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The death of a man is the death of man
07-May-2011
The Iranian community worldwide was saddened when a few days ago news of the passing of Siamak Pourzand -- a seasoned, well-respected Iranian journalist with a glowing reputation for advocating liberty -- spread across the globe. Well-deserved messages of sympathy and condolences filled many pages in the cyber space as well as the printed media. A man of honour had died, and his loss was painfully felt by his compatriots who knew and respected him.
A day later, his family announced that his death had been a suicide, and the expressions of sympathy for his loss were turned into declarations of praise for his “courage“ in taking his own life in protest! Suddenly, it seemed that “suicide” was being glorified as an act of courage, because it was done in a spirit of protest against dictatorship and injustice. Somehow, I can easily understand how the outcome, the message, or the act of protest can appear praiseworthy; however I ponder with melancholy on our humanity when I take notice of the fact that the means to that “end” no longer seem to matter!
As a mother, I wonder whether my children will grow up in a new culture that accepts suicide in certain cases as something to be glorified! I wonder if humanity is now all about the “end”, and the process which takes us to that end is no longer worthy of being noble! Does the end really justify the means? And, if so, what purpose really is there in going through the process of life as a human being?
Today, news of another death spread across the globe. This time it was not the news of the passing of a good man, but rather of a man who has become known to the world as a heartless terrorist! Certainly no pain was felt by the loss of Osama Bin Laden’s life, but somehow when my 12-year-old boy cheered at the news of his assassination, I could not feel the pangs of sorrow in my heart for witnessing his bizarre reaction.
Again, it rings the question about the end justifying or not justifying the means. In my idealist heart, I would like to believe that the death of a man is the death of man, regardless of who that man is or has been; or that suicide is still suicide regardless of the reasons for which it is committed! In my ideal world, I do not wish to see my child rejoicing at a man’s death even that of a known terrorist; nor do I wish for him to grow up glorifying suicide even if it committed by a noble man in the name of a noble ideology!
Where do we find our humanity if not in our oneness and unity; and when do we start to bind the hearts together in harmony if not respecting the process that takes us to our ideals.
Liberty is certainly a noble ideal, but if I glorify suicide committed in the name of liberty, then can I really and in all honestly disrespect suicide bombing? Certainly the young lad who wraps the destructive bomb on his body is also doing it for a vision or ideal that he holds noble, worthy and even sacred. Where do we draw the line when we forget the means and look only to the end?
The world is undoubtedly somewhat safer without blood-thirsty terrorists in it, but somehow when a child cheers at a man’s death, I wonder if the rest of us have been able to create a safe world even in the absence of known terrorists. So does the end really justify the means or is it time to start strengthening the foundations by giving value to human life as a principle and try to change the lives as they are lived instead of offering bizarre reactions to deaths…
-- Gloria Yazdani
| Recently by GloriaY | Comments | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hands of Ignorance | 5 | Dec 03, 2010 |
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I read the first sentences
by comments on Mon May 09, 2011 11:56 AM PDTI read the first sentences of blog, and felt to express my ideas about gloryfing. As vildemose said her daughters didn't gloryfy the suicide. Suicide is never a solution especially if that's a result of mental health and depression. But, are we suppose to expose ourself to an environment intensifying our mental health?
Still, for me, there are many questions. How could a married man live by himself for years and doesn't feel depressed? Why didn't he leave Iran illegally? Other than his mental health, his life situation in IRI has a huge impact on his death. But, he and the family was wise enough to feel the threat and escape....There are so many other questions.......
I'd never forgive Daei...
by پندارنیک on Sat May 07, 2011 04:47 PM PDT...for distracting me from this great article.
Death of a man is the death of a man
by Brian Appleton on Sat May 07, 2011 10:24 PM PDTI agree with Gloria that it is a sad day that suicide as an act of protest is to be glorified...for me it is an ultimate tragedy that life has become so unttenable under certain systems that ending it is preferrable to living it...I am reminded of the buddhist monks who set themselves on fire during the Vietnamese war. Just to put things into the proper perspective, while we congradulate ourselves for our great society and our freedoms, the USA has the highest suicide rate per capita in the world and without delving into a causal analysis, suffice it to say that it is alienation and loneliness that has produced this situation because everything is impersonal and that is the main and catastrophic failure of our system...nothing is personal.
To Gloria's point about not relishing Osama's death, the Italians after the execution of Mussolini, who had caused them untold suffering, were said to have commented that it was a tragedy that a man who could speak five languages had died in this way.
As for Osama Bin Laden's death, I am so cynical that I personally consider it a publicity stunt to get Obama's ratings up in the polls. Obama is the first president to use drones extensively, killing entire families and clans to take out one terror suspect...again using end to justify means and it is a dangerous slippery slope... I would not be surprised if the whole thing is a hoax and that a body was taken from a morgue since the burrial was at sea and photos and DNA reports are not being released to the public. And yes his death is still tragic as are the deaths he caused but I am reminded of the ancient Greek story about shooting the messanger. I suspect Osama was on the pay roll for many decades and now his usefulness has passed just like Saddam Hossein's usefulness passed and Mobarak's usefulness passed and Ghaddafi's usefulness has passed and the Shah's usefulness passed.
I recall that after being in hiding and unheard from for many years Osama released a tape just two weeks before the elections saying "Vote for Kerry!"
As far as blaming Pakistan for harboring terrorists, I suspect that the CIA needs places that are chaotic no man's lands in order to carry out their work and Pakistan is part of the on going plan. It was in madrassas in Pakistan that the El Qeda and the Taliban were created by the Pakistani secret police and the CIA during the Cold War.
There will never be an end to terrorism for two reasons:
1.) it is too profitable...look how many organizations and corporations profit by fighting it, just as defense contractors make no profits from peace.
2.) As long as the powers that own the USA practice imperialism; that is unfairly exploit the resources of other countries and support dictators and elites there at the expense of the majority there will be terrorism. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. One must note that nationalistic leaders of countries that are resource rich are labelled as enemies of capitalism and the West while leaders who capitulate are labelled as friends and leaders of poor countries are forgotten.
Brian H. Appleton
aka
Rasool Aryadust
Nobody is glorifiying
by vildemose on Sat May 07, 2011 10:11 AM PDTNobody is glorifiying suicide...Where did you get that idea? Even his own daughters said the same thing. You're making an issue of a non-issue...for whatever reason???
SEPPUKU or Hara-kiri
by pedramx on Sat May 07, 2011 08:45 AM PDTJapanese have been glorified Suicide in their culture and they are doing just fine so you shouldn't worry too much...