Viva Shah ;)

Javid Shah!

Norma:

Dear Majid,

Thank yo for the "Don't shout Viva Shah" poem.

Would that more were listening. with solidarity and warm wishes,

Louise:

"Don't shout Viva Shah" excellent and necessary poem. I shared it! thank you! 

May your hardwon wisdom be heeded!  love

Louise:

On my way to a demonstration in Oakland. My sign: STOP THE ICE DEATH SQUADS.

Louise:

Sending your poem far and wide. Here's to LIFE!

Lillian:

Dear Majid

I certainly will share as your poem and its theme is right and true.

But I have to say that Reza Pahlavi seems a good person who for lack of another alternative can help the people bring about the  change and refer to him in the meantime as someone who brings positive energy into the equation. This situation is far too complex and huge for any woman to take on - as yet.

I often think of how you and your family suffered through the revolution in 1978-9.

Let us hope for the best now.

Thanks dear Lillian for your kind words and wishes.

You are mistaken about Reza Pahlavi. Instead of unity and energy he has brought split and fighting  among  the Iranian opposition to  Mullahs. Iranians want democracy not dictatorship. Although Pahlavi monarchy was secular but it was a brutal police state in which the secret police ran the country. Reza Pahlavi is surrounded by Aryan Fascists who do not have any tolerance for pluralism. Of course, some people have nostalgia about the secular life during the Pahlavi monarchy but Iranians in general want democracy as reflected in the slogans: "Woman, Life, Freedom".

Mohsen:

Majid jan, Your poem is very powerful and I shared it with my list and all friends.

Ali:

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce ...That famous quote, "History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce," is from Karl Marx's work, "The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte," found on Marxists Internet Archive (marxists.org), where he applies it to French history, noting how Napoleon Bonaparte's rise (tragedy) was followed by his nephew Louis Bonaparte's similar, but less consequential, seizure of power (farce). Marx meant that when historical events recur, the second time they lack the original's gravity and become hollow imitations, highlighting humanity's failure to learn from past mistakes, as seen in figures like Danton/Caussidière or Robespierre/Louis Blanc.

Ali:

Origin: Marx adapted it from Hegel, who said great historical figures appear twice, adding the "tragedy/farce" distinction in his 1852 analysis of French politics.

Meaning: The first instance (tragedy) is a genuine, impactful event; the repetition (farce) is a comical, absurd imitation because lessons weren't learned.

Louise:

Majid do you hear directly from inside Iran? do you have a sense of the strength of the revolution? your poem was very powerful.

Don't use the word Viva. Viva is expressly reserved for the Mexican Revolution (ie. "Viva La Revolucion!") Similarly you/we must not use the word "Diaspora" which is expressly reserved for Jewish people who have been forcibly displaced etc.

Let's not start this by appropriating something that's not ours.

Since the phrase that is being used in the Iranian protests now is "Javid Shah", you should use the correct translation of "Javid". Which is Eternal, or Immortal.

Louise:

But we don’t condone US intervention, right? it will only make things worse. And here, the US is shooting and killing its own citizens.

Reza Pahlavi is all over social media… this is so worrisome.

My answer to VinnyG:

Thanks. I think جاوید شاه  is a shortened form of  جاوید باد شاه  and for that reason "viva" is a good translation.

Nasser:

Many thanks Majid jaan. I love Don't chant Viva Shah. It is beautiful. Just beautiful.