For numerous reasons, the issues raised on this website by the recent events concerning Delara Darabi have served to coalesce for me many of the ideas with which I ‘ve been grappling since I, a non-Iranian, joined this blogging community in October of 2007. And this has been so to such extent that I feel it is imperative for me to articulate these ideas here as best as I can.
One of these issues is the phenomenon often referred to as “apologism”.. When I first came here I’d never even heard the term ‘IRI apologist”, but I very quickly caught on to its basic meaning, and even to the reality that in some ways I was (and probably still am) one. This is not surprising, since many so-called “progressives” like myself world-wide share to greater or lesser extent this tendency, not only in terms of Iran but in general. One way an “ultra-Shaahi” put it in a very early conversation I had here was that I was a “Lefty hippy hypocrite”. I asked him to explain why, and he did, and I conceded, and then I explained some of my thoughts on him, and he conceded, and we promptly became great friends onsite.(And Colonel I miss you oh so very much…).
This morning I saw that the Stop Child Executions Campaign has a featured blog recommending that people send images of a white rose to IRI officials in memory of Delara Darabi. I was the first poster on their thread and I wrote a very long musing on the broader meaning for me of the “White Rose” in relation to Delara, because I’m trying so hard to gather my thoughtss. And I hadn’t planned it, but my post wound up ending iwith some thoughts on apologism.
And sure enough, not a half hour later, a goldfish had swum up and posted the following short post right on top of mine, apparently without reading mine, at least not in its entiretyy::
Send 120 white roses to Obama
by Shirazi-American (not verified) on Thu May 07, 2009 09:35 AM PDT
The recent U.S. bombing in Afghanistan killed about 100 civilians there, including many women and children (not to be mistaken with all the other U.S. bombings which have killed Afghan civilians). Does “Stop Child Executions” campaign against the killing of Afghan children by U.S. bombs? After all, these are bombs that we are paying for with our taxes.
And well, anyway, very slightly edited, this was my reply;
‘Apologizng” for Delara. To repeat the last words of my post below
by rosie is roxy is roshan on Thu May 07, 2009 10:02 AM PDT
“To continually evaluate one’s own country’ss deeds and misdeeds solely in comparison with those of foreign powers implicitly denies that the Iranian people have any capacity for autonomy and agency, and is an inverted, internalized neo-Colonialism of the soul.”.
And I think, for time being, that’ll be a wrap.
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p.s. For thos of you who may be bemused because just a couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog called “Leaving here because of Delara”, I’ll just say briefly to offer some clarification that an alternate title for this blog could be; ”Staying here because of Delara”.
Take care.
