Ali

Ali Alizadeh

And his poem

“Iran”

Born in 1976 in Tehran ◦ Capital of Iran

Islamic Revolution and Iran-Iraq War Attended primary school in Tehran First public writing, age 13

◦ Won a literary award ◦ Subject of documentary film for Iranian television

Early Life in Iran

Tehran, Iran

Began in 1978 Policy of the Shah

One of the Iranian kings who unified Persia Shah- “puppet of the West” (U.S.) Disregarded Islamic tradition (calendar) Corruption and Elitism (Shah and royal court) Government surveillance/ repression on certain groups

Strikes paralyzed economy Through vote– Iran became Islamic Republic Supreme leader- Ayatollah Khomeini

had been exiled previously for calling Shah “wretched miserable man”

Iranian (Islamic) Revolution

Guardianship of Jurist If you followed government, you were obeying God Would protect Islam and eliminate poverty, injustice

and land being taken over by “non-believers”

Most Iranians became to be against theocratic rule (governed by divine) – God’s will

Rise of Ayatollah Khomeini

President elected every 4 years◦ Directly voted by people ◦ Doesn’t hold all power over foreign policy, armed

forces, nuclear policies, national radio/t.v. programs (Supreme Leader ultimately controls these)

◦ Signs treaties and agreements◦ Decided in 1979 Constitution– first as prime

minister, then changed to president Supreme leader still holds most power

◦ High Status◦ Chosen by leaders of Shiite religion◦ Lifetime term

Current Government of Iran

Current PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad

Current Supreme LeaderAli Khamenei

High School years in Queensland Faced racism from classmates Creative Writing student PhD in Professional writing at Deakin

University

Migration to Australia

“As to why we migrated to Australia, I suppose the generally hellish

conditions of life in an Islamic state like Iran are the most obvious

reason. I think my parents were also concerned about me having to do my

military service at a time when it was quite likely that Iran would be

again attacked by Iraq (by then we had already lived through the very

brutal 8 year-long Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s) so I think my folks were keen

to move us to a safer place. Another important factor for my parents

would have been the third world middle class view in life in the West as a

great status symbol, something that would really impress and awe

their relatives and acquaintances back in Iran. Personally, I couldn't wait to

get out of Iran as I was just so sick and tired of all the

religious nonsense, and also, as someone who was already

determined to become a writer, I wanted to live in a place where

freedom of speech was valued and protected.”

Q: Why did your family move to Australia?

Queensland, Australia

As a toddler, I was often babysat by my grandmother, who

was this very erudite, and talkative, old woman, and she

would always tell me stories and read me books. So I

suppose that's what conditioned me to want to become a

writer from a really early age. But after we moved to

Australia, I realised that since I didn't know much English I

wouldn't really be able to pursue that ambition.

(Continued next slide)

Q: What inspired you to start writing?

Continued…

Well, things didn't really change until I started doing a

Creative Arts degree at university when I was 19 - I had

initially enrolled to study painting - and I came across a few

performance/spoken word poets. One guy - with whom I'd

eventually become very close friends - was particularly

memorable. Some kind of Romantic figure, a cross between

Jim Morrison and a punk, who'd get totally drunk and read

his poems to large audiences with so much confidence and

bravado (and, yes, he was pretty popular with the girls). So

I started by mimicking guys like him and, over time, I lost

interest in painting and decided to focus on writing. One of

the best decisions I ever made.

Themes: ◦ dissent (to differ in opinion from the majority)◦ History (of Iran especially) ◦ Spirituality

Controversial issues Large amount of poetry about Iran

Style and Type of Writing

“Iran”I cringe (or is it shiver?)every time I hear the word

motherland. I’d like to thinkmy blatant internationalism

foments the reaction. But is itthe latent fear forever held

by you, my pays natal, the terror of un retour?

The poet has bad feelings whenever he hears the word Iran because he is reminded of the past.

His blatant (obvious and unashamed) internationalism stimulates his reaction. Since he has seen more of the world, he realizes different places are better

Pays natal- homeland Un retour- return

I’d like to

remember the scent of yourjasmine, the ooze of

your pomegranate’s juice. Butthe torture in your prisons

the sadism in your leaders’ eyespervade the reminiscence. I’m

drawn to the romanceof your poets, memorialised

so lyrically in the sepulchral shrines

of Shiraz. The tales of turbaned

bards drinking the forbidden,singing the heady praises of Love

fill me with the desireto love you, but the ubiquity

of sub-machineguns,the vigilance of the Guards repel.

The poet wants to remember all the good memories of Iran but they are tainted by the bad

Ubiquity- to be everywhere, inescapable

And I’ve been repulsedacross the globe. I’ve been

made thoroughly homeless. Blame Islam? The historical disaster

of a revolution without vision?Anti-colonialism without

the aim of ending the slaveryof the soul to the superiority

of belief? Or, as always, ‘them’:the Americans, greased up

for devouring your oil? Blame?No, I’m not at all interested

in constructivism. I’ll accuse,as they say in my surrogate patrie,‘until the cows come home’.

His feelings for Iran have driven him all the way to Australia

Made “homeless,” although he has a house, he doesn’t have a true home. The fact he isn’t living where he is born, makes him feel homeless.

The poet doesn’t want to blame.He doesn’t blame Islam, the revolution without a plan, the fact you must be a slave to a certain belief, or the Americans

Why the pretentious reliance on

Italicised French words and Anglo slang? My mother-tongue

also terrifies. Once the language ofno doubt sublime poets and ghazals;

the discourse of submissionand hatred during my childhood.

The poet addresses why he has used different languages in the poem. He dreads his own language, so he must adapt to languages of other lands.

The language once stood for beauty and magnificence. Now it stands for fear and hatred.

Remember your theologiansinterpreting reality? I don’t want to.

I don’t know if my psychecan handle many more nightmares.

Let it suffice that I can recallthe purges, the bruises, the glow

of the incinerations. I’ll haveyou know that I now fathom what

you had in mind for me: a plotamong the ‘martyrs’

in the Heaven of Zahramausoleum in Tehran.

The reality of Iran is that it is a nightmare

Not thinking about it makes it better.

If he had stayed in Iran, it would have been expected of him to become a martyr, dying for Islam

Brainwashed for the sake of religion

Now I hear you’re armedto the teeth to continue your

infernal war againsttimeless nemeses. Your wealthy

still holiday in Europe and plancosmetic surgeries. Your clerics

still issue death warrants against ‘apostates’ and ‘infidels’.

Iran is determined to continue it’s war against it’s “timeless nemeses” which is Iraq.

Although there are so many poor people, the rich still vacation in Europe and plan to do all these frivolous things (cosmetic surgery)

People who go against the Islam belief are persecuted and often put to death

I’m almost dead in the quicksandof the deserts of foreignness

and exile. Do I even begin to darecontemplate a return

to the makeshift terrainsof memory? To the localities

that cultivated my sensesof placement, to the orchards

that I wandered as a boredchild? The people are mostly dead.

The remaining form a diasporaof regret and disillusionment.

He almost feels dead, metaphorically. Everything he used to be has disappeared, especially his culture.

The deserts of “foreignness and exile” are Australia. Does not truly belong there. Will always be different

He doesn’t want to look into his memory, because next to the good memories are bad ones also.

Most of the people he knew are now dead, or are displaced from their homes

I’m, as I said, not a positivist.Onlya fickle and shuddering ghost

rejuvenated and alarmedby the mention of the word

Motherland.

The poet admits he isn’t an optimist

He is just a changeable and inconsistent ghost of what once was

He feels mixed emotion when he hears the word “Iran”

The word makes him feel not only invigorated and re-energized, but also worried and troubled.

Created by: Carley Kleinhans