Saturday, November 05, 2022

Jina Renaissance in 1001 words



A photo of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa (Jina) Amini, 22, who died on September 16 after being detained by Iran’s morality police enforcing strict Islamic hijab rules, at a protest against her killing, September 2022. Photo: AFP

Dr. Kamal Artin | Exclusive to Ekurd.net

This 1001-words essay is dedicated to Jina, the symbol for contemporary woman and liberty, and her mythical counterpart Shahrazad who fought a tyrant via story telling for 1001 nights.

A few months after leaving the Hell in the East, I was asked how strange I felt in my refuge, the West. I left home because I felt strange, was my immediate response. While there is no perfect home for anyone in a constant search of something better, the Hell in the West had ended with a Renaissance a few centuries earlier. In contrast to what I had experienced in the East, I felt a more evolved subspecies of homo sapiens was leading the West. I dreamed of a new renaissance in the Hell I left.

Three friends and I were in search of a new homeland. It didn’t matter where, we only wanted out. As the path and destination were uncertain, my friends were less risky and changed their mind. I left solo. They all soon regretted staying. The younger a person leaves the hell, the better chance one has to adapt and to make a new life. One of my friends left much later and felt he was behind and should have done it years ago. Another one submitted to Hell, became its superficial devotee, hired by it, move up the ladder, but soon was noted that he didn’t fit and was jailed and lost what he had gained. The other friend didn’t tolerate the pain, found refuge in addiction, and unfortunately lost his life to it.

What was wrong with the Hell one might ask. Its laws would be the short answer. The core of the system was based on submission. One had to submit who to be, what to believe, whom to associate with, what to wear, what to eat and drink, etc. True life was impossible. One was not allowed, to be and let be, to grow and let grow, to overcome pain and suffering, to enjoy and let enjoy, or in short to live life freely. The oppressive laws applied to everyone; the more disadvantaged people such as women, ethnic, religious, and other minorities experienced double oppression. Few decades later I noticed why a prominent leader had coined the slogan “Jin, Jiyan, azadi”, or women, life, liberty. Although not a liberal himself but a socialist fighter for national liberation, he rightfully had coined this most liberal slogan that women as a minority constitute the first oppressed nation.

What a nation is seems subjective. I believe the people of my origin constitute a nation separated divided in four countries. The part that I was from is considered a territory of a multiethnic nation. Culturally our people are close to the dominant nation there but politically they are oppressed. By the 20th century many nations had been liberated. I was hoping ours would be free too once oppression is ended. Knowing that the outcome of oppression in Europe ended via Renaissance, I had often expressed my hope that the 2ndrenaissance would happen in the Hell I left behind. Many movements in Hell had failed during the past two centuries, but the torch had been carried by the hopefuls. Additionally, through the patriotic and ambitious goal of the previous ruling dynasty the country had moved toward industrialization and modernity and almost ready for a true progress compared to other parts of the oppressed world. It had its own flaws such as restricting political freedom, yet had become almost a liberal society in term of social and economic developments.

As I hoped for, finally in September 2022 the 2nd renaissance started with the loss of a precious life with a precious forbidden name, Jina. Interestingly her name meant women and life itself. Soon after her birth, her parents had been ordered to give a name reflective of the dominant language. They accepted a beautiful name for her, nonetheless not the one reflective of her identity or based on self-determination. Jina was beaten and died for “morally” insufficient covering of her hair while visiting a city that felt foreign to her. Being the member of a gender, ethnic, and religious minority, her loss led to a unifying movement of all who felt strange in a country ruled by religious fanatics. One of Jina’s fellow countrymen had once said “maji bo merden, bmara bo jian”, don’t live to die, die to live. Jina died, yet her people stood up as started feeling alive again.


Women cutting their hair in a video to support Iranian protesters standing up to leadership over the death of Iranian Kurdish young woman Mahsa Jina Amini who died on September 16, 2022 after being detained by Iran’s morality police enforcing strict Islamic hijab rules, October 2022. Photo: Video SM/via Ekurd.net

Jina’s name and life encapsulated women, life and liberty. Not only her people but the world started screaming her actual name. Her name might have been forbidden also during previous system, yet a progressive descendant of the previous conservative dynasty calls her true name, Jina, in his speeches now. Women burn their scarves and or cut their hair to honor Jina and her hair. Free spirited musicians, singers, artists, show their alliance with Jina in their work.

Moderate spiritual people, who believe in separation of state and religion and see faith as a personal matter between the individual and a higher being, are dismayed by Jina’s death and support her Renaissance in their own way.

The youth, having observed via the internet what liberal societies are experiencing, wants liberty and is leading this new renaissance. They are rejecting many traditional obstacles. They honor their oppressed bodies in word and actions; they reject forced head to toe covered attire; some even honor their bodies by naked exhibition in public; some break other taboos by using profanity against their oppressors. At the same time, some are doing whatever they can to keep status quo; they too will gradually notice that the ship has sailed and is on the way to its liberating destination, Jina Renaissance. The destination will have its own challenges, but it will be liberating, gradually end fanaticism and improve humanity as humanists dream of. Jina’s Renaissance is heading toward national and international peace and prosperity in a liberal and constantly changing world.

Kamal Artin, MD. Former host of Dangi Be Dangan in Zurich, former president of KAES and KNCNA, and current practicing psychiatrist in California.

The opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Ekurd.net or its editors.

Copyright © 2022 Ekurd.net. All rights reserved

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)