| Talkback | |
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Title: | The Iranian paradox | |||
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| Name: | Ahmad Sadri | | |||
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| City: | Chicago | State: | Il | | |
| Thanks Mikalis for quoting my article at the conclusion of your essay on Kazantzakis. I have several observations. 1- As an Iranian who was a student at the University of Tehran in early 70s I have to say that Kazantzakis had a formative influence on my generation. He was popularized partly because his Greek Passion was highly recommended by Dr. Shariati, the liberation theologian of Iran -- and, through unintended consequences, one of the intellectuals founding fathers of the coming revolution. 2- I was greatly influenced by reading that book in the summer of 1975. But I am not sure the powers that be realized the full implications of celebrating this iconoclastic writer in Iran. At any rate there is a considerable berth for intellectual dissent in Iran and a lot can be celebrated as long it is not directly confrontational. 3- I have considered Haaretz as a beacon of moderation and a bastion of liberal-democratic thinking in Israel. But on the Internet page where your article is published there was also a link to one of the run-of-the-mill xenophobic docudramas that links the confrontation between Jews and Muslims in the 7th century Medina to what is happening between Israel and Iran today. I know you don?t control what is on these pages. But the misleading and dangerously inflammatory undertones of such depictions must not be unknown to the editors of Haaretz. I hope the answer is not: business is business! Best, Ahmad Sadri |
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