In the classical text of Iranian mythology, Shahnameh (The Book of Kings), one of the most romantic and symbolically expressive tales is that of Siavash, the son of a mythical king, Keykavos. The king's wife Rudabeh falls for Siavash and tries to seduce him. The son resists the temptation so as not to betray his father's trust, but the rejected queen takes revenge by accusing him of trying to rape her. To prove his innocence, he agrees to pass a test set by his father, to jump into a giant fire on the premise that if he has told the truth, the fire would turn cold. Siavash passes the test and emerges from the fire unscathed. Iranians today celebrate this mythical victory of truth over deception by jumping over fires in the festival of fire and light, Chaharshanbeh-soori, on the last Wednesday before Norouz (the Iranian New Year, celebrated on March 21).
Could the mythical Siavash ever have imagined that this year's celebration could be so genuinely a victory of truth over falsehood? Or that the people's demand for truth, which initiated the uprising in response to an adulterated election, could lead to a more radical demand for freedom from a dictatorial regime? Could Siavash ever have imagined that his tale of the victory of 'truth' over 'power' in 2010 not only rejuvenated a bruised political movement, but also made it possible for its truth to be seen around the world as Iranians in cities and towns across the country came out to oppose the military-financial mafia?
The 2010 Chaharshanbeh-soori protests also introduced another method of struggle: the assertion of happiness, joy and dance as weapons against a regime that celebrates death and mourns life. This is a regime which encourages its supporters to pray for a glorious death rather than a creative and joyful life; most of its religious festivals end up in graveyards, and has forcefully buried its war dead in universities. But on Chahasshanbeh-soori, protestors faced police not by throwing stones but with dance, music and laughter in the streets. The method is a new kind of prefigurative politics; a window onto a possible future society that celebrates freedom, life and peace.
On the whole, the Chaharshanbeh Soori protest-celebration, using Khomeini's favourite term, was a slap on the face of the supreme leader. Not only because most of the slogans were directed at him, but also because he and other state ayatollahs had issued fatwas against such "un-Islamic" celebrations. The festival was by definition a challenge to the regime's authority. It also showed that the Green movement is alive and kicking, and indeed now cuts across class and ethnic divides. And it demonstrated that in public culture, Iraniat (Iranianism) and Islamism are infused with one another, despite various attempts by political powers to draw an artificial wedge between these two main sources of identity. Many of the participants were equally involved in the earlier Ashura demonstrations and in Chaharshanbeh Soori, which has pre-Islamic roots.
Most importantly, on this occasion people themselves took the initiative to determine the spaces for expression of discontent. Unlike the demonstrations on the anniversary of the revolution, in which people joined a demonstration that had been planned and controlled by the regime (on the unsavvy recommendation of many Green movement "think tanks"), the regime had little idea where protests would be held, and its forces were inadequate to counter such widespread demonstrations. If the revolutionary uprising next reclaims 'time,' and so does not wait for the Iranian calendar to decide when it should organize future protests, it could do even more to exhaust the regime's resources and perhaps hasten its collapse.
The symbolic myth of Siavash has one final lesson for the Green movement. In order to prove his innocence, Siavash confronted his ultimate test and entered into the fire to make it cold. Presently, the fire preventing the Green movement from achieving its goal of freedom is the regime's oppressive force. To face down the Guards will require a courage that emanates from being on the right. But this will turn the fire cold, and truth and freedom will triumph over falsehood and despotism. This lesson from Siavash -- symbolic in myth but lived in resistance -- could prove to be an effective method for winning this battle.
Obviously Ferdowsi could not write this, and so he repeated a story from the older book called Khoayeh Namak.
In political terms, we Iranians have released all our anger against the mullahs and continue our non-violent quest for regime change. It has happened in our minds, and the whole nation now, more than ever celebrates Iranian festivals than anything else.
For any correspondent tomorrow at 17:32:32 GMT (which is the correct time of the Vernal Equinox) will see all Iranians, even the mullahs fall in line, together with many millions across central and western Asia to comemorate the beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
May I take this opportunity to thank Huffington Post reporters and editors for the space they have given me and other Iranians in these trying times, and wish you a successful new day, or as we say in Persian Norooz Pirooz.
Now when we look back we feel a sense of disgust of what they did on those painful years. Joining an enemy who did’t give a damn about Iranian sufferings.
Mousavi of today is like Rajavi of those days, trumpeting the same tune of neocons. His friend according Ari Ben Menashe , the Israeli defector is Manouchehr Ghorbani who is (was) a CIA agent (refer to Profits of War by Ari).
It is agonizing to watch so many Iranians who are now living in the West don’t see the big picture.
Go to counterpunch.com/sasan02182010.html Sasan says it better
If you have thoughts about "an enemy who did’t give a damn about Iranian sufferings" I suggest you reexamine your faulty reasoning where you show you don't give a damn about the suffering of Iranians at the hands of IRI but instead indulge in ludicrous attacks at someone fighting for Iranians.
suffering? you have to be an expert on recent history of Iran to qualify for talking about suffering.
I urge you reading Sasan’s article carefully.
The sufferings in the time of the Shah were deep....apparently you have no idea how.
Wake up....Mousavi has CIA ties.....the protestors in June were used as pawns of those who want to destroy Iran....if you have open mind do an impartial research.....in Google type “effort destabilize iran”....read the articles carefully.....
This wasn't a major victory for the Green Movement, but it was a clear defeat for the Iranian government. This process is going to take a long time, and as long as the Green fire is burning the Khamidinejad regime cannot sleep at night.
See my newest articles on this week's events at http://www.dissectednews.com/2010/03/green-flames-s…l-burn-in-iran.html
Uh, no it doesn't.
http://www.raceforiran.com/iran%E2%80%99s-green-movement-approaches-irrelevance-why-does-washington-continue-to-gamble-on-it
It is not just mythology, it's about much more.
amazing......you are typify the true Greenies....who only care about their own physical and financial pleasures.......please sober up......war with Iran is no joke, dont fall in the traps of neocons......wait until the threats of war are here no more.....then IRI will crumble under its own weight...have no doubt about it......unless Israel, UK and US are pulling the Green's strings, every time they manipulate anti-regime Iranians hundreds of thousand of conscientious Iranians very reluctantly join to the ranks of the regime.
Instead of "hundreds of thousand " read "hundreds or thousand"