Suheir Hammad & Marjane Satrapi-Part 2

In her Def Poem, Suheir Hammad says, "Smoke where once was flesh". Here she is signifying how humanity is the ignition of revolution. The flesh of life is set aflame by the revolutionary ideas of free thinkers, and as the revolution comes full circle, the self-destruction of the revolutionaries themselves burns the flash, leaving nothing but the smokey remains of humanity. She also says, "Thank you to the woman who saw me blinking back tears. She opened her arms before she asked 'Do you want a hug?'" Here she uses her experience during the dark times that surrounded the Crisis on Terror, to show that even in humanity's worst times, where hope seems all but lost, those who give their hearts out, who invest in people during their moments of weakness, who accept those for who they really are, and reject the social values set by society, these few people are able to find a silver lining in the chaos.

Suheir Hammad & Marjane Satrapi on War

Today in class, we listened to one of Suheir Hammad's incredible poems. While the entirety of her presentation was very inspiring, a few lines in particular stuck out to me. First off, there was the line"I will not dance to your war drum". This signifies that despite the government's propaganda, their lies and their trickery, despite all of the things that they say, she will not give in to it all and support the violence.

Next, she says "I will not hate for you, nor will I hate you", which shows that her choice is not binary. Just because she does not support her country's decision to go to war, she will not turn her back on it either. The last interesting line here is, "We cherish corpses". Here, she is deconstructing the concept of martyrs, saying that they have been so overblown with importance, so infused with sacredness, that in some cases a dead boy is valued more than one who is still living.

Suheir Hammad & Marjane Satrapi both have very similar opinions on war. Both parties wish to stay away from violence, war, and overblown nationalism and stay relatively neutral within their boundaries. Despite this, they still love their country, and do want to remain supportive of its non-repressive endeavors. They despise how the martyrs are treated, and how all who oppose the country are considered enemies of the war and executed. All in all, both Suheir & Marjane do not wish to get wrapped up in the crazy political turmoil their country has created.

Islamic Holidays

Islamic New Year marks the beginning of the Muslim calender. People gather in mosques and pray. Ashura is the tenth day of the Muslim calendar. It commemorates the martyrdom of Mohammed’s grandson, Hussein. Reenactments and plays are performed in memory of him. Some Muslims beat and flog themselves. Mawlid an-Nabi marks the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed. Muslims focus on life and teachings of Mohammed. Some consider it to not be a holiday. 

Laylat al-Miraj is a holiday that celebrates Mohammed's night journey, where he ascended to heaven and met with the other prophets, before finally negotiating with Allah so that Muslims only had to pray 5 times a day. It is the most important holiday for Muslims. It is celebrated by telling children the story of Mohammed's Nightr Journey, as well as a feast of treats. 

Laylat al Baraat is a day of preperation two weeks before Ramadan. It is known as the "Night of Emancipation". Ramadan is the longest holiday in the Islamic Religion, spanning the entire ninth month of the Islamic Calendar. During this holiday, all who are of able physical and mental condition are required to fast during the day for the entire month. At the end of the month, Eid ul-Fitr, a huge three-day celebration takes place. Kids go door to door asking for treats, people visit each other, and everyone asks for forgiveness.

Current Events-Iran

Iran is a country out in the Middle East. At  1,648,195 sq km, it is the 18th largest country in Asia. That's roughly the size of Alaska. The government is a theocratic republic, where most of the power is given to religious figures. Almsot the entire population of the country are Muslims, with a staggering rate of 98% Muslim. The majority of the populace speaks Persian, and roughly three-quarters of the country is literate.

In other news, the Iran Government is being criticized for its increased usage of the death sentences. Critics accuse the government of using the death sentence as a threat to the populace, and even abandoning due process in trials. It seems their allegations are at least partly true, with over 150 executions last year and already 67 this year, totaling about  

2 per day at this point.

Street Art....?

1. I noticed that the artists incorporated a lot of personal things in their work. For example, Invader was always posting Spce Invader tiles all around the city. The artists also used a variety of different styles. While Invader mostly used tiles, Banksy used spray cans and posters to convey his messages.

2. I was amazed by how "Mr Brainwash" was able to get his art so loved and recognized despite that fact that he was....not exactly an artist. He was a total dumbass.
He didn't know anything about art- hell, he actually HIRED people to do the art for him. He just came up with some basic, stupid concepts. And yet, somehow, everyone bought into it. Un-freaking-believable.

3. All of the artists used their craft to convey their message in different ways. For example, Banksy had the "Elephant in the Room" exhibit for his first art show. He painted an elephant like the wallpaper in the room to convey how people can often miss things. I too can use art to convey a message.