues. However, the complexity of their language cost them healthy communication with the public and the bond with the populace. The other aspect surrounding the political milieu ending in the Balkan war is the distance from Stalinism which provided a relatively free space for various groups to confront traditional Marxist ideas. Marxists were struggling with their communication with citizens and liberals were gradually getting closer to nationalists. The resultant vacuum proved to be an ominous political end-product wisely exploited by Serbian nationalists. 

One key component of nationalism in the build-up of their argument is the need for the "Other" party: an ever-present, threatening existence that always stands at odds with your existence. They theorize, organize, create and operate in antagonism with the "Other". In other words, the "Threat" created by "Them" unites "Us". Nationalist arts and literature produced by scientists, artists, and intellectuals such as Radovan Karadžić and Mića Popović are examples of how all social domains were recruited to fulfill the nationalist goals. That's where the machiavellian narrative of history comes into effect. A picture of victimized ethnicity unfairly forced to live under atrocious conditions. 

Pedram

January 2023

  

نمدمال کردن آخرین خلیفه عباسیان

 هفت روز پس از تصرف بغداد توسط نیروهای نظامی هلاکوخان ایلخان مغولی ایران و قتل عام ساکنان آن، بیستم فوریه 1258 مستعصم بالله (ابواحمد عبدالله) آخرین خلیفه عباسی کشته شد و خلافت عباسیان برای همیشه پایان یافت. به هلاکو گفته بودند خلیفه عباسی یک مقام اسلامی است و ریختن خون مقام مذهبی منع شده و برای حکومت او بدیمن است، خیر و برکت را از میان می برد و بدبختی خواهد آورد. هلاکو این اندرز را چند روز مورد بررسی قرار داد و سرانجام تصمیم گرفت مستعصم بالله را به طریق نمدمال کردن از میان بردارد که با این طریق خون او ریخته نمی شود که بدیمنی به بار آورد. این تصمیم بیستم فوریه به اجرا درآمد و خلیفه 45 ساله را لای یک نمد بزرگ (به اندازه فرش) قرار دادند و آنقدر بر زمین مالیدند و حلقه نمد را تنگ کردند تا درگذشت بدون اینکه خونش جاری شود

منبع: روزنامه شرق

The Nonviolence Handbook: Tribute to Dr. Farhad Meysami

I read this great book by Michael N Nagler. This is constructed around the concept propagated by Gandhi based on Satyagraha. How to seriously consider Satyagraha in practice and amid the chaotic circumstances surrounding turbulent social unrest and conflicts where violence seems to be the only feasible solution. 

Nonviolent resistance is an act of compassion and is driven by an inherent characteristic of humans. That is why it is a positive phenomenon and an approach based on being and creating capitalizing on existing forces 

Nonviolent resistance is the artful hard-fought skill to transform the negative drives of anger and fear into something constructive. So the notion of nonviolence being a purely reactionary stance is not true.

As Kenneth Boulding points out this approach relies on an integrative power rather than a threat or exchange power. This means that those who exercise this method see their enemies as similar to themselves in their fundamental being. A well-executed message may reach our rivals (frequently armed and in a power position) and may subdue the deadliest weapons they possess. The people power revolution in the Philippines in 1986 has been mentioned as an example where this soft-looking approach yielded a significant impact. 

One caveat is that observant and vigilant activists should be mindful of all the violence they gave. Normalization of structural violence is not acceptable and that is the very reason the nonviolent activist opted a completely opposite method. It must be noted that communities chronically exposed to violence may have an inclination toward violence. This is an insidious and visceral process that all nonviolent activists should be aware of and work against.

It is noteworthy that the book is so special partly because the Farsi translation was done by one of the noble instructors I have known in my formative years of education: Dr. Fathad Meysami. Dr. Meysami is an Iranian physician activist who unfortunately has been imprisoned for his peaceful civil activism, He translated this book while detained in Rajaishar prison. I pray for his health and safety and hope to celebrate his freedom soon.

فرهنگ شفاهی

 غلبه ی فرهنگ شفاهی و سواد شفاهی به جای اتکا به منابع متنی، خطری بزرگ برای جامعه ایست که به دنبال  دانش و تقویت فرهنگ استدلال ورزیست.

The Drawbacks of Nation-State Idea

I have been preoccupied with the narrative of those simplifying world events through nation-state narrative. Even though there are traits which seem to follow the rationale of those in favor of nationalism, a gander at contemporary history provides evidence that disagrees with this notion. Herein I've excerpted some lines from Pinker's book "Enlightenment Now":

"First, the claim that humans have an innate imperative to identify with a nation-state (with the implication that cosmopolitanism goes against human nature) is bad evolutionary psychology. Like the supposed innate imperative to belong to a religion, it confuses a vulnerability with a need. People undoubtedly feel solidarity with their tribe, but whatever intuition of “tribe” we are born with cannot be a nation-state, which is a historical artifact of the 1648 Treaties of Westphalia. (Nor could it be a race, since our evolutionary ancestors seldom met a person of another race.) 

In reality, the cognitive category of a tribe, in-group, or coalition is abstract and multidimensional. People see themselves as belonging to many overlapping tribes: their clan, hometown, native country, adopted country, religion, ethnic group, alma mater, fraternity or sorority, political party, employer, service organization, sports team, even brand of camera equipment. (If you want to see tribalism at its fiercest, check out a “Nikon vs. Canon” Internet discussion group.) 

It’s true that political salesmen can market a mythology and iconography that entice people into privileging a religion, ethnicity, or nation as their fundamental identity. With the right package of indoctrination and coercion, they can even turn them into cannon fodder. That does not mean that nationalism is a human drive. Nothing in human nature prevents a person from being a proud Frenchman, European, and citizen of the world, all at the same time.

The claim that ethnic uniformity leads to cultural excellence is as wrong as an idea can be. There’s a reason we refer to unsophisticated things as provincial, parochial, and insular and to sophisticated ones as urbane and cosmopolitan. No one is brilliant enough to dream up anything of value all by himself. Individuals and cultures of genius are aggregators, appropriators, greatest-hit collectors. Vibrant cultures sit in vast catchment areas in which people and innovations flow from far and wide. This explains why Eurasia, rather than Australia, Africa, or the Americas, was the first continent to give birth to expansive civilizations (as documented by Sowell in his Culture trilogy and Jared Diamond in Guns, Germs, and Steel). 

It explains why the fountains of culture have always been trading cities on major crossroads and waterways. And it explains why human beings have always been peripatetic, moving to wherever they can make the best lives. Roots are for trees; people have feet. Finally, let’s not forget why international institutions and global consciousness arose in the first place. Between 1803 and 1945, the world tried an international order based on nation-states heroically struggling for greatness. It didn’t turn out so well. It’s particularly wrongheaded for the reactionary right to use frantic warnings about an Islamist “war” against the West (with a death toll in the hundreds) as a reason to return to an international order in which the West repeatedly fought wars against itself (with death tolls in the tens of millions). After 1945 the world’s leaders said, “Well, let’s not do that again,” and began to downplay nationalism in favor of universal human rights, international laws, and transnational organizations. The result has been seventy years of peace and prosperity in Europe and, increasingly, the rest of the world. 

As for the lamentation among editorialists that the Enlightenment is a “brief interlude,” that epitaph is likelier to mark the resting place of neo-fascism, neo-reaction, and related backlashes of the early 21st century. The European elections and self-destructive flailing of the Trump administration in 2017 suggest that the world may have reached Peak Populism, and as we saw in an international order based on nation-states heroically struggling for greatness. It didn’t turn out so well. It’s particularly wrongheaded for the reactionary right to use frantic warnings about an Islamist “war” against the West (with a death toll in the hundreds) as a reason to return to an international order in which the West repeatedly fought wars against itself (with death tolls in the tens of millions)."

Pinker, Steven. Enlightenment Now (pp. 450-451). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

Photo: Morocco fans celebrate in the central Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. Morocco beat Spain on penalties during a round of 16 World Cup soccer tournament in Qatar. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)

Clowns Representing My National Team!

 

The picture is from a friendly game between Iran and Uruguay, on September 23, 2022.  These are Iranian players celebrating the goal by Mehdi Taremi. 

Just to put it into context: on the same date city of Oshnavieh was the scene of heavy protest and clashes between people and police. Heavy fights were reported in Isfahan at dusk. Universities shifted to virtual teaching mode to avoid further students protests.

On the same date, state-organized rallies in support of the hejab and the government were held (The government claimed that the rallies were spontaneous, while many reformist parties within the system were frequently denied the right to gather and demonstrate). Furthermore, The United States Department of State issued a general license facilitating US corporations' access to the Iranian Internet market. This was followed by ecstatic news of Elon Musk expanding Starliknk services to cover Iran as well.   

But back in the Iranian footballists' delusional bulb, the outlook looked vastly different. They see rosier landscapes. Impending world cup, impending demonstration of their talents, and abundant luxury contracts would be awaiting.  Many Iranian football players are professionals on fat contracts engineered by astute agents who are handling their affairs. Many of them are playing in European leagues. They are not the best examples of education and social/political maturity. 

In fact, the behavior of many of the Iranian national team squad was deemed as tone-deaf toward the social milieu they come from.  Their social media can be a good measure to evaluate their stance. They are a generation of players who express opinions over various issues on social media. From the quality of the kits they used to wear at the national team to the birthday greetings, etc all were expressed through these popular platforms. However, they switched to a mute mode and opted a neutral stance regarding what was happening in the streets of their homeland, probably their hometwons, probably members of their families. Understandably, Iranian fans were infuriated and they feel divorced from this so-called "National Team" or "Team Melli". Words are raped once again in the current politically-stained rhetoric and Iranian uprising intends to reclaim their vocabulary. "Team Melli" is from "Mellat (People), and plays for Mellat. 

These players (and again reiterate there are exceptions within the current squad who were vocal and proactive) are symbols of complacent conformity. They are a bunch of careerists running in circles to satisfy career goals. This career trajectory will not ultimately move them a jot toward becoming mature humans. 

Sometimes a win represents a million losses.

Pedram, November 22, 2022

The Oppressed

 وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتُضْعِفُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةًۭ وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ

But it was Our Will to favour those who were oppressed in the land, making them models ˹of faith˺ as well as successors

(Al-Qasas-5)

The Crazy Art of Tehlonoius Monk

 

I just saw the documentary "Straight, No Chaser" depicting life and art of Mr. Thelonious Monk.

What impresses me the most?

-"He was a genius jazzman." Yes, I already heard a few things!

-"He had an unorthodox style." Yes, he was the phenom

-"He had a problematic mental health history." Yes, like many artists, TM had his fair share of mental health issues.

All of them aspects are important and well-documented about him.

What I had not appreciated, what I could not grasp via listening to him, was how transcendence is embodied in one's art. Him dancing in such maniac fashion in between pieces on stage, is something out of this world. 

I witnessed greatneness, transcendence, and oneness! Body shuttles a spirit in perpetual burn.

Pedram

October 29, 2022