Martyrdom and Remembrance - Essay Example

MARTYRDOM AND REMEMBRANCE By Location Ethnography of Near and Middle East is the anthropological study that encompasses roughly a majority of western Asia and Egypt (Moallem, 2005, P. 110). In this area, the term assembles the Arabs as the largest group and Persians. Others include Turks, Kurds, Azeris, Copts, Jews, Assyrians, Maronites, Circassians, Somalis, Armenias, and Druze (Varzi & Roxann, 2006, P.65). The cultural norm to all these societies is the high value they place the ideology of martyrdom. The intensity of the matter is something that historically should not go without remembrance. The custom is that martyrdom carries with it the diverse cultural diligence as this keeps the martyr alive even after his demise. Unlike the other cultures around the globe, the history of the Middle East goes back to the ancient times (Verkaaik, 2004, P. 138). All along, the Near East has rocked the world affairs through its unprecedented political and religious affiliations. Discussion of its ancient history puts the name ‘Near East’ at the center stage. This is the reason as to why there is the historical origin of major world religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The first and the latter have famed for the rite of the martyrdom and they see to it that reminisce is part of their culture (Varzi & Roxann, 2006, P.70). In this modern times, the Middle region/East or the Near East, remains a strategically, politically, culturally, economically and the religiously sensitive zone. First, martyrdom was a transition. A look back to history states that the transition from revolutionary zeal to war fanaticism came as a smooth phase. For example, a telecast broadcast in 1981 at Tehran University served to put this ideology of martyrdom a great stance (Moallem, 2005, P. 108). The speaker whom by history goes down as the martyr of the said creed, Hashemi Rafsanjani, publicly asserted that the public begged to become a shahids. As per his words, he said that the public cries, it sheds tears and implore their commanders to, at least, take them along on the nightly operations in order to become a shahid (Talebi, 2012, P.134). This creed on a nation broadcast, with millions of people listening came an awakening call as to how sacrificing for the name of religion, Islamic in particular, could measure as an incitement to the other religions with different affiliations. In the view of this nation, this religious understanding of Hashemi, theirs was not a radicalization call; it was simply a cry to sacrifice for their remembrance of holy Allah. To them, this was a sacrifice, a sign of martyrdom. As to what he said then, that once the bullet stroke the body of the warrior (religious warrior), they earned to themselves the privilege of riding on the angels wings and very them to the realms of paradise (Varzi & Roxann, 2006, P.54). At these ‘imaginary’ chambers, the martyr would dine and wine with the holy prophet and God. On top of these benefits, the warriors who died in such inclinations earned a continual remembrance of their names, with the family and the group upholding the same affiliations. Once the members could hold the spiritual belief about that, they could undeniably give in, not only to secure a place with the holy ones but also pen down his name as the one who did for others a great call and deserved continual coveting. Springing from Hashemi’s cry, there raised uncountable calls for the Islamic people to consider adopting shahadat (Talebi, 2012, P.142). This become a sought of cultural wave that even pervades the common norms of these community globally. Martyrdom become the greatest reward as per the preachers thus people of the religious standing in the case of Hashemi could accommodate or even celebrate their loved ones when they sacrificed in the name of joining the angels, prophets and God in fight for the religion. The name Mujahid this came as the legendary code for those whose demise was a case of great sacrifice, this is what martyrdom grew to become. Moreover, martyrdom shares the understanding as the most lofty and honorable means through which one departs from the world. To the people of the group of Hashemi for example, it came as an honor and a way of gaining to die for the cultural inclination of the Mujahid (Talebi, 2012, P.139). This ideology claims that death in religious sacrifice is God’s way; it is the reward from Allah in the hereafter. On top of this, martyrdom remains an historical global honor and a source of pride that certain cultures have taken to consider seriously, especially in the Muslim world. Those who die in it secure remembrance and keep the candles of those who died burning for eternity (Volk, 2009, P. 281). In affirming to this Ethnography of Near and Middle East, the general understanding of martyrdom is that remaining alive under the circumstance of suppression to the ruler-ship of superpowers remained in reality a cause of death, contrary to the belief if martyrdom, like death through cutting the bloody claws of the mighty is the only secure way of eternal life. Despite the numerous gains through this martyrdom penchant provides, many have questioned the rationale behind the zealous following its people (Verkaaik, 2004, P. 148). Those who joined the ranks of Basij (the name accorded to for volunteer martyrs), in their prime youths in order to die for an abstract cause, seemed to follow more than just mere speeches called for during the Friday prayers. For example, during the earlier initiation of this creed for people to entice martyrdom, at the maiden stages of war, the choral verses amongst zealots were to persuade more to join in the inclination. Everything, even to date, from print to celluloid illustrated the beauty that comes with sacrifice, a way to becoming a martyr. Take for example, the time of Khameini (a radical Muslim jihadist in WWI), much production of the martyrdom message came in front of live telecast interviews. There were also graffiti’s from soldiers, home letters, as these messages worked in inciting the soldiers and troops to surge on relentlessly as the message from them could serve to inspire others to join the greatness of dying a martyr’s death (Talebi, 2012, P.145). As a result, Martyrdom is nothing without remembrance and without the cultural industry as this keeps the martyrs alive even after their demise for what comes thereafter to the crew is an eternal growth. The cultural belief among the nations of Near East is that the testimonials inscribed down as long standing memoirs by soldiers serve to attest to the beauty of giving one’s life for the name of his country. Religion or cultural affiliation also secures an unquestionable assurance, via the written texts, that their souls would long live on earth, as great heroes and heroines, long after death (Volk, 2009, P.272). This is the ethnography perception of the races that occupy the mid-east, as the Americans would call them. Therefore, remembrance or keeping alive the status of cultural industry in mid east renders the ideology of martyrdom useless. The two are core principle, which define the reason for believing contrary to what other human race beliefs. In addition, the Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day for the Jewish people has remained as the memorial day, 70 years since the beginning of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. One would wonder why they fame the deadly event as an act of martyrdom (Khalili, L 2007, P. 78). As one would get amazed to learn that, the remembrance received its foundations from the bravery of Jews in Holocaust. For what is martyrdom without remembrance? The events of this time, though long time ago have flamed up the spirit of the Jewish community, a society in the Near East, to exalt the flag of hope not of grief. As President Perez put it in his speech during the Martyrs Remembrance Day that they would never despair, never forget, for they serve a command from the Holy prophets of the Bible, David in particular, never to fear as God’s servants and soldiers, as The Lord of Israel would continue strengthening their souls (Andriolo, 2006, P.121). This is out rightly a common religious belief for this Christian sect. The survivors’ believe that holding tightly to the spirit of defense and adhering to the creed of their God, would earn them an eternal recognition after their death. In his heroic speech on 7 April 2013, President Perez exalted the ultimate reasoning and ideology that the Jewish people believe. Claiming that Holocaust would never sink into the dark hole of history is to resonate the idea that this catastrophic era would never face oblivion (Khalili, 2007, P. 101). The continual remembrance is a far-reaching message of the awakened spirit to defend the ideals of this dark era, the philosophy of the Jewish people since has its inclusion to this day. People died, not in dozens but million, but here is a nation that takes pride to such a deadly time. The ghosts of the dark billowing clouds carrying human stench cannot be exorcised, rather they rattle the spirit within and keep the Jews alive and ready to defend their cause (Volk, 2009, P. 280). This is to avow the article of faith that, martyrdom without remembrance and cultural industry remains an insignificant act of any society (Abufarha, 2009, P. 97). It is thus not history at all. Just like in the Muslim community in the same Near East region, these events and doings are part of their cultural life and would withstand the test of time to keep the ideology alive. The Holocaust left some metaphorical figures, which the Jews have so far coined to resurrect the undying spirit (Volk, 2009, P. 276). In Perez’s word, the images of smoke, murderous train, tears, blood flowing serve nothing less than to awaken the bravery, which as a result accompanies every step of their life. This is a vibrant spiritual message passed by to the next generation. Even though theirs is not an act-now sacrifice like Mujahids do to Muslim religion and culture, the Jews have formed an emblem, a badge of resilience that they carry on from generation to generation (Khalili, 2007, P. 87). They do this to remember the victims of Holocaust as their death served as a sacrifice for the renaissance of the Jews culture. When Perez, as the figure father confirms that there is no substitute for the culture, for the values, and for the talents that Holocaust swallowed, is an indirect way of showing that the community increased in spirit contrary to the decreased population. It is not thus possible to hook the Jews out of this believe, which has spread as form of life they source hope from (Andriolo, 2006, P.121). In doing so, they honor the martyrs who sacrificed for the great religious deal and thus keeping their names around and alive. Martyrdom also serves to unite the common cause of a society. It has stuck the Near East countries into one inclination even though some have turned into extremists and zealots (Shirazi, 2012, P. 102). For example, in the Islamic world, the prime youth have ardently taken the root their predecessors of Jihad did. Take for instance the ideology of suicide bombings, the making of human bomb, veil blood, and revolutionaries, and the vow of death as the great equalizer. No one understands the mystery behind the Basijs except those who volunteer and the unrelenting Muslim youth behind their back. The dead Basijs have claimed accolades among the community and their name has grown prominence as a common proverbial for the Muslim culture in particular. One does not need to mention names here but the term Mujahidin if fit enough to tell it all (Shirazi, 2012, P. 117). They do so by swearing the name of the martyrs and the holy Allah and prophet, whom assures these followers of the pleasure ahead if one hold and chooses death through martyrdom. The ethnography of Lebanese resistance, the war in contemporary Algeria, the Palestinian resistance has served to unite them into a culture that bonds them together. They believe standing for their cause has an eternal reward apart from honoring the cause taken by the former martyrs. Indeed the writing of this Basij says it all about martyrdom and the philosophy of remembrance (Scheele, 2006, P. 189). He invokes his fellow Basijs, who probably might have chosen the holy path of martyrdom to describe the feeling of love and the joy one experiences as a beautiful angel carries him on her wings (Asad, 2007, P.65). He further provokes their desire by saying that the death in the battlefield renders one the right and honor to watch from the paradise above as one looks down from heaven upon his family, who instead of mourning, his loved ones honor and celebrate his life. This is remembrance at the core of martyrdom ideology. If one looks keenly at the coded language of President Perez’s speech, he rattles the Jewish people to rise above anti-Semitism and not to allow the terror of Holocaust to turn them blind (Khalili, 2007, P. 103). This is to invoke followers to take pride by standing tall to honor predecessors, the martyrs of Holocaust. Today, the Israel community has braved the anti Jewish sentiments in the Near East region (Volk, 2009, P. 268). Being the only, and a unique culture in a strongly Muslim region, Holocaust has grown their feet tall and braved above its enemies. Its people are ready to die for the greater cause of the country. Every Jew lives that creed and this is the reason why Perez had to say that the journey to freedom was far from over until the winds of liberation blow away the stench of racism and decimate the evil smoke of Holocaust. The remembrance of this day, 7th April, is a reminder in the Jews culture of how prepared The Israel Defense Forces stay alert to avert any attempt to annihilate the Jewish state (Scheele, 2006, P. 189). This is a statement of belief, which sprouted from the bravery of Jews in the Holocaust. They are their martyrs and their names are part of the cultural affiliation. In conclusion, Martyrdom is nothing without remembrance and without the cultural industry, which keeps the martyr alive after death. It is like without that statement, the understanding of the Ethnography of Near and Middle would not be complete and sensible (Moallem, 2005, P. 115). These mystic states of the Middle Eastern have formed a culture that adheres to ideologies that rather different for the other world cultural and religious dogma. Bibliography Abufarha, N 2009, The Making of a Human Bomb: An Ethnography of Palestinian Resistance. Durham: Duke University Press. Andriolo, K 2006, The Twice-Killed: Imagining Protest Suicide. American Anthropologist 108. Asad, T 2007, On Suicide Bombing. New York: Columbia UP. Khalili, L 2007, Guerrillas and Martyrs: The Evolution of National Heroes. In her Heroes and Martyrs of Palestine: The Politics of National Commemoration. Cambridge: Cambridge Moallem, M 2005, Veil, Blood, and Revolution. In her Between Warrior Brother and Veiled Sister: Islamic Fundamentalism and the Politics of Patriarchy in Iran. Berkeley: University of California Press. 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