The Satanic Verses and fool Knights of UK

Close to 18 years passes from the time Salman Rushdie wrote a book entitled "Satanic Verses". A very foolish novel on holy prophet of Islam that angered Muslims throughout the world and Imam Khomeini, the great leader of Iran sentenced Rushdie to death. At that time many European countries as well as US condemned this edict and proclaimed it against the freedom of speech. After the edict, Rushdie started his hidden life and according to news he continually changed his position not to be killed by terrorists.
Some days before Elizabeth the second, queen of England, on her birthday gave Rushdie the title of the knight of British Empire. It is said that Toni Blair who is close to be set aside from Prime Minister of England introduced him to queen for this title. The British monarchy gave this title one of its envoy, Shapour Reporter, after he succeeded to finish his mission for toppling Mosaddegh's government in August 19, 1953. Here are some points:
1- Why Toni Blair introduced Rushdie at this time? The reaction of Muslim throughout world was harsh, as in Pakistan Protesters burned the effigies of queen and Rushdie. Ijaz al Hagh, minister of religion in Pakistan, said that it would not be so strange if some Muslims tie suicide bombs to explode in London. Toni Blair recently after assertion of defeat of alliance forces in Iraq has been under attack by his opponents in UK government. He accepted to resign up to present July. Now he deplores Rushdie and offers him to queen. Maybe any harsh reaction by Muslims can help Tony Blair and George Bush to justify themselves to attack on Iraq.
2- Salman Rushdie "The apostate" repented for his silly action, although the edict on him was re-justified by Ayatollah Khameneii. Rushdie by his action showed that he insists on his action and passing the time has not changed his idea in spite of his repentance.
3- To represent Muslims as undemocratic and forcible nation to westerners at the time all world believe in Bush and Blair as liars can be a conspiracy and plot for future. It may be followed by some terrorist actions in Europe especially in England as some journalists believe.
The offer of the sign of Knight, by itself, is a kind of formalizing Rushdie's action to people of the world that tries to show the importance of his action against undemocratic Muslims. It shows that this is a Muslim man who criticizes Islam and prophet not a Christian or Jew. A multi dimensional attack on Islam.
The attack of Rushdie on Islam and prophet is not on logic but some superficial issue that he, as one who has been once a Muslim, did not comprehend, some issue such as why prophet married several times and with whom and why. He looked on the issue as illiterate and common people look and made a novel based on his mentally diseased thought about the relation between prophet and one of his enemies, Hind. Generally UK and US by their support on such actions can not justify them, as some authorities and institutions such as Common House of England did not accept to support Rushdie and announced his intention as a blasphemous action. Salman Rushdie should know that as puppet they will play with him until they need him and then throw him away.
There was on the news that Toni Blair expects to be named as peace envoy in Middle East, I don’t know how a man who works against Muslims can be peace messenger in a region most of people are Muslims, is he an insane ?

US soldiers commit suicide more than other Americans( BBC news agency)

A new study in US indicated that soldiers suicide twice more than others. Scholars studied data related to 320,890 men served in US army during 1917-1994. Apparently white, educated and elders were more at risk or those who suffered physical or sentimental disabilities. They believe the consequences justify the necessity of psychological care for those soldiers served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The consequences of the research published in a magazine “epidemiology and Social Sanitation” included men who served US during WWII, Vietnam war , Korean War and Persian gulf War. It was said that the suicide rate among those who served in army doubled than those had not served at all. The veterans used arms to suicide doubled than others. It also showed that veterans with added weight committed less than others. Although the research did not included the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan but researchers said that the results may point to them, too.
Analysis
Maybe this is not the first time we hear such news or results. I, myself, some years ago heard and read in news papers that those American pilots of Jet fighters who bombarded Hiroshima and Nagasaki, somehow, drove mad. Attending war with no being wounded or injured affect every one that has seen the violent scenes of those who have been killed or with some of member cut off. American soldiers who returned home from Vietnam War not welcome so good. Many of these soldiers later attended some terrorist operations like Timothy Mc Veigh, Terry Nichols who attended Persian Gulf War in 1992. Mc Veigh and Nichols cooperated in bombing Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City where 168 were killed. They did because of Dravidians in Waco, Texas who were captured and killed by FBI attack on 1992. Mc Veigh was said to use Methamphetamine that according to physicians affects on brain in way person suffers hallucination and paranoia.
Fighting needs motive. Although American soldiers are being encouraged before going war but lack of conscious about the final target leads them to nihilism and nonsense. A veteran after years will think on the target he has gone war and if he could not find a good answer for his question would see his life in vain. Once a psychologist talked about old men when they reached seventy. He said “they look on their life a careful look to see if they had been successful or not, they look on their career, their children, their ambitions, if they have been successful through heir their life , it would be effective to continue their life and it may affect on the longitude of their life.” A soldier should feel that he has been effective and useful for his country. If he does, he would be proud of himself.
The sense of being useful is one of humanitarian beliefs. As a person thinks on his harm for society, so he can not respect himself and the one who does no respect himself, can not respect others.
As another important factor, what makes difference between US soldiers and Iranian soldiers, as Baseej or in army, is that Iranians mixed religion and patriotism and made a strong mixture by which they got more power. Patriotism by itself can not make sense of sainthood. An American soldier is on the edge of suspicion, On the one hand he is said to be right to attack on enemy as dangerous terrorist but on the other hand, he witnesses how many innocent people are killed. The conscious awakes him but the function says something else. So what is the best way to avoid commander’s order?
Today if it is said US soldiers tolerate burdens of the Iraq war more than others, it would not be so bluff. He should carry the burdens of defeat in American society, the psychological and physical damages he would bring with himself to his family. The researchers suggest that military official should be aware of the results of war on US soldiers to avoid what happened to previous veterans, but Iranians say “There is no solution for what you, yourselves, have done”.

″300 Spartans": A war for all seasons

Using movie for some decades is considered as a way for American public diplomacy's experts to confront their enemies that in real war with them they had not any success such as Vietnamese and Russian, although with them US never had any real war. This is a best way for American to promote their political ideas through cultural products as it will take fewer prices than wars.
The history of US in twenty century is full of reasons for persuasion of people inside and outside of America that, at the top of them, we can see the most influential mottos as "Promotion of Democracy". The United States as country which, historically, wanted to be at the top needed to show itself authentic as well as reliable so by a very carefully public diplomacy not only for its people but for all people throughout world tended to seek its political and economical interests and security through impact on conscious and knowledge of people in foreign countries as well as American citizens and corporations.
At the present time in which to convince people is very hard for politicians and every event is considered by people through scientific eyes, so playing with scientific rules and events can be very efficient to make Americans' face legitimate to the world. As Habermas in "Legitimation Crisis", believes that "politics no longer can presuppose the bases of decision-making but it might define that for itself. Politicians have to be able to legitimize itself, according to chances for compromises, and seeks for consequences."[1]
The movies are used in best way by Americans to draw and shock the eyes (Hypnotism) and brainwash people by American ideology. Many movies during cold war were produced to show Americans' success in all aspects such as politics, sport etc. The series such as The Rockies ( I , II,III,IV), The First Blood ( Rambo), Star Wars ( I,II,III,IV ) and recently 300 Spartans in which it is tried to show the superiority of western culture against Eastern barbarism.
The use of cultural products as movies are considered as soft power to ruin the character of enemy psychologically as it is a logical way to legitimize their future actions. The movie "300" by Hollywood is now considered as one of political products in sensitive situation between US and Iran as is deemed to be conflict between East and West. The plot of story is based on partially truth as well as a hallucination of an ill-minded writer. The Spartan kings, Leonidas, although all in ancient Greece as well as Representatives are not consent to send troops to fight Persians' king, Xerxes, to show their bravery and respect to Sparta. Leonidas remembers spectators G.W. Bush isolated by Americans as well as Congress refusing to fund troops in Iraq.
The movie like all American one promotes savagery from the first parts. As one sees title he can be sure he will see bloodshed. Moving toward Sparta, Persian messengers seem to attack there by their arms hanging their backs. The Persians depicted not to respect women as messenger wants Leonidas' wife not to interfere in conversation. Showing Persians very horrifying and with no mercy by a firing city and a boy dying on Leonidas' hands, Greeks are depicted holy as Zeus, the Greeks' greatest god, sank the Persians' fleets. Leonidas encourages his troops to resist against tyranny as if Bush standing in front of American soldiers encourages them to save Iraqi people from Saddam's tyranny.

One of interesting scene of the film is the similarity between what Bush and Neo-cons believe on Iran's struggle to have access Nuclear arms and showing a monster and some explosions as if director wants to depict and personify this threat to Americans because as we know personification is one American ideology and they like to image everything even spiritual and to embody them so it is very useful way to scare American masses as a powerful instrument as Noam Chomsky believes in Deterring Democracy. According to American idea Satan lives among people and it can be personify like human. Showing magicians and nomadic people stress on Asian and eastern superstitious beliefs. In general it has focused on superiority of western ideology and democracy over easterners.In general, these cultural products can help political leaders to show legitimacy and correctness of their claims to American easy- believers. America for its policy that include intervention in countries with rogue state need to shape public opinion not only in US but whole world by mass media.
[1] -هابرماس .يورگن. بحران مشروعيت تئوري دولت سرمايه داري مدرن . ترجمه جهانگير معيني . تهران . گام نو. ص 262

What does Future say for US in terms of population?
By: Seyyed Hasan Salehzadeh


By looking on Bureau of American Census site, one may ask himself what does future say for US in terms of population. Is US a country that is going to be a fractious nation as some like J. Reider believe?[1] What do really people do in country which is going to have four hundred million people in not more than thirty years in future? A country with one-third of population includes minorities who have higher fertility rate than whites in spite of their low income. Are White Nationalists rights when they fear of future? Or is W.A.S.P. right to do and to have racist tendencies toward racial groups? How do minority groups endure social inequalities and its consequences? Is America going toward splitting up or fraction?
By looking on socioeconomic and political condition of minorities easily one can predict if such a condition had occurred in other countries certainly they would have split up. But why it has not happened in US yet? Maybe the answer is because they are immigrants so they do not suppose any right to claim against European white Anglo Saxons. If it is hypothetically true, up to what time it will continue? If in future the population of whites and non-whites would get equal, does the white supremacy in different dimensions of government would have legitimacy? Would Hispanics and African-Americans justify government majority of officials are whites? The answer is certainly "not". The power is something that undoubtedly each minority group would seek for among majority.
Many political and social scholars and thinkers predict some crises in American societies. Samuel Huntington, Professor of Harvard University who has written some books on politics such as "Clash of Civilizations" and "Who Are We?" in the latter has explained about the challenges of identity in American societies at present and future. He believes the rise of sub- national identities are equal to deconstruction of United States. He gives some clues of 1960s when some movements began declining of the values of American identities that their main core of them was liberal democracy that tended to unite Americans of different ethnicities and races. They defined America as a conglomerate of races, ethnicities and sub national cultures while some concepts as melting pot and tomato soup were rejected of Americans and instead the concepts such as mosaic and salad bowl were offered. As Huntington indicates the rise of different identities puts national identity at risk and deconstructs national unity.[2]
What will happen if the population of minorities increases so rapidly? According to accounts by American Bureau of Census the growth of population among minorities shows most percentage. The Hispanics with %3 and African- Americans with %2.2 have higher fertility rate than whites (1997). So the population of both Hispanics and African-Americans will grow in one and twice more than others. According to statistics on immigrants come legally and illegally from southern borders, especially from Mexico, the US government and Republicans seek for restriction, so the FR (fertility rate) will increase more than past because majority of immigrants are in fertility ages. By looking at maps of minorities it can be understood that most of Hispanics live in western and southern halves of the country as well as in some parts of northeastern and southeastern (Florida).The African-Americans generally live in eastern coasts of US in some states from Massachusetts to Texas as in west they live regularly in California, Arizona and Nevada. Asians and Pacific Islanders generally live in western half (California, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington and Oregon) as some portions live in northeastern and southeastern. Indian and Alaska natives mostly in west and southwestern states as New Mexico, Arizona, and California as in northern half in scattered way in different states from Dakota to Washington. As mentioned three main groups as Hispanics, African-Americans and Asians live in most populated in northern and southwestern parts of America. As majority of immigrants choose regions to live that residents are similar in race and language to live with no problem, so western parts of US are supposed to have most populated of Hispanics in forthcoming years. Some issues as job, language and security probably will put whites Hispanics against each other. Now in some parts in west, Hispanics request for their children to be taught Spanish as they are learning English. It should be considered as one of sparkles of separation. Maybe they are right to wish their children learn their mother tongue in schools as one formal language but here we discuss on national identity and unity not rights even though they are related directly together.
Whites are concern about what was discussed on population. During recent decades some groups claim not to be racist but favor the separation of races, even seek for removing and dismissing them from country increased. They are called White Nationalist. Their leaders sometimes by racial approach or ethnically confront minority groups. Some groups as W.A.S.P just support white protestant Anglo-Saxons and even oppose Jews, although they (Jews) are most influential in economy and politics. Some groups by religious approach confront other religions' followers such Muslims, Arabs and Jews. An African-American scholar, Carol Swain, who has written a book "New White Nationalism; a Challenge to Integration" gives some information about these groups and warns about their actions and targets as well. She is of minority group discusses against Affirmative Action as a factor that worsens the relation between whites and minorities and makes motives to real separation.[3] By some field researches she has explained the motivation and intention of anti- minorities' activists like interview with some activists such as Lisa Turner and Jared Taylor or some sites founded by these groups to issue and develop their thoughts like American Renaissance [4] that now is active and Jared Taylor manages this site in which every day you see news from north America and northern Europe on colored skins. The news is abridged and viewers are asked to put their comments .The viewers usually are from anti-minorities groups who write their comments against colored people.
As number of colored people increases the number of terrorist and racist groups increase in parallel. Some of them ask for separation of US as one them announced that tends to separate some states from northwestern like Washington, Oregon and Idaho to build a territory without any colored people in it. Some of nationalist groups have done military actions for some times. Although they were suppressed by states or federal policemen but the existence of such sentiments and tendencies in a country that seeks for harmony to unite all racial and ethnic groups is decisive and vital.
In general either such mutual sentiments or feelings are resisted against or not, the growth of disparities and oppositions in US is decisive. The leaders and officials in states and federal should find stronger norms to keep and continue national unity, as the present norms (American values such as flag, liberalism…) are not so reliable and as Huntington indicates they are important when US involves in such a crisis as 9/11[5], unless on other occasions the crisis will show itself again.



[1] -Rieder, Jonathan, 2003, The Fractious Nation?
[2] - Huntington, Samuel, WHO ARE WE?, p. 141
[3] - Swain, Carol, 2003, New White Nationalism; a Challenge to Integration, p. 58
[4] - www.amren.com
[5] - WHO ARE WE?, p. 8