'A Friend's Find' as only 'Friends Find'

I wrote this one a while ago. Raza's post compelled me to put it up; it is a tribute to friends who find...

Finding Me

Fearful and feared
forward I fared.
Amid amicable acquaintances
feeling fashionably friendless.

and then…
a hug, a joyful cry
and tears that were endless.

The mega miles of distance
had long lost their credence;
My friend had I found…
or perhaps he did find me!

SR

Kurban Said's "Ali and Nino" - An Irrelevant Romance or a Relevant Lesson in Cultural Coexistence

Kurban Said's novel captures a romance between two unlikely lovers, Nino, a Georgian Christian, and Ali, an Asian Shia Muslim. The story unravels in and around 1903 in the exotic city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

My brother who recently visited Tiblisi, the capital of Georgia, was given this novel by his student guide who called this book the national novel of Azerbaijan. His curiosity sufficiently aroused, my brother started reading the novel that very evening and finished it within the next 48 hours! It was therefore not a surprise for me, that Ali and Nino was the book he gave me for Christmas this year.

The story is about two individuals, who in today's world would perhaps never have met, far from falling in love as they do in the novel! Mr. Said, if he were a contemporary writer, would certainly have invoked the ire and hatred of fundamentalist groups across the world for having coined a situation such as this. He would even have joined the ranks of Orhan Pamuk and Salman Rushdie for having transgressed socio-cultural taboos. So, should credit be given to Mr Said for having dared to create a story about love, honor, and conflict amid and despite a changing world; as Ali puts it, "The fragrance of the Persian roses had suddenly vanished, and instead of the clear desert air of Baku and the faint scent of the sea, sand and oil was around me." Said was possibly referring to the oil boom in Baku that the Nobel family made their riches on, when "five gallons of good oil could be bought for one cent"! Alongside, Said could also see the chasm that was developing between the two great religions of the world that had thus far peacefully coexisted in Baku through mutual respect and understanding. Kurban Said's heart-rending tale of love transcended all the apparent differences between Ali and Nino, until the war intervened. The families of the two lovers and their communities are not only accepting of their love, but even wish to give it the sanctity of marriage. This is what makes the novel so unique, and Said, its creator, a maverick, even so a 'madjnoun' (a lover and a madman) for having envisioned a utopia such as Baku and for daring to conjure a romance such as that of Ali and Nino.

Ali, the Muslim Azerbaijani, is very proud of his Asian heritage that provides him with "the soul of the desert man... desert that does not ask, does not give, and does not promise anything . . . The desert man ... has but one face and knows but one truth, and that truth fulfills him." Nino, on the other hand, a Christian Georgian who loves Paris, clearly sees herself as European, and is 'of the woods...is full of questions...and has many faces." Nevertheless, the two fall in love, and this love blossoms in the Caucasus, against the grim backdrop of the Russian Revolution. Baku's diversity becomes a perfect setting for such a love to flower; a place where Ali goes to school with " forty schoolboys ...in the Imperial Russian Humanistic High School of Baku, Transcaucasia: thirty Mohammedans, four Armenians, two Poles, three Sectarians and one Russian.'' It is ironic though, that Azerbaijanis, like Ali, felt quite an affinity and shared such bonhomie with their Christian neighbors even as they shared their Shiite faith with Iran and their language with Turkey!

This novel carries an aura of mystery around it since its authorship has been questioned numerous times, and it is still uncertain as to whether the Austrian Baroness Ehrenfels or Nussimbaum, a Jewish convert to Islam, has authored this tender romance. Originally published in Germany somewhere in the thirties, it was translated into English in 1971 and has a foreword by Paul Theroux who calls this work a "living proof that art is indestructible and transcendent...and part of its message is that governments rise and fall, wars rage, cities are laid waste, people are displaced, and authors die...written words remain...it is of little consequence who wrote them" thereby attributing Said's work the universality of a classic.

Ali and Nino is a novel that so poignantly explores ethnic identities and their impact on our personalities as they interact in an ethnically diverse environment. The Kurdish, the Turkish, the Armenians, the Tutsis, the Hutus, the Sudanese, the Palestinians, the Kashmiris, the Kikuyu and every other group in the grips of ethnic conflict would find many parallels within this rich saga of cultural coexistence. The question is, having drawn the parallels, will they come out the wiser having learned a lesson in cultural coexistence, or will they simply discard Said's novel as just another irrelevant romance...

"Lives of Others" by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck - A Portrait of Stasi Operations; perhaps McCarthyism Revisited?

This movie had to be special since it outdid other foreign films films like Pan's Labyrinth and Water at the 2006 Oscar Awards!

Lives of Others, a German film, by writer director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, has won numerous awards and nominations, and for a reason; it is truly a film that captures ones imagination by presenting the nightmare which was East Germany in the late eighties and early nineties during the Stasi era. The tactics and procedures used by the Stasi undermined humanity and civilized behavior which included the psychological breaking down of a fellow human being simply on the grounds of suspicion. "Lives of Others", set in this period, revolves around a playwright, Dreyman, who is perhaps the last man standing among his peers, most of who have been either imprisoned or sent to undisclosed locations for interrogation for their suspected involvement in anti state activities. Many 'blacklisted' artists, not willing to suffocate their art, had chosen the extreme way out and had committed suicide. It is one such suicide, of Dreyman's friend and fellow writer who, not being able to handle ostracism from the writing community, hangs himself, and that catapults Dreyman, the moderate, into action; he decides to do the forbidden: write about the growing suicides rates among artists in GDR! What Dreyman does or does not do is basically the plot of the film. However, what makes this movie special is that Dreyman, despite being the focus of the plot, may not be the chief protagonist of the film! Lives of Others has a near mute, rarely visible, and seldom opining protagonist, Captain Wiesler, who side lined in the plot, is pivotal to the theme of the movie. The dexterity with which von Donnersmarck completely upstages the apparent plot by an incisive theme is to be marveled at. Dreyman, the action maker, is but a puppet, used for establishing the raison d'etre of Wiesler, the main protagonist.

The fates of characters like the young recruit in the lunchroom, the beautiful Crista-Maria, and the dutiful Captain Wiesler paint a fearful picture of East Germany enveloped in a cloud of moral vacuum, cultural darkness, and rampant suspicion. It is a society under seige; totalitarianism at its worst where every human weakness is exploited, and confused and entrapped citizens are forced to make impossible choices like Crista-Maria having to betray her lover!


Ulrich Muje, as the Stasi Captain, has done a remarkable job by underplaying the tenderest and the grimmest of human emotion in the film. There is no outward rendering of any extreme human feeling through out the film; yet, the audience is held spellbound in a labyrinth of powerful human emotions. Even at the end, the movie does not let go of you: Why did Dreyman not introduce himself to Wiesler? What made Captain Wiesler, an acclaimed officer with the Stasi, do what he did? Why this title?

Why the particular title, and what did von Donnersmarck wish to convey through this movie? I am still in the grey regarding the title, but I do think that the last line in the movie is a give away to what the writer wanted us to take away from the film: “Es ist für mich”—“It’s for me.” An implicit warning that a situation like the one in the movie could happen again, and one of us could be its victim and be saying "It's for me." Ironically enough, it is Minister Hempf who earlier on in the film says, "Men don't change", and that is the fear. Somewhere underneath our veneer of civility there lurks a darkness, that if unleashed, can easily bring about a Stasi network or a McCarthy era; the Patriot Act of recent times is perhaps a close contender. Yet, von Donnersmarck does not leave us bereft of hope because Dreyman does dedicate his book "Sonata of a Good Man" to Captain Wiesler who also graciously and proudly accepts it saying “Es ist für mich” (It's for me). An ambiguity no doubt, as it is both, an assertion of hope and also a note of warning.

A movie definitely worth watching!

Benazir - A Voice Silenced.

Silence,
when...
she's begotten
she's labored
she's oppressed
she's traded
she's violated

Silenced,
when...
she cries
she pleads
she reveals
she debates
she protests

She isn't mute or a mutant;
Quite the intelligent being.
Why then the silence?
Not for lack of a voice
or for want of a cause.
Soundless those cries
of an identity undefined.
Who is she,
and why won't she be heard?
Does she pose a threat
as the voice of reason
in a world gone astray?

Ayan Hirsi Ali - A Controversial Voice for the Women of Islam?

Women of Islam, you have nothing to lose but your silence, and a world to enlighten!

I read Ayan Hirsi Ali's write up in the New York Times a couple of days ago, and much to my chagrin, I agreed with her on many points. Here is a woman who has lost credibility with the public because of her contradictory statements regarding her past. Despite being an ex member of parliament in Netherlands, and now a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, for most Ayan still remains under doubt. Having read her book The Infidel and knowing that she is now a part of a conservative think tank make us even more wary of her stances and her writings. Those of us in academia feel she lacks credence, as there is very little to document or prove what she says to be true. The ordinary man feels she is just a vocal minority making her claim to a few moments of fame, worried she may not get another chance. Those with Anti American feelings see her as a mouth piece for the USA, venting hatred against Islam. This list could be endless as there is so much flak against the controversial Ms Ali.

However, there is one thing that stands steadfast in her favor: that she is the one Muslim woman to have a view point about how she and other women in her community be treated. Credible or otherwise, she certainly speaks up when need be, even if it's under immense duress and fearful threats !

There have been the likes of Benazir Bhutto, Wafa Sultan, Laleh Sadigh, Shirin Ebadi, and Taslima, Nasreen, whose opinions get heard. But how is it that we only hear the voices of these few female celebrities out of our Islamic world. Where are the voices of the ordinary Islamic women? Mukhtaran Bibi's was perhaps one ordinary female voice we heard; a saddened and soulful Mukhtaran Bibi who apparently is not heard as often any more. There are some collective voices heard protesting out of Iran , but by and large the female world and its voices are unidentifiable and unheard! Are they even there, and if so why are they forever quiet? Are they mute, or muted? Do they want a voice or have they resigned to being spoken for?

We may not agree with, or believe what Ms Hirsi Ali says, but at least we know she has a voice that she makes heard when she pleases. But as for the rest of them, can we hear what they have to say? Will they please speak up for themselves. Why must we always hear them through our male counterparts? It's not that our women lack the ability or the expertise to articulate their thought; afterall, they come from the gene pool of Ai'shas, and Nurjahans! Why then the silence?

Isabel Allende's "Portrait in Sepia" - A Self-Discovery in Part (s)?

A 'sepia' portrait no doubt! Isabel Allende once again rakes up a history to bring focus to a blurry present; this time to the identity of Aurora De Valle, alias Lai Ming, the photographer protagonist of Allende's 2001 novel Portrait in Sepia, originally written in Spanish and translated into English by Margaret Sayers.

Allende's last novel that I read, My Invented Country, was an amazing journey into nostalgia, however, this time even though Allende's heroine embarks on a journey into her past, the revelations that it brings are certainly not nostalgic. It is a flagellation of sorts that tears up the protagonist in more ways than one. Does that make the novel a tragedy? Well, that's for you to read and figure out...

Aurora's journey of self realization takes her across continents: China, USA, and Chile, and it is to Allende's credit that she weaves a historical/social context around each of these settings. For instance, China Town in California, the home of Aurora's maternal grandparents, is also the setting for flesh trade and child prostitution. Chile, where Aurora grows into womanhood, is embroiled in military aggression against Peru and Bolivia; suffering and death are a permanent backdrop in Aurora's canvas.

As for the title of the novel, one which piqued me no end... 'sepia' apparently is a "brassy antique color-effect, characteristic of old photographs". It is therefore, no wonder, that Allende titled Aurora's voyage of self discovery as a Portrait in Sepia. Given Aurora's passion for photography combined with her dire need to find herself, the title becomes a perfect fit. Were it a painting instead of a novel, the yellowish brown tone, the sepia, would intensify as Aurora delved deeper into her past; after all it's our heritage, our past , that lends hue, color, and dimension to our present. Also, a sepia portrait holds a mysterious, old-world charm, and I think in this novel that was Allende's intention, "because things are so ambiguous in that sense, so delicate and so unfocused...You don't have to decide anything. Things just are, and you somehow float or ... you are just there. In a very, very delicate form", quite like a portrait in sepia.

Isabel Allende's Portrait in Sepia reads like any decent historical romance, and it will, perhaps, not make it into the category of 'Great Literature', but anyone who enjoys reading will not regret having picked this one up.

"Love in the Time of Cholera" - An Entertainer, but one Lacking Heart.

Quite the disappointment for those who have read Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel of the same name. However, the movie by itself was pretty entertaining though it did not fulfill screenwriter Newell's goal of 'adapting a beloved novel into a story that will work well on the big screen."

I went into the movie hall to experience the magical realism of a Marquez creation but alas what wrapped me instead was the languorous charm of a sensual tale of unrequited love. The picturesque 19th century Colombia becomes an ideal setting for the audience to lose focus and get involved with the array of characters, most of who are caricatures and did not need any deciphering. Once I had set aside my expectation of the film, I enjoyed it a lot more. Once in a while we do like to see sentimental love stories that tug at our heart strings. Here was one such movie that made me feel for both the lover who was a loser, as also for the husband who lacked the lure to be a lover. The femme fatal that aroused such longings, both lecherous and loving, is an implausible heroine whose actions defy causality, and thus it is no surprise that she considers it her prerogative to be fickle in matters of the heart. Given this delectable cast of actors and a master director at the helm I could not but enjoy the 12o+ minutes of sheer sentimentality and sexuality without cause.

Mr. Marquez's novel told a story of an obsessive and heartbreaking love that defied the finiteness of life. It magically suspended the readers disbelief so that he willingly and empathetically joined the protagonist in sitting out his entire life waiting for his love to return to him. Newell's adaptation, though entertaining and visually captivating did not carry its audience the way the novel did; it was a far cry from Marquez's heartrending masterpiece.

The Pain Behind a Grain

A cut, an abrasion,
a wound, an infection;
sure sources of pain, but
a hurt that goes away-
mere temporal discomforts.

Alas, they're not all the same
The pain behind the grain
appears like it's here to stay.


Can it go away?
Not if public apathy stays.
Those pangs of hunger,
bleeding ulcers create.
Those horrifying statistics
do humanity decimate.

Click the link to clear your conscience.
Perhaps word power may make the difference.