commemoration of dr hossein shahidi 10 4 15
TRANSCRIPT
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by May Haddad
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10 4 15
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In loving memory
of Hossein Shahidi
Dedicated to Hossein’s
Friends worldwide
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Introduction 10 4 15 marks one year for Hossein’s departure… In Arabic people say البقية بحياتك , which implies
that we become responsible to continue the journey of the one who departed us.
Hossein Jaan is an expanded document of that of 31 5 14 that was developed for the
Commemoration of Hossein in Baabdat-Lebanon. This expanded document introduces Dr
Hossein Shahidi facebook page; the readings of the Commemoration; a section about Hossein;
and a Tribute section.
Dr Hossein Shahidi’s page https://www.facebook.com/HosseinJaafarShahidi was launched 2 days
after Hossein’s departure by friends who wanted to collect, document and share Hossein’s
publications, teachings and related news. Thousands of people worldwide have visited the page.
The page has included 65 photo albums and 55 notes by 31 3 15 (p. 13-25).
Selected readings from the Commemoration of 31 5 14 are included in p. 26-51. To note that this
selection of materials by Hossein would have been different had the Commemoration been
conducted in Iran or Afghanistan or Palestine or Jordan or England etc. pending on the interests
of the participants. This section includes samples of Hossein poems/songs translations (from
Persian or Arabic into English), samples of articles that Hossein had written (in one language or
two languages), samples of his photo-essays and book reviews.
About Hossein: pages 52-87. Samples of materials that introduce Hossein as a teacher, writer,
journalist, photographer, Middle East expert, peace activist, sincere friend are shared in this
section. Hossein’s resource books are introduced on p. 80-84, dozens of his articles and photo-
essays that have been posted by Iranian.com are introduced on p. 85-86 and his You Tube link is
on p. 87.
Lulu (the pearl) and the translation of Persian poems and songs (p. 88- 95) are among the
unfinished works of Hossein.
Tributes to Hossein that have been gathered by the administrators of Dr Hossein Shahidi’s page
are shared on p. 96-170. Among the institutions that paid tribute to Hossein: Jordan Media
Institute, Birzeit University-Palestine, BBC-Persian section, Radio Farda, American University of
Beirut and Lebanese American University-Lebanon. This section includes more than 50 tributes
to Hossein by friends, family, collogues, students and fans. Selections from “London Days” poems
are also included in the section. The program of the Commemoration of 31 5 15 is displayed on p.
156-157.
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Contents
Dedication
Introduction
Contents
p. 3
p. 5
p. 7-12
The page:
Dr Hossein Shahidi
Page administrators
p. 13-25
o In our hearts & thoughts
o Introducing the page o Cover pages
o 65 Photo albums o 55 Notes and essays
Readings at the
Commemoration:
31 5 14
o Mawlana: Parvaneh Sho
Poem translation
o Lessons for life from Lebanon Satiric bilingual article
o My neighborhood, My
Beirut Photo-essay
o From Beirut to Jerusalem
Book review
Authors
Hossein Shahidi & May Haddad
Hossein Shahidi
Hossein Shahidi
Hossein Shahidi
p. 26-51
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o Fairuz: Singing of love and Palestine - Article
Hossein Shahidi
o We and the moon are
neighbors Song translation
Hossein Shahidi
o Come see me once a year Song translation
Hossein Shahidi
o إمام و نجم و طالب إيراني في
Article -بيروتHossein Shahidi
About Hossein
o My Name
Compiled
by May Haddad
o Essay
p. 52-87
o Quotes
o The Blame Game
o Afghanistan in Hossein’s heart
o Asheqan and Arefan
o Poem by Sajeda Milad
o Hossein and Palestine
o Indeed a global teacher
o Hossein the photographer
o Surprising Jordan
o Hair Festival
o Quotes and tributes
o Interview by Peyvand Khorsandi
o Introduction
o Photo-essay
o Translation
o Introduction
o Photos
o Photos
o Photo-essay
o Photo-essay
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o Oxford roses
o Familiar flowers
o A tribute to Farhad Mehrad
o Standing by Jila
and Bahman
o The media in Hossein’s articles
o Women of the world unite!
o Stop the war
o Teaching materials:
Collated by Diala Rajaie Al-Azzeh
o Introducing the books
o Articles and photo-essays
o YouTube films
o Photos
o Photo-essay
o Link to an article
o Links to articles
o Samples and links to articles
o Link and photos
o Links and photos
o Titles and links
o Journalism in Iran o Iran in 21st Century o The Persians o Kabul Days o Booklet: Seyyed
Jafar Shahidi
o Links at Iranian.com
o Link
Among the Unfinished
Works of Hossein
o Translations of Poems and songs from Persian
o Lulu - Musical Performance by the Rahbani brothers
p. 88-95
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Homage to Hossein By p. 96-147
o Tribute to a great teacher
o By Beirzeit University
o By Jordan Media Institute
o Jila Baniyaghoob
o Beirzeit University
o Jordan Media
Institute
o Hossein Shahidi’s Legacy o Sara Mohseni
& Mehrad Safa
o نودعك بابتسامة
Farewell, with a smile
o Aref Hajjawi
o Light as a feather,
heavy as a mountain
o Shokoufeh Shahidi
o Poem to Hossein o Dr Ali Mohammad
Sajjadi
o Fabulous and giving
o لماذا كل من نحبهم، نفارقهم
o Hossein’s message
o We all loved him
o The Wind Will Carry Us
o Sodade
o Hossein is a hero
o Energy, teamwork
and fun
o Broadening our horizons
o Exemplary
o Hossein became
a martyr
o An anchor
o Merfat Awad
o Khitam Amer
o Hamza Sabouri
o Haitham Sharif
o Norbert Hirschhorn
o Hoda Hamedi
o Swee Ang
o Diala Rajaie Al-Azzeh
o Abdalla Mubaiydeen
o Guissou Jahangiri
o Pooran Golfam
o Dr Aziza Khalidi
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o My friend
o A real journalist
o Obituary
o By Radio Farda
o By BBC-Persian
o Obituary
o 40 rules of love
o SOAS Commemoration
o Our little prince
o Life is wise
o Love will last
o Close and intimate
o Tonttus
o Friendship and time
o Remembering Hossein
o The teacher
ADDITIONAL TRIBUTES
o Bilal Rahman
o Farshid Faryaabi
o Homa Katouzian
o Mohammad
Dar’amee
o Leila Abu Husni
o Saeed Barzin
o Ali Farhid
o Arshin A.
Moghaddam
o Madeleine Badaro
o Luz Floreciendo
o Nadia Dalloul
o Sabah Jabbour
o Sirkku Kivisto
o Jim Reilly
o Soroush Javadi
o Amir Ali Alameh
Zadeh
o Fari khanom
o Ahmad-Shah
Duranai
o Eman Khader
Shanan
o Mohammadreza
Jalaeipur
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o Fadia Hasna
o Sari Hanafi
o Lina Abyad
o Ahmad Dahwich
o Vicki Perkins
o Firas Abu Aloul
o Youmna Al-Khatam
o Cam Lecce
o Guissou Jahangiri
o Potkin Azarmehr
o Nadim Shehadi
o Lojain Al-Absi
Extracts from London Days
Commemoration in Baabdat-Lebanon: 31 5 14 Our inspiration
Fragrant flowers
The Garden of
Permanent Sleep
Ashes of light
Diary-Poems
By May Haddad
May Haddad
Photo-essay by
Hossein Shahidi
Poems by
May Haddad
p. 148-153
p. 154-158
p. 161-163
p. 164-170
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Dr Hossein Shahidi’s page
The face book page was launched on 12 4 14
https://www.facebook.com/HosseinJaafarShahidi
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Readers of the page
By the end of March, the page has more than 800 Likers. Our records confirm that thousands of people have visited the page. Here are examples
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Selections of Dr Hossein Shahidi cover pages
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65 Photo albums by 30 3 15
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55 Notes by 30 3 15
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پروانه شوMawlana: Parvaneh sho
A Moth You Should Become
(translated and transcribed by Hossein Shahideh-
Arabic by May Haddad)
Kindly Read the English from right to left
حيلت رها کن عاشقا ديوانه شو ديوانه شو و اندر دل آتش درآ پروانه شو پروانه شوVandar del-e atash dara, parvaneh sho, parvaneh sho Hilat raha kon asheqa, divaneh sho, divaneh sho
And into the flames enter, a moth you should become, a moth you should become
و ادخل اللهب، تصبح شرنقة، تصبح شرنقة
Stop all subterfuge, O lover, go mad, go mad أيها العاشق، دعك مما يلهي،
كن مجنونا، كن مجنونا
ن هم خانه راهم خويش را بيگانه ک هم خانه شو وآنگه بيا با عاشقان هم خانه شو ويرانه کن Vangah biya ba asheqan ham-khaneh sho, ham-khaneh sho Virvaneh kon ham khish ra, biganeh kon ham khaneh ra
And then come and join the lovers in their home,
join the lovers in their home
و بعدها، تحرر و شارك العاشقين في منزلهم،و شارك العاشقين في منزلهم
Destroy your very self, become a stranger in
the shell that houses your self حطم ذاتك، كن غريبا في الصدفة
التي تسكن ذاتك داخلها
هاها هفت آب شو ازکينهرو سينه را چون سينه وآنگه شراب عشق را پيمانه شو پيمانه شو Vangah sharab-e eshq ra paymaneh sho, paymaneh sho Ro sineh ra chon sineh ha, haft ab shoo az kineh ha
And then drink the wine of love, cup after cup, cup after cup
و بعدها إشرب نبيذ العشق، كوبا بعد كوب، كوبا بعد كوب
Go wash your chest seven times, as true believers would, to cleanse it of all hatred
إذهب و اغسل صدرك سبع مرات، كما يفعل المؤمن الحقيقي، لينظف نفسه من كل األحقاد
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بايد که جمله جان شوی تا اليق جانان شوی روی مستانه شو مستانه شومستان می گر سویGar souy-e mastan miravi, mastaneh ro, mastaneh ro Bayad keh jomleh jan shavi, ta layeq-e janan shavi
Towards the drunkards if you go, drunken steps you should take, drunken steps you should take
و إذا ذهبت إلى مكان السكر، إتبع خطوات سكرانة، إتبع خطوات سكرانة
Your whole being should turn
into life, before you can become worthy of the beloved
أترك كل ذرة فيك، تعانق الحياة حتى تستحق لقب عاشق
آن گوشوار شاهدان هم صحبت عارض شده دردانه شو آن گوش و عارض بايدت دردانه شوAan goush-o arez bayadat, dordaneh sho, dordaneh sho Aan goushvar-e shahedan, ham-sohbat-e arez shodeh
That ear and that face if you desire, a pearl you should become, a pearl
you should become
تتوق ذلك الوجه، تلك األذن،صر لؤلؤة اذا صر لؤلؤة
The beloved’s earring has nestled next to her face
ترتاح حلقة المعشوق قرب وجهها
ما چون جان تو شد در هوا ز افسانه شيرين فانی شو و چون عاشقان افسانه شو افسانه شوFani sho o chon asheqan afsaneh sho, afsaneh sho
Chon jan-e to shod dar hava zafsaneh-ye shirin-e ma
Mortal you should become and, as lovers would,
a fable you should become, a fable you should become
وحين تعشق تصير اسطورة، تكون بشرا
Now that , by hearing our sweet, your soul ethereal has become
تصير أثيرا... حتى تشف ... يكفيك ان تسمع
آينه و چونگر چهره بنمايد صنم پر شو از ا ور زلف بگشايد صنم رو شانه شو رو شانه شوVar zolf bogshayah sanam, ro shaneh sho, ro shaneh sho Gar chehren benmayad sanam, por sho az u chon ayehen
And should the beloved let her hair down, a comb you should become, a comb you should become
و عندما تسدل المعشوقة شعرها، ط ، تحول إلى مشط تحول إلى مش
Should the beloved display her face, fill yourself of her,
as if you were a mirror
و عندما تسفرالمعشوقة عن وجهها، إمأل ذاتك بها، و كأنك مرآة
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Ma bi’asser: Lessons for life from Lebanon
Satiric article- Hossein Shahidi
August 23, 2010
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2010/Aug-23/58870-ma-biasser-lessons-for-life-from-lebanon.ashx#axzz32SrPao2k The great contemporary thinker, Homer Simpson, once gave his beloved son, Bart, three lessons
to get him through life: “Number one: 'Cover for me.' Number two: 'Oh, good idea, boss.'
Number three, 'It was like that when I got here.’” Ignorance of these basic lessons has led to the
loss of many opportunities in my life. Or, it has led to others taking them, according to a billboard
I have seen repeatedly on my way to Beirut airport which says, ‘An opportunity is never lost; it’s
always seized by someone else.’ To comfort myself, I have tried to think of opportunities I have
lost when no one else was around to seize them. My hope has been that perhaps I could go back
and claim such opportunities, but the consolation has been minimal. (By the way, I cannot
remember what the ad was about - a common problem with very clever copy writing.)
Approaching the end of five years in Lebanon, my second long-term stay here since early 1970s, I
would also like to share with you three other lessons I have learned in this wonderful country.
Each of these can be interpreted in two ways, depending on one’s own motivations and attitudes
in life: negative, irresponsible, and destructive; or positive, forward-looking and constructive.
The first lesson is derived from the title of this piece, ma bi’asser, literally meaning ‘it has no
effect’, or ‘it makes no difference’, ‘it doesn’t matter’. The expression comes up in conversations
all the time, resolving many a discussion or putting your mind at ease when you’re worried that
things might not be going your way. Sometimes it means there is no point in worrying, because
your worrying will ‘have no effect’. Ma bi’asser can mean you don’t have to think about the
consequences of your actions, because you has learned all along that no matter what you do, it
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will ‘have no effect’. Or it could be positive, protecting you against changes in the world outside,
telling you that nothing should be allowed to change your course of action. Both interpretations
could be seen at work in Lebanon.
You underpay the cashier at a supermarket, realize your mistake, pay the difference, and
apologize. You are greeted with a smile and the words ma bi’asser. At another shop, or a
restaurant, you keep changing your order, but the cheerful shop assistant or waiter does his/her
job with a smile, assuring you that all the hassle ma bia’sser. You ask for directions to a place and
are given information which contrasts with everything else you have heard. ‘Ma bi’asser’, you are
told. The new route will also get you there, sooner or later. Or you may ask your Lebanese friend
whether the new elections, or the various ‘plans’ and ‘initiatives’ announced weekly, if not daily,
by local potentates or foreign powers will bring stability to the country. ‘Ma bi’asser’, your friend
will almost certainly say - perhaps the only such occasion when you too might fully agree with
your friend.
The positive interpretation of ma bi’asser is probably not far away from the concept of ‘Lebanese
resilience’ that one hears so much outside the country and witnesses it inside. As an Iranian, I
have found this interpretation quite refreshing. An Iranian journalist visiting Lebanon not long
after the Israeli invasion of 2006 told me about meeting a family outside the ruins of their house
in south Lebanon. ‘That was our house,’ the father had said, laughing and pointing to the heap of
rubble nearby, rather than telling a tale of misery, inviting sympathy, or pity.
True, such destruction has happened in Lebanon so frequently that you could suggest people
have gotten used to it. But still, there is a difference between being ‘accustomed’ to a calamity
and shrugging it off, on the one hand, and laughing about it, on the other. After all, some of us
Iranians are still angry with the Greeks because Alexander destroyed Persepolis more than 2,000
years ago. Being able to look back and laugh at a misery or calamity means one has conquered it
and can say, ma bi’asser.
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My second Lebanese lesson for life is based on a deeper meaning of the word bokra, or
‘tomorrow’. One Friday at work, a colleague who was walking down a corridor with me pointed
to a poster on a wall and told me, in Arabic, that it showed a prominent person whom he would
introduce to me bokra. ‘But bokra is Saturday,’ I said, puzzled. ‘Will you two be coming in?’ My
colleague explained that he had used the word not to mean literally the day after, but ‘sometime
in the future.’ A year-and-a-half later, I still have not been introduced to the prominent person in
the poster. Obviously, that particular ‘sometime in the future’ has still not arrived.
Lebanese are not alone in sometimes preferring to ‘leave for tomorrow what does not have to be
done today’. But the negative consequences of such an attitude are not difficult to see. Some,
including many Lebanese, attribute the country’s ills – especially the political instability that has
often caused turbulence and violence – to the lack of a clear vision about the future; the ease
with which promises are made, but not delivered; and the ease with which those who made the
promises can relieve themselves of any responsibility. After all, they meant they would do
whatever it was that they had promised to do bokra - ‘sometime in the future’. That time has not
yet come. Therefore, it would be unfair to judge them – yet.
The positive interpretation of the indefinite bokra could be seen in its contrast with the relentless
push to get things done immediately which is on display in numerous American police, war, and
espionage movies and TV series on various Arab satellite channels. In almost every episode, there
are frequent uses of assertive expressions such as ‘come on’, ‘move’, ‘go, go, go’, and ‘let’s do it’.
The premise, evidently, is that something has to be done ‘now’, and the lead character has to
persuade, urge, or even coerce others into ‘doing it’. If such characters, and the real people on
whom they may have been modeled, could realize that there is a bokra, they may not have
pushed others into the frenzy of killing and maiming on the screen and in real life that is called
‘action’.
My third lesson for life from Lebanon is inspired by the ads for the country’s leading brand of
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beer, Almaza, or diamond. The company has displayed some witty billboards which stand out
among the ads covering both sides of the often jammed highway between Beirut and the
northern resorts of Jounieh and Jbail (Byblos). During last year’s campaigns for Lebanon’s
parliamentary elections, one Almaza billboard introduced a tall glass of beer, with froth on top,
as ‘The Clear Winner’. Another promoted ‘The Current of 24’ – bottles, that is - as distinct from
Lebanon’s rival political blocs, ‘The Current of 8th March’ and ‘The Current of 14th March'. My
lesson is embedded not in the big captions, but in the smaller motto at the bottom of all Almaza
billboards, on shop fronts, and elsewhere, which says rather quietly, heidi jawwna, heidi nahna,
‘this is our mood, this is us’.
While Almaza uses the motto to elevate its brand, the concept can also be abused, to explain
away our misdeeds by saying ‘this is who I am, and this is how I behave’; ‘this is how God created
me’; and so on. But to me, the expression has brought great relief, in Lebanon and elsewhere,
especially in situations that might otherwise have led to frustration and anger. When basic
facilities or resources are missing, promises are not kept, and simple tasks are not performed, or
are performed badly, I remind myself that heidi jawwna, heidi nahna: this is what we human
beings – including myself – are; this is who we are; and we cannot be changed immediately, by
force.
Related to this reflection are also more positive ideas arising from my other two favourite
Lebanese expressions. Firstly, there is always more than one option, and the result of each may
not be fundamentally different from that of the other. So, do your thing and let others do theirs,
because in the end, ma bi’asser very much. Secondly, while you must not lose sight of your goal,
it might not be a good idea to push to get everything done NOW, believing that otherwise the
world will come to an end. ‘Bokra,’ as Scarlet O’Hara might have said, ‘is another day - or another
year’.
All things considered, and in spite of everything they have been through, the Lebanese people as
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a whole share such a rare combination of patience, tolerance, and good humor, that one can
only leave Lebanon with fond memories - eager to return as soon as possible.
Hossein Shahidi has lived in Lebanon as a student, 1972-8, and a teacher, 2005-2010.
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للحياة من لبنان دروس": ما بيأثر
حسين شهيدي
ال تخبر أحدا عندما : "األول" .الحبيب، بارت، ثالثة دروس لتساعده في الحياة إلبنه المفكر العظيم المعاصر، هومر سيمبسون، قدم مرة
عدم معرفتي بهذه ". هنا عندما وصلت إلىهكذا كان الوضع: "؛ و الثالث"إنها فكرة جيدة، يا مديري: " ؛ الثاني"ال أكون موجودا بالعمل
الدروس األساسية أدى إلى ضياع فرص عديدة في حياتي، أو أدى إلى أخذها من قبل آخرين، وفقا للوحة دعائية رأيتها مرارا في طريقي
."الفرصة ال تفقد أبدا؛ بل تؤخذ دائما من قبل شخص آخر': الى مطار بيروت و التي تقول
ت عدة مرات التفكير في الفرص التي فقدتها، عندما لم يكن أحد آخر بالقرب مني لالستيالء عليها، آمل أنني ربما ألريح نفسي، حاول
وهي – بالمناسبة، ال اتذكر ما كان موضوع تلك اللوحة الدعائية . )الراحة ولكنني لم أحصل على شيء من. أتمكن من إعادة المطالبة بها
.(ات ذكية للغايةحالة عادية عندما تكون الدعاي
في البقاء فترة طويلة في لبنان، و للمرة الثانية في حياتي منذ أوائل السبعينات، أود التشارك أيضا و لدى اقترابي من إنهاء السنة الخامسة
لمرء ومواقفه في و يمكن تفسير كل من هذه الدروس بطريقتين، حسب دوافع ا. مع القراء ثالثة دروس أخرى تعلمتها في هذا البلد الرائع
.سلبية، غير مسؤولة، ومدمرة؛ أو إيجابية، تطلعية وبناءة: الحياة
، تعبير يأتي في المحادثات في كل وقت، و يحل العديد من النقاش، او يطمئنك "ما بيأثر"الدرس األول مذكور في عنوان هذا المقال،
.على سير األمور" ما بياثر"عني عدم وجود اي سبب للقلق، ألن القلق ت" ما بياثر"أحيانا .عندما تشعر بالقلق عندما تتعثر االمور
طول حياتك أنه بغض النظر قد تعلمت التفكير في العواقب الناجمة عن أفعالك، ألنك ايضا، يمكن ان تعني العبارة انه ال يجب عليك
بطريقة ايجابية، لتحمي نفسك في وجه " ما بياثر"ن تعتبر أو يمكن أ ".ما بياثر" نتيجة لن تحصل على أي به، عن كل ما تحاول القيام
.و يمكننا ان نرى كال التفسيرين في لبنان. يغير مسارك التغييرات في العالم الخارج عنك، و لن تسمح ألي شيء أن
يبتسم أمين . تعتذروقت شراء أغراضك في سوبرماركت، تدفع ألمين الصندوق أقل من مبلغ الفاتورة؛ تكتشف خطأك؛ تدفع الفرق؛ و
في محل آخر، أو مطعم ، تغير طلبك عدة مرات، ولكن مساعد المتجر أو المطعم يبقى مبتسما، و يطمئنك ". ما بياثر: "الصنىوق و يقول
تسأل شخصا في الطريق عن اتجاه محل ما، و تسمع معلومات متناقضه عن كل المعلومات التي سمعتها". ما بياثر"ان كل هذا اإلزعاج
.، يقول لك الشخص، ألن الطريق الجديد يوصلك الى المقصد، عاجال أو آجال"ما بياثر. "من قبل
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التي تعلن اسبوعيا، إن لم يكن يوميا، بواسطة زعماء " مبادرات"و ال" خطط"أو قد تسأل صديقك اللبناني اذا االنتخابات الجديدة، أو ال
ولعل هذه المناسبة الوحيدة عندما --"ما بياثر"البلد، و من شبه المؤكد سيقول صديقك محليين أو قوى اجنبية، ستؤدي الى االستقرار في
.أنت أيضا قد تتفق تماما مع صديقك
. التي يسمع المرء كثيرعنها خارج البلد، و يشهدها في الداخل" المرونة اللبنانية"بعيدا عن مفهوم " ما بياثر"قد ال يكون التفسير اإليجابي ل
وقال لي صحافي ايراني كان يزور لبنان بعد فترة قليلة من االجتياح االسرائيلي عام .وجدت هذا التفسير منعشا جدا رانيا،كوني اي
، قال رب العائلة، وهو يضحك ويشير إلى كومة من "وهذا هو بيتنا: "، عن لقائه مع عائلة خارج أنقاض منزلها في جنوب لبنان6002
.ال من ذكر حكاية من البؤس، تدعو للتعاطف أو الشفقةاالنقاض في مكان مجاور، بد
لكن ال يزال هناك فرق بين أن يكون المرء . الظن بأن الناس قد اعتادوا على ذلك يمكنك صحيح ، لقد حدث التدمير في لبنان كثيرا حتى
عض منا االيرانيون ال يزالون غاضبين على الب. على الكوارث و لم يشتك منها، من ناحية، والضحك عليها ، من ناحية اخرى" اعتاد"قد
قدرتك على النظر إلى الوراء . سنة 6000دمر قصر الملك األيراني، تخت جمشيد، قبل أكثر من " اإلسكندر األكبر"اإلغريق ألن
."ما بياثر"القول والضحك على البؤس أو مصيبة ما، تعني انك قد انتصرت عليها و يمكن
. يوم جمعة كنت ماشيا في ممر مع زميل في العمل ". بكرة"الحياة التي تعلمتها في لبنان على معنى أعمق لكلمة ويستند درسي الثاني عن
استغربت و سألت زميلي اذا هو ". سأعرفك عليه بكرة"أشار زميلي إلى ملصق على الحائط لشخص بارز و مشهور، و قال لي
ليس بمعنى " بكرة"أوضح زميلي انه استخدم كلمة . ، عطلة آخر األسبوعسبت، أي يوم ال"بكرة"والشخص المشهور سيحضران العمل
من الواضح، . بعد عام ونصف العام من هذا الجمعة، ما زلت لم ألتق مع الشخصية البارزة. ، بل بمعنى وقت ما في المستقبل"يوم الغد"
.ما زال لم يحصل" وقت في المستقبل"أن هذا ال
لكن، ليس من الصعب رؤية اآلثار السلبية لهذا .لذين يفضلون ان ال يعملوا اليوم اي شئء يمكن تأجيله للغداللبنانيون ليسوا وحدهم ا
وخاصة عدم االستقرار السياسي الذي غالبا ما يسبب -البعض، بما في ذلك العديد من اللبنانيين، يسندون العلل في البالد . الموقف في لبنان
ى غياب رؤية مستقبلية واضحة ؛ سهولة تقديم الوعود، بدون تحقيقها؛ وسهولة التخلي عن المسؤولية من إل -االضطرابات وأعمال العنف
لذلك، سيكون .وهذا الوقت لم يصل بعد" وقت ما في المستقبل"يعني –" بكرة"ألن الوعود قد قدمت لتتحقق . قبل الذين قدموا الوعود
.حتى اآلن -من الظلم الحكم عليهم
في تناقضه مع الضغط المستمر الجل تحقيق األمور على الفور و الذي " بكرة"أن نرى التفسير اإليجابي للمعنى غيرالمحدد لويمكن
في كل . نشاهده في كثير من المسلسالت و األفالم األميركيه البوليسية، الحربية، و الجاسوسية على قنوات الفضائيات العربية المتنوعة
و من ". دعونا نعمل هذا الشيء"، و "أذهب، اذهب، أذهب"، "تحرك"، "هيا بنا"ام متكرر لعبارات حازمة مثل حلقة تقريبا يتم إستخد
، و يجب أن ترغب الشخصية الرئيسية في القصة ، تحث، أو "اآلن"الفرضية لهذه المواقف هي وجود شيئ ما ينبغي القيام به الوضح أن
و لكن اذا أدركت هذه الشخصيات الدراماتيغية، و الناس الحقيقيون الذين صيغت عليهم هذه . حتى ترغم اآلخرين على القيام بهذا الشيء
".أكشن"، ما كانوا إرتكبوا موجات القتل و التشويه التي تمأل شاشات القنوات و المسماة بال"بكرة"الشخصيات وجود
36
و تعرض الشركة عدد من اإلعالنات الطريفة التي .نان، ألمازةاستلهمت درسي الثالث للحياة في لبنان من إعالنات البيرة الرائدة في لب
خالل الحمالت اإلنتخابية البرلمانية في .تلفت النظر في غابة اإلعالنات التي تغطي كال الجانبين من الطريق الرئيسي بين بيروت وجبيل
حمل . و التي كتبت بحروف كبيرة "بالتزكيةفائز "العام الماضي، قدم أحد اعالنات ألمازة صورة كأس طويل مليئة، تحت عبارة
8تيار "تمييزا عن الكتل السياسية المتنافسة في لبنان، -قنينة بيرة 62، ايضا بحروف كبيرة، فوق صورة "62تيار "آخر عنوان اعالن
ألمازة اإلعالنية، وعلى لكن الدرس الذي تعلمته ورد في شعار أصغر يوجد في الجزء السفلي من لوحات ". أذار 42تيار "و " آذار
".هيدي جونا، هيدي نحنا"جبهات المتاجر وغيرها، التي تقول بهدوء
كرمز لثقة الشركة في منتجاتها، يمكن أيضا إستخدام المفهوم سلبا، لتبرير " هيدي جونا، هيدي نحنا"بينما بيرة ألمازة تستخدم شعار
.و هكذا" هللا خلقني كهذا"، أو "رفيهذا أنا، و هذا اسلوبي و تص"اعمالك السيئة، فتقول
لكن بالنسبة لي، فقد أعطاني التعبير ارتياحا كبيرا في لبنان وأماكن أخرى، ال سيما في الحاالت التي قد تؤدي إلى اإلحباط
نفسي بأن المعدات األساسية، عدم تحقيق الوعود، و عدم تنفيذ مهمات بسيطة أو سوء اجرائها، أذكر عندما لم تتوافر .والغضب
.نحن بني آدم، وأنا منهم؛ هذا نحن و ال يمكن تغييرنا على الفور، أو بالقوة عليه هذا هو ما نحن": نحنا هيدي جونا، هيدي"
ة كل أوال، هناك دائما أكثر من خيار واحد، ونتيج. و ترتبط بهذا التأمل أفكار أكثر إيجابية تبني على العبارتين اللبنانيتين المفضلتين لدي
ما "لذا، قم بما تريد، و دع اآلخرين يقومون بما يريدون، ألن األمور في نهاية المطاف . منها ال تختلف اختالفا جوهريا عن األخرى
ثانيا، في حين يجب أال يغيب هدفك عن بالك، قد ال تكون فكرة جيدة أن تحث العمل على أمر ما اآلن، معتبرا أن العالم سيأتي الى ". بياثر
".وقت ما في المستقبل"، او في "بكرة"يته بدون هذا الدفع، ألن من الممكن ان تنفذ خطتك نها
و اذا أخذنا كل األمور بعين اإلعتبار، نالحظ أن اللبنانيين ككل، على الرغم من كل تجاربهم المرة، مازالوا يمتلكون مزيجا نادرا من
.العودة في أقرب وقت ممكن دفعه الىيور هذا البلد ذكريات جميلة، و الصبر والتسامح، وروح الدعابة، و الذي يعطي لمن يز
نشر هذا المقال اوال باالنجليزي .6040-6002، و عمل استاذا جامعيا، 4798-4796، بيروتفي حسين شهيدي دكتوردرس ال
.6040تموز 62، ديلي استار صحيفةفي
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=118485#axzz0ym39L66o
37
My Neighborhood, My Beirut
Photo essay: Most interesting place I have lived
by Hossein Shahidi
30-Dec-2011
http://iranian.com/main/albums/my-neighborhood-my-beirut.html
[This photo essay is a tribute to my friends in Ras Beirut.]
Ras Beirut, or the ‘head’ or ‘tip’ of Beirut, is the north-western corner of Beirut that sticks out
into the Mediterranean (see Google map of neighborhood). A square, roughly three kilometers
long and one kilometer wide, Ras Beirut is host to three of Lebanon’s oldest universities – the
American University of Beirut (AUB, founded in 1866), the Lebanese American University (LAU,
founded in 1924), and the Haigazian University (1955).
38
It has also been a center of fashion, entertainment, art, and literature, with some of the best
restaurants offering Lebanon’s diverse cuisine. In the 1960s and 70s, Ras Beirut had a large
number of cinemas, screening the best films from around the world, and cafes frequented by the
widest possible range of intellectuals and political celebrities.
In 1972, when I left a grey, dusty and hardly pretty Tehran and arrived in Beirut for the first time,
I found a city with few buildings taller than a few stories, and most surrounded by gardens. The
entire city was covered in plants and flowers, the names of which, like many an Iranian proud of
our gardening history, I do not know even today.
But even I could recognize citrus trees, bearing fruits which until then I had only seen in shops,
and bougainvilleas, gol-e kaghazi (or paper flower in Persian), as tall as multi-storey buildings, in
contrast to the short plants my father had been tending lovingly in our little garden in Tehran.
Forty years on, the old universities are still there, along with several new ones some of which
look life office blocks; Chinese and Japanese restaurants compete well with Lebanese ones; and
fashion is still on display, in shop windows and on sidewalks. But almost all the cinemas are
gone; as are the old, French-style cafes, some of which have been replaced with franchises of
Western coffee shops.
Beirut has lost almost all its green space, AUB’s lush campus being one of the few exceptions.
Beautiful old buildings have been replaced with concrete, steel and glass towers, blocking one’s
view of the sky, not to mention the sea. Continuous construction or maintenance, the sound of
generators that cover the daily power cuts, pumps that fill up rooftop reservoirs, and the
constant honking of cars create an ocean of noise from which there is no escape, day or night
(see my video: The Sounds of Ras Beirut).
39
Had my fascination with Ras Beirut been confined to its natural or urban beauty, today I would
have had little but an obituary to write about the most interesting neighborhood in which I have
lived. However, more than anything else, it is people who give character to their habitat. Ras
Beirut is still unique, not only thanks to the writers, scholars and community leaders some of
whom appear in an excellent documentary, ‘Memories of Ras Beirut, Wish You Were Here’, by
my friend Mahmoud Hojeij, But also thanks to the staff of shops and offices, who would always
receive you with a smile and go out of their way to help you.
Ras Beirut is the only place where a bank clerk has apologized to me because she had run out of
crisp new banknotes and had to give me some old ones; where going to the telephone company
to pay my bill was like going to meet a friend; where my travel agent would always insist that I
paid for my ticket ‘not now, but later, because something might come up and you might change
your mind’; where I could discuss current affairs with florists; where I would be stopped on the
street and offered pastry by the cashier at a sweets shop; and the only place where, upon asking
at a restaurant if there was room for me, the waiter replied first, pointing to several tables,
‘there, there, and there’, and then, pointing to his heart, ‘and here’.
My photo essay is a tribute to some of my friends in Ras Beirut. There are a few whom I did not
photograph, and a few whose pictures are slightly fuzzy, because they were taken on the go. I
think my friends will forgive me, and I hope so will you. Happy New Year.
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Book review by Dr Hossein Shahidi
From Beirut to Jerusalem – A Woman Surgeon with the Palestinians
By Dr Swee Chai Ang
This book was first published in 1989, and its second edition in 2009. A few weeks ago in Beirut, I came across a well-thumbed copy of the older edition and could not put it down until I had read it to the end. The author is an orthopaedic surgeon, with a ‘surgical’ writing style: the book is full of carefully observed details, linked to each other mostly through a clear chain of cause and effect relationships, and sometimes explained through circumstantial evidence. Dr Swee Chai Ang is a Christian of Chinese ethnicity, born in Malaysia and educated in Singapore and Britain. In 1976, she and her lawyer husband, Francis Khoo, were forced to leave their home country of Singapore because of their political activities. They settled in Britain. Following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, Dr Swee volunteered to go to Lebanon to help the Palestinians refugees.
The Doktora (or lady doctor, in Arabic), as she was called in Lebanon, soon found herself working round the clock for three days at a hospital in the Shatila refugee camp, treating dozens of wounded, all the time hearing the sound of gunfire outside. Only later did she learn that more than two thousand and four hundred Palestinians had been killed in what became known as the Sabra and Shatila massacres. Dr Swee and two other foreign medical aid workers who had been at the camps at the time - the Jewish American nurse, Ellen Siegel, and the British doctor, Paul Morris – travelled from Beirut to Jerusalem to testify before an Israeli commission of inquiry into the massacres. The commission placed the ultimate responsibility on the country’s then Defence Minister, Ariel Sharon. Back in Britain, Dr Swee and her husband founded the charity, Medical Aid for Palestine, or MAP-UK, which has been active ever since.
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The book ends with Dr Swee’s sixth visit to Lebanon in 1988, when Palestinian camps had been attacked once again, this time both by the Israeli troops and by Lebanese anti-PLO forces. Shatila was destroyed, but by now the intifada or uprising had taken over the occupied Palestinian territories, inspired by the resistance of the Palestinians in refugee camps in Lebanon. It is this transfer of experience that provides the book with its title, From Beirut to Jerusalem. Reflecting on the resistance of the people of Shatila during the previous six years and the uprising of the Palestinians in the occupied territories, Dr Swee reaches total identification with the Palestinians, saying: ‘After laying the foundation for the uprising, Shatila was demo lished. But the physical survival of Shatila is not the point. Shatila lives in the hearts of every one of us. One day, we will rebuild it on the soil of the Palestinian homeland. Till that day, we shall honour the martyrs of Shatila with our continued support for the people in the uprising’ (p 301). During her visits, Dr Swee had treated the wounded with minimum facilities, sometimes operating without mask, gloves, anaesthetic or electricity, at other times using ‘vocal anaesthetics’: talking or shouting by everyone around the patient to distract attention from the pain. In 1987, while Palestinian refugee camps were encircled by the Lebanese faction, Amal, Dr Swee’s direct appeal to Syria’s President Hafez Al-Assad was followed by the Syrian army lifting the siege to allow medical help go through. Later, the Doktora ended up driving a battered ambulance to bring in supplies to the refugees, her small built sometimes preventing her from being seen by the Syrian soldiers guarding the camps, who would think the vehicle was being driven by itself. Back in Europe, at a conference in Geneva, Dr Swee met the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, who awarded her the Star of Palestine, making her, in her own words, an ‘honorary Palestinian'. In addition to a record of the experiences of the Palestinians, the book provides the reader with insights into Dr Swee’s own personality. These include the sense of fairness which helped her transcend political and religious barriers in Lebanon, and the professional modesty with which she describes surgery as ‘the application of technology to deal with certain problems’, just as there are other ‘technicians’ who ‘fix broken down cars, or unblock sinks’ (p. 7). The same humbleness, born of self-confidence, allows Dr Swee to recount in detail how she took ‘a stupid risk’ with an operation, leading to complications and the need for a second operation to save the patient. The experience, says Dr Swee, reminded her of the words of her first teacher of surgery: ‘The thing to do is to anticipate trouble and avoid it. Do not deliberately get into trouble and then try to get out of it’ (pp. 254-6) – a lesson many would do well to remember. Although I have not had the privilege of meeting Dr Swee, the book helped me feel I had known her as a friend. Soon after reading it, I met another friend of the Palestinian people, Sirkku
42
Kivistö of Finland, who sadly informed me of the passing away of Dr Swee’s husband, Fracis Khoo. Having supported Swee for nearly thirty years while she was working in the Palestinian refugee camps, and helped her set up MAP-UK, Francis visited Lebanon two years ago for the first and only time, on the anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacres. He travelled even though he was suffering from kidney failure and needed to dialyze several times a day. Sirkku told me and other friends of how Francis had gone to the mountain top Mleeta Resistance Museum in south Lebanon, happily carrying his dialysis equipment with him, as he did everywhere. And Ellen recalls how much he added to the trip to Lebanon by his singing, his knowledge, and his personality. His memory will inspire those who seek justice across the world. Hossein Shahidi 5 December 2011 *** A quick search on the internet will lead to much more about Dr Swee, Francis and MAP-UK. Here are a few suggested sites:
MAP-UK: http://www.map-uk.org/about/ Dr Swee’s tribute to Francis: http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=7227 Dr Ang Swee Chai: Surgeon With a Mission:
http://www.sma.org.sg/sma_news/3810/Feature.pdf Dr Swee Chai Ang: The children of Sabra and Shatila - extracts and photographs from the
book: http://joti2gaza.org/2011/02/18/dr-swee-chai-ang-the-children-of-sabra-and-shatila/ Other extracts and photographs from the book: http://www.inminds.com/from-beirut-to-
jerusalem.html Another review of the book: http://www.mei.nus.edu.sg/blog/dr-ang-swee-chais-from-
beirut-to-jerusalem
43
Fairuz in Paris
Singing of love
and Palestine
By Hossein Shahidi
July 22, 2002 The Iranian
http://iranian.com/Music/2002/July/Fairuz/index.html
"The sound of longing for the Lebanese mountains" and "the voice of the human condition" are
only two of the descriptions used by the Lebanese singer Fairuz's millions of fans in the Arab
world - and beyond. For me, her voice is a reminder some of the best years of my life, spent in
beautiful Beirut. It is the sound of sunshine over the deep Mediterranean blue, and of the warm,
moist, slightly salty, almost sensual, air that rises from the sea and fills the Lebanese coastline.
I was lucky to be in Beirut in the early 1970s, when the city was at a cultural peak, enjoying the
best of what the east and the west had to offer. And Fairuz was singing one charming song after
another, mostly cheerful melodies about youthful love, and the odd sad tune about lovers torn
apart by the hands of fate.
Her name, meaning turquoise, was a perfect symbol of her delicate figure, cascading hair and
finely sculpted face.
Then came the civil war, ending tens of thousands of lives, not to mention the disruption it
caused to much of Lebanon's artistic and intellectual activity. But Fairuz remained unscathed.
Throughout the war, her voice could be heard loud and clear from rival warring factions' radio
stations, or many a neighbourhood loudspeaker, praising the glory and beauty of Lebanon, or
44
stirring passions about Palestine, recalling Jerusalem and all it holds dear to people of many
faiths.
Her performances, though, stopped until after the war, when she sang in Beirut's city centre,
which had been part of the front line and the scene of the most intense fighting.
So it was natural that on hearing - from some Parisian friends on a visit to London - that Fairuz
would be performing in Paris at the end of June, I should want to cross the channel, for the first
time in 15 years, to hear her. Only a few days before the concert, my partner and I learned that
because of high demand, our friends had been able to buy only two tickets - for the two of us.
In their apartment in Paris, we discovered that we were being given the tickets - $150 each - as
gifts. And these were not the most expensive. It is a sign of Fairuz's popularity that, in spite of
the high prices, a second night had been added to her performance.
Much to our surprise, the prestigious concert hall, Salle Pleyel, was not packed by people in
luxury clothes arriving in limousines. Most members of the audience were dressed casually,
many of them young couples holding hands. Some were older, no doubt with memories of their
youth coloured by the romantic songs of Fairuz, herself now in her mid-sixties, having recorded
hundreds of songs and appeared in more than 20 musicals, and three movies.
From my seat, high up in the back of the gallery, it was difficult to see Fairuz's face clearly, but
the contours suggested she was as beautiful as ever. She first appeared in a maroon outfit that
rather blended in with the background. But then she put on a beige, bridal, gown that did more
justice to her, especially in contrast with the red carpet on which she would glide onto the stage.
The concert opened with her most famous song about Jerusalem "Zahrat al Madaaen" - The
Flower of the Cities - shortened, and slower in rhythm. A few other songs had also been re-
arranged by Fairuz's son, Ziad Rahbani, who for many years has been writing much of her
music, and conducted the 30-strong orchestra and chorus. But what was missing in tempo was
more than made up for by the warmth of Fairuz's voice, and her emotional engagement.
45
The audience response became stronger as time went by. Towards the end, many were
weeping as she sang of the Palestinians, greeting them as "Oh you, the people of the Occupied
Land". One of the two phrases she sang most powerfully, as fresh as it was some thirty years
ago, was about returning to Palestine immediately.
She sounded equally passionate about personal love, especially in a song about love not having
gone away, in spite of the years gone by. The refrain, which she sang at the top of her voice,
said: "I've been missing you".
Responding to four calls for encores, she returned to the theme of Palestine three times, once
with the challenging opening line, "A sword shall be drawn; and horns shall be blown; and the
bells of return shall ring: now, now - not tomorrow."
Finally, there was a song about youth, love, friendship, and everything else about life having
changed and grown old, except for one's homeland, which "will always be there, as sweet as a
little child".
The only disappointment, for me, came after the concert when I tried to get Fairuz's autograph
on a biography of hers that I had bought in Cairo last March, when I met another artistic idol of
my Beirut years - the revolutionary Egyptian poet, Ahmad Fouad Negm. I had read Fairuz's
biography overnight, on the bus journey from London, and somehow felt a lot closer to her than I
ever had.
Maybe if I had just shown the book to her security guards and explained that I had travelled all
the way from London only to see and hear Fairuz ... maybe then they would have allowed me to
meet her; or at least they might have taken the book and had it autographed by her. Instead, I
showed my BBC card and asked if I could go in. They said firmly that Fairuz would not see any
journalists.
I asked if I could just have her autograph on the book. One of the guards went in to find out.
46
A minute later he came out and, calling me "Monsieur Le BBC", announced that the only way I
could get an autograph would be to wait for Fairuz outside the concert hall. On the pavement,
there were many others waiting for exactly the same purpose.
The idea of having to fight my way through the crowd to reach Fairuz was not quite in keeping
with the beauty of her voice and the tenderness of her songs. The possibility of not being able to
get close to her at all made the prospect much less appealing. It was time to go.
Having been to a Fairuz performance after nearly thirty years was in itself a dream come true.
Maybe someday I will also get a chance to meet her - hopefully in Lebanon itself.
Fairuz songs mentioned in this review
On love -- Ishta'etllak (I've been missing you) -- Habbaytak fe-sayf, habbaytak fe-sheti (I loved
you in the summer, I loved you in the winter); -- Sabah o massa (In the morning and in the
evening) -- Endi sika feek (I have faith in you)
On Lebanon -- Bihebbak ya Lebnan (I Love you, O Lebanon)
On Jeursalem -- Zahrat al Madaaen (Flower of the cities) -- El Kods el Atika (Old Jerusalem) --
Sanarjao' yoman (We Shall return some day) -- Sayfon fal-yoshhar (A Sword shall be drawn)
On homeland -- Fee a'hweh a'l-mafra' (At a coffee shop on the cross road)
47
We and the moon are neighbors
نحنا و القمر جيران
Translated and transcribed by Hossein Shahidi
we and the moon are neighbours
its house is behind our hills
it comes out from in front of us
and listens to the melodies
we and the moon are neighbours
it knows our times
and leaves on our roof bricks
the most beautiful colours
many times we've stayed all night with it
in the nights of joy
with the moans
many times on its rising
we've explained the love
with songs and tales
we and the moon are neighbours
when it stopped by and visited us
on the arches of our house
the corals were spread
nahna wel-amar jeeran
bayto khalf tlaalna
beyetlaa' men e'balna
byesmaa' el-alhan
nahna wel-amar jeeran
a'eref mwaa'eedna
w tarek be armeedna
ajmal el-alwan
yama sherna maa'o
be layl el-hana
maa'a en-nahdaat
yama a'ala matlaa'o
sharahna el-hawa
wa hkayat
nahna wel-amar jeeran
lamma tal w zarna
a'a 'anater darna
rashrash el-merjan
نحنا و القمر جيران
بيته خلف تاللنا
بيطلع من قبالنا
بيسمع االلحان
نحنا و القمر جيران
عارف مواعيدنا
و تارك بقرميدنا
اجمل االلوان
ياما سهرنا معه
بليل الهنا
مع النهدات
ياما على مطلعه
شرحنا الهوى
و حكايات
نحنا و القمر جيران
لما طل و زارنا
طر دارناع قنا
رشرش المرجان
http://www.shawshara.com/wiki/Nihna_wel_Kamar
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Come See Me Once a Year
Words, music and song by Sayed Darwish (1892-1923)
Translation into English: Hossein Shahidi
Come see me once a year
It would be a shame
If you were to forget me forever
What did I do to you
That would make you
Complain of me and me
Complain of you
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All my life I’ve cared for you
It would be a shame
If you were to forget me forever
It would be a shame
If you were to forget me forever
Pray tell, who cast a spell
To make you so cold
Hearted and forgetful
Could I have done anything?
To make you feel better
It would be a shame
If you were to forget me forever
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My Name
My name is Hossein — an Islamic name which you probably know as Hussein -- for instance King Hussein of Jordan, and -- of course -- President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. Hussein is the Turkish version of the name, one of many Arabic words which entered western languages when the Moslem Turks took over large parts of Europe. In Arabic, it is pronounced with a deep H, which could be displayed as a double H, and an upward inflection on the last syllable, perhaps as HHossain. I’m called Hossein because I come from Iran, where the main language -- Persian -- has neither the deep Arabic HHs, nor the twisting Turkish OOs Iran is also home to most of the Shia Moslems -- for whom Prophet Mohammad’s grand-son, Hossein, is one the holiest religious figures. According to the Shias, Prophet Mohammad had nominated his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, to be the Caliph, or his successor, as the leader of the Moslem community. The Shias also believe that the Caliphate should have remained in Ali’s family, starting with his two sons Hassan -- or "the good one" -- and Hossein -- or "the little or junior good one." After the Prophet’s death, a group of powerful Moslem politicians formed a council and chose an old tribal chieftain. Abu Bakr, as the Caliph, arguing that the Prophet had always settled the affairs of the Moslem community through such meetings. Those who agreed to this came to be known as Sonnis, or the followers of the Prophet’s Sonnat, or Tradition. Those who disagreed became known as Shia or the followers of Ali. Ali was eventually chosen by the Moslem people as their fourth Caliph, but he soon faced opposition from tribal leaders who did not like his policy of strict social justice and equality. In his fifth year in office, Ali was assassinated in 661 AD, at the age of 63. Another tribal chieftain, Moawiyah, took over and established the Ommayyad regime, which expanded Arab rule to north Africa, Central Asia and India -- but which also gained a reputation for widespread corruption and violent suppression of dissidents. Hossein rose up against the Ommayyad rule, but was killed -- along with 72 of his followers -- after a short battle in the plain of Karbala, in the south of what is now Iraq, in October, 680. He was 55. To this day, Shia Moslems commemorate Hossein’s martyrdom as the greatest example of struggle against injustice -- even at the cost of one’s life. The commemorations, on the 9th and 10th days of the Lunar Islamic month of Moharaam, take the shape of mourning services, processions, and dramatic reconstructions of the battle of Karbala. Sometimes, there are also men who flagellate themselves with metal chains, or scar
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their scalps with knives, in order to feel the pain that was inflicted on the victims of that battle - although this practice is nowadays denounced by many Shia clergymen. With such a model to look up to, life can be pretty tough for a Shia Moslem -- especially for one who is called Hossein. In cases such as mine the demands can be even greater. My surname is Shahidi -- which means “belonging to the martyr” -- and my first name is preceded by the title “seyyed”. Literally, the word means “lord”, “master” or plain “mister”. But in Shia Islam, the title “seyyed” in front of your name, it means that you’re not just one of Ali’s followers, but also a direct descendent of his and -- naturally -of his cousin and father-in-law the Prophet Mohammd himself. Hossein Shahidi 11 March1997
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For the article:
http://iranian.com/PeyvandKhorsandi/2006/July/Shahidi/index.html
http://soulbean.wordpress.com/2006/07/19/the-voice-of-reason/
http://soulbean.wordpress.com/2006/07/page/2/
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Afghanistan in Hossein’s heart
Hossein loved the people of Afghanistan and was at home with them. Kindly review Dr Hossein Shahidi face book page where we have posted several of Hossein’s photo essay about Afghanistan included were: “Women of the World, Unite!”, "Afghan Women Journalist", “Ashegan and Arefan” , "Familiar Flowers" and "Welcome to Herat". Restoring Reason” is among the articles posted. We also referred to Hossein’s 38 chapters titled “Kabul Days”. Hossein had also translated Afghani poems into English. We had also posted images from Hossein’s latest trip to Kabul in the photo album "At Armanshahr Foundation OPEN ASIA"
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Asheqan and Arefan Photo essay: Kabul days- by Hossein Shahidi- 01-Jun-2012
http://iranian.com/main/albums/asheqan-and-arefan.html
Hossein wrote: The pictures are those of a small shrine in Kabul, known as the resting place of two brothers, Asheqan (Lover) and Arefan (Mystic), grandsons of the 11th century pir or sage of Herat, Khajah Abdollah Ansari. The shrine was peaceful, bright, pleasantly decorated and well maintained - all the more impressive, considering that Kabul is still scarred by many years of destruction and bloodshed.
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Art Credits: Nader Jahangiri
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Hossein and Palestine
Hossein learnt about Palestine during his university years as a student in Beirut in the seventies. Since then, Hossein embraced Palestine. He had written several articles and conducted many training sessions in journalism. Related posts of Dr Hossein Shahidi’s page as follows:
Calm amid the storm- Interview with Hossein about Israel and Hamas
Book review by Hossein Shahidi: From Beirut to Jerusalem
Photo-essays about ralleys in London to end the Israeli aggression
Photos: Ramallah by Hossein
The Sounds of Ramallah- You Tube film by Hossein
At Burj Shmali camp in South Lebanon
At Nahr bared camp in Lebanon…
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Indeed a global teacher Hossein had taught in many countries: England, Iran, India, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Morrocco, Algiers, Afghanistan etc.
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Hossein the photographer
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Photos: Surprising Jordan http://iranian.com/main/albums/surprising-jordan.html
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Hair Festival Photo essay- by Hossein Shahidi- 23-Jan-2012
گزارش
2012لبنان سال .تصویری حسین شهیدی از جشنواره مو
Billboards promoting hair products and services in Lebanon
اعالن های
خدمات و تبلیغ کاالهای مربوط به مو در لبنان
http://iranian.com/main/albums/hair-festival.html
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Oxford Roses-photos by Hossein
Familiar Flowers (Afghanistan)-photos by Hossein http://iranian.com/main/albums/familiar-flowers.html
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A tribute to Farhad Mehrad- By Hossein Shahidi: http://iranian.com/Arts/2002/August/Farhad1/index.html
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Standing by Jila and Bahman
https://www.facebook.com/notes/dr-hossein-shahidi/supporting-jila-and-bahman-translations-of-jila-baniyaghoobs-articles-by-hossein/401024043368413
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The media in Hossein’s articles (samples)
Hasan Movaqar Balyuzi, Mojtaba Minovi, Vicotr Glendenning
و جنبش ملى 2311-2331بخش فارسى راديو بى بى سى
حسين شهيدى* شدن نفت ايران http://www.mghaed.com/lawh/articles/bcc1.htm
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2008/May-14/51319-in-praise-of-lebanese-
television.ashx#axzz34X3ugqcZ
Afghan Women Journalists – By Hossein Shahidi
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http://iranian.com/main/albums/afghan-women-journalists.html
Women of the World, Unite! By Hossein Shahidi http://iranian.com/main/albums/women-world-unite.html
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Follow the note on Dr Hossein Shahidi page for the links of selections of 20 of Hossein’s teaching materials and references that have been compiled by his student Diala Rajaie Al-Azzeh (included are PPP, articles, references…): https://www.facebook.com/notes/dr-hossein-shahidi/teaching-materials-hossein-shahidi-
collated-by-diala-rajaie-al-azzeh-eap/400561246748026
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A note about Hossein’s resource books: Journalism in Iran; Iran in the 21st Century; The Persians (translation); and Kabul Days
Journalism in Iran- From mission to profession- By Hossein Shahidi
روزنامه نگاری درایران، از رسالت تا حرفه نوشته حسين شهيدی
About: A book resource that focus on newspapers, radio and television, this book provides the first systematic investigation of the development of journalism in Iran following the 1979 Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Revolution http://books.google.com.lb/books/about/Journalism_in_Iran.html?id=LnZuSyJP2zUC&redir_esc=y
درباره گسترش روزنامه با تمرکز بر روزنامه و رادیو تلویزیون، این کتاب نخستین بررسی روشمند را .و برپایی انقالب اسالمی به دست می دهد 1357نگاری در ایران، از زمان شکل گیری انقالب
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Review by Will Ward http://www.arabmediasociety.com/articles/downloads/20080524121253_AMS5_Will_Ward_Review.pdf Extract from Sara Mohseni article: Hossein Shahidi’s legacy for Iranian, foreign journalists http://khabarnegaran.info/article.php3?id_article=3286 In the preface to Hossein's book, written by himself, which was later translated into Persian, he writes: “The motive of this research was my aspiration to practice journalism in Iran, of course without the omnipresent fear that have been always gripping Iranian journalists. This could only come true if journalism was regarded as an independent profession in our country; that a journalist could make a living – just like any other line of work such as a chef, carpenter, taxi driver, pilot, brain surgeon – unaffected by its personal opinion in his professional work, or as it is perceived by the others.” Pourostad: “I was stunned by his book” Vahid Pourostad, a journalist with a long time experience in Iran who now lives in Prague, is a person acknowledged in the preface to the book. In an interview with Khabarnegaran.info, Pourostad tells the story of how he got to know Shahidi: “It was through my books on the [infamous] trials of journalists [during the late 1990s].” “In the early 2000s, Shahidi was busy writing his doctoral dissertation on Iranian journalism in London. My books on the trials of Iranian journalists served as one of the sources of his dissertation. This passing acquaintance became deeper each time until his doctoral degree was published in English, when he started thinking about translating it into Persian. However, more work, changes and additions were deemed necessary before getting published. Although I told him it was unlikely to get a publishing license for this book – and it was so and he couldn’t get a permission – his efforts to publish a proper and informing book was admirable.” The scrupulousness and meticulousness of Shahidi, in Pourstad’s opinion, may be seen best in the way of annotation and citation. “I have seen many books that hesitate to insert or poorly insert references and quotations, as if the less they cite, the more intellectual and literate they are! But not only Dr. Hossein Shahidi was very precise at citing references. However, he did another great job that really stunned me and was one of the great lessons I’ve learnt as an investigative journalist.” “During all the years he was busy writing this book, he was interviewing me, other fellow journalists and professors on the phone, in person or via email. The interesting bit was that in every answer cited in the book, it was clarified when, where, from whom, and through which medium exactly the answer had been received.”
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Iran in the 21st Century By Hossein Shahidi and Homa Katouzian This book examines Iran and its position in the contemporary world. It contains chapters on social developments in the country including gender relations, contemporary politics, international relations, relations with the US and Israel, nuclear weapons and energy programmes, oil and the development of the economy. Iran is an ancient country, an oil-exporting economy and an Islamic Republic. It experienced two full-scale revolutions in the twentieth century, the latter of which had large and important regional and international consequences, including an eight-year war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq. And now in the twenty-first century, it confronts issues and experiences problems which have important implications for its future development and external relations. Featuring outstanding contributions from leading sociologists, social anthropologists, political scientists and economists in the field of Iranian studies, this book is the first to examine Iran and its position in the contemporary world. The book is 320 pages
The Persians- Translated by Hossein Shahidi into Persian
Hossein translated from English into Persian, Homa
Katouzian’s book “The Persians: Ancient, Mediaeval
and Modern Iran” making it accessible to Persian
speakers. Several thousand copies have been made in
Persian.
Introducing the book:
The Persians: Ancient, Mediaeval and Modern Iran
by Homa Katouzian
Persian translation: by Hossein Shahidi
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In recent years, Iran has gained attention mostly for
negative reasons—its authoritarian religious
government, disputed nuclear program, and
controversial role in the Middle East—but there is
much more to the story of this ancient land than can
be gleaned from the news. This authoritative and
comprehensive history of Iran, written by Homa
Katouzian, an acclaimed expert, covers the entire
history of the area from the ancient Persian Empire to
today’s Iranian state.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Persians-Ancient-
Mediaeval-Modern/dp/0300169329
http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=97
80300121186
Kabul Days by Dr Hossein Shahidi Parts 1-38 Posted on Iranian.com http://iranian.com/main/member/hossein-
shahidi.html
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The Booklet:
Commemoration of Seyyed Jafar Shahidi-By Hossein Shahidi
Hossein developed the booklet for the Commemoration of his father, the legendary Iranian Historian Seyyed Jafar Shahidi in Jan. 2008. This was a very moving and special time for Hossein, his sister, brothers and family. It was also a time to honor at a national level and globally the outstanding and distinguished scholar of the Persian language and literature and the prominent historian of Islam. Among the awards of Seyyed Jafar Shahidi: • Honorary professorship from the University of Peking • Honorary president of International Society of Persian Language and Literature Professors • Distinguished professor of The University of Tehran. • The first class science insignia from the president of Iran • First Rank Medal - Eminent Researcher of Tehran University. • Member of Chehrehaye Mandegar etc.
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Articles and photo-essays published at iranian.com http://iranian.com/shahidi.html
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http://iranian.com/main/member/hossein-shahidi.html
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Hossein’s 17 You Tube films
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCip1t6hE4oobU1moXw-GldA
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Among the unfinished Works of Hossein-1 Persian Poems and Songs
Hossein was passionate about translating and transcribing Persian poems and songs
into English- The following is the beginning of a collection compiled by May Haddad
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Insane I was not
ودممجنون نب
Poem translated and transcribed by Hossein Shahidi
Insane I was not, you made me one
And then you drove me out of my town
Which flower covered highland has a scent like yours, my darling?
The face of which moon can display such beauty as yours?
The same moon that rises from Mecca’s direction, my darling
With a crescent that reminds me of the arch of your eyebrows
Insane I was not, you made me one
And then you drove me out of my town
From high in the sty, the star has descended on the earth, my darling
To become the jewel, with me holding her as tight as a ring
O God, keep the jewel safe
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For she is my first and my last darling
Insane I was not, you made me one
And then you drove me out of my town
O girl with blonde hair, on your way out to the bath
Be careful as you take that long path
Once you do take your bath, come back in haste
For my heart will burn as a furnace if you’re late
Insane I was not, you made me one
And then you drove me out of my town
There are three river crossings from here to Birjand
By the first one, images of my darling appear on my mind
By the second one, I shall put on my velvet clothing
By the third one, I shall see my darling
Insane I was not, you made me one
And then you drove me out of my town
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljwb25CUzlI
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Majnoon
Naboodom
ودممجنون نب
Majnoon naboodom,
majnoonom kerdi
Az shahr-e khodom
biroonom kerdi
Kodoom kooh-o kamar
boo-ye to daareh, yaar?
Kodoom mah jelveh-ye
roo-ye to daareh?
Hamoon maahi keh az
qebleh zanad sar yaar
Khabar az taaq-e abroo-ye
to daareh
Majnoon naboodom,
majnoonom kerdi
Az shahr-e khodom biroonom kerdi
ودم، مجنونم کردیمجنون نب
از شهر خودم بیرونم کردی
کدوم کوه و کمر بوی تو داره، یار
کدم مه جلوه ی روی تو داره
همون ماهی که از قبله زند سریار
خبر از طاق ابروی تو داره
ودم، مجنونم کردیجنون نبم
از شهر خودم بیرون کردی
ستاره ی آسمون روی زمینه، یار
خودم انگشترو، یارم نگینه
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Setaareh-ye asemoon naqsh-
e zamineh, yaar
Khodom angoshatar-
o yaarom negineh
Khodavandaa,
negahdaar negin baashi
Key yaar-e aval-
o aakhar hamineh
Majnoon naboodom,
majnoonom kerdi
Az shahr-e khodom
biroonom kerdi
Alaa dokhtar hek nooha-ye
to booreh, yaar
Beh hamoom miravi,
raah-e to dooreh
Beh hamoom mivai,
zoodi biyai, yaar
Keh atash bar delom,
mesl-e tanooreh
خداوندا نگهدار نگین باش ی
که یار اول و آخر همینه
ودم، مجنونم کردیمجنون نب
از شهر خودم بیرون کردی
الا دختر که موهای تو بوره، یار
هبه حموم میروی، راه تو دور
به حموم میروی، زودی بیائی یار
که آتش بر دلم مثل تنوره
ودم، مجنونم کردیمجنون نب
از شهر خودم بیرون کردی
سه گداره، یار بیرجنداز اینجا تا به
گدار اولیش نقش و نگاره
گدار دومیش، مخمل بپوشم، یار
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Majnoon naboodom,
majnoonom kerdi
Az shahr-e khodom
biroonom kerdi
، دیدار یارهگدار سومیش
ودم، مجنونم کردیمجنون نب
از شهر خودم بیرون کردی
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Among the unfinished Works of Hossein-2 Lulu (The Pearl): The Musical Play by the Rahbani Brothers
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Extracts from part one
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Handwritten by Hossein
The verse is from Anvari - a Persian poet 1126-1189
Extracted from London Days-By May Haddad
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ersity/photos/a.130657530302756.11394.12https://www.facebook.com/BirzeitUniv9221627113013/660188154016355/?type=1&theater
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http://www.jmi.edu.jo/en/details/3086/JMI-Mourns-Dr-Hossein-Shahidi
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info/article.php3?id_article=3134http://khabarnegaran.
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نودعك بابتسامة: حجاويعارف
Aref Hajjawi: Farewell, with a smile
Translated into English by May Haddad
عارف حجاوي من رواد األشخاص المعنین بجودة ...يقدم عارف حجاوي نفسه بتواضع كصحافي
قام بتدريب مئات اإلعالم بفلسطین، ومن مؤسسي مركز التطوير اإلعالمي في جامعة بیرزيت، . الصحفیین و اإلعالمیین، و تألیف العديد من المطبوعات و المواد البصرية السمعیة الخ
يعمل عارف حالیا كمدير برامج في الجزيرة
Although Aref Hajjawi humbly presents himself as a journalist, he is the pioneer in Media and Journalism in Palestine, establishing the Media Development Center at Beirzeit University, training hundreds of journalists, authoring several audio-visual
materials etc. Currently, Aref is the Program Director at Al Jazeera
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نودعك بابتسامة
عارف حجاوي
.ومات. دي من أوجاعه، وتخلص من سفاالت هذا العالمتخلص حسین شهی
هو إيراني يتقن العربیة ويحاضر بها، وباإلنجلیزية أخذ شهادة . هذا رجل عرفته ربع قرن، وكان مثالیا . وكان يقرأ الحال، ويناقشني فیما أكتب ويكتب غیري. دكتوراه من أكسفورد، ولغته األم الفارسیة
م يكن يفرق بین دين ودين وال بین مذهب ومذهب، وحفید أنبیاء الرحمة هو حفید ابن عربي الذي لوفي الواقع فهو من أسرة تنتمي بنسبها إلى علي بن أبي طالب، . من ماني إلى يسوع إلى محمد
هكذا قال لي مرة عندما سألته عن األعراق المختلفة الموجودة في إيران، وكانت مضت على .كر لي فیها هذه الحقیقة، ألنه لیس من أصحاب التباهي باألنسابمعرفتي به سنوات كثیرة لم يذ
.. أعرف من هو خیر مني: إذا حدث أن أثنى أحدهم على دورة إعالمیة قمت بها سارعت إلى القول .حسین شهیدي
وأحب األردن التي عمل بها، وأحب لبنان التي تعلم فیها . كانت فلسطین تشغله مثلما تشغله إيران
لم يكن شتاما وال ناقما ، وغاية أمره إذا صادف موقفا رديئا فیه نذالة أنه . وبريطانیا أحبها أيضا . یةالعرب
يا خیي، ويمدها على الطريقة اللبنانیة مطلقا ضحكة مجلجلة، ثم : كان يمسكني من عضدي ويقول .ال يعلق بأي كلمة مسیئة
وفي العاشر من نیسان أبريل . ماغك التي ال تتجددالصديق القديم ذاكرتك وتاريخك، وخاليا دنحزن على أنفسنا بموت صديق حقیقي، ونبتهج له أن قطع صحراء . الماضي فقدت بضعة مني
.الحیاة ولديه في قربته بعض الماء فلم يعطش حسین شهیدي لم يكن يكتفي باإلشفاق على الضعیف، بل كان يحترمه أيضا ويتعب وهو يبحث عن
.القوة لديه، لذلك كان معل ما كبیرا مكمن
–وألننا . دعاه مركز تطوير اإلعالم إلجراء دورات تدريبیة، فرأى المتدربون شخصا يحبهم، فتعلقوا بهوصارت . أحببنا حسین شهیدي لم نستطع أن نحسده، بل ازددنا له حبا -نحن المدربین اآلخرين
وعندما طلبته إحدى المؤسسات للمرة . سمعة طیبةتدعوه مؤسسات إعالمیة أخرى لما حقق من . قد كان التعلیم بالنسبة إلیه رسالة ال مورد رزق. أعطیت ما أستطیع: الثالثة أو الرابعة، اعتذر قائال
.هنا الفرق، كل الفرق
كیف استطاع أن يموت؟. هذا رجل لم ألقه يوما إال وهو متفائل
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Farewell, with a smile
By Aref Hajjawi
Hossein no longer has his pains, no longer lives the absurdities of this world. This is a man I have known for a quarter of a century… when I think of a word to describe him, “idealistic” comes to mind. He is Iranian, with excellent knowledge of Arabic to the extent that he lectured in it, as well as English. He had a doctorate degree from Oxford, and Persian is his mother tongue. He used to read the “Hal” newspaper and start discussions about what I or other writers have said in the newsletter. He is the grandson of Ibn Al-Arabi who did not differentiate between religions or sects; he is the grandson of the prophets of mercy from Mani to Jesus to Mohammed. Actually, he comes from a family that is related to Ali Ben Abi Taleb, that was what he informed me, and only because I asked him about the different groups in Iran - all these years I have known him, he never mentioned this fact, as he is not one who takes pride in relatives. If anyone praises a media training that I have done, I immediately say: I know one person who is better than me…Hossein Shahidi. Hossein was concerned about Palestine, as much as he was about Iran. He liked Jordan where we worked, and Lebanon where he improved his Arabic. He also liked Great Britain. He never insulted anyone, and never seeked revenge, and when faced with a bad situation, he would hold me by the arm and say: O brother and he extended it the Lebanese way, and would laugh…. And he never commented with bad words. Memory and history are the old friends, as well as brain cells that are not renewable. On April the 10th, as we lost him, I lost part of myself. We get sad about ourselves when a true friend dies, and are delighted as he has passed the desert of life with some water in his bag, and never was thirsty. Hossein Shahidi had empathy to the weak person, whom he also respected as he investigated his innate strength; as such he was a great teacher. The Media Development Center at BirZeit University has invited Hossein on several occasions to conduct training sessions. The trainees found out that they were with a man who loved them, so they got attached to him. And we, the other trainers, who also loved Hossein, could never envy him and loved him more. Other media institutes in Palestine invited Hossein because of his excellent reputation. And when one institute asked him for the third or fourth time to teach with them, he apologized saying: I have given what I can. Education to Hossein was a mission and not a source of income. And this made the difference, all the difference. This is a man I have seen him always optimistic. How could he just leave?
Translated into English by May Haddad
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عيناك مرآتان،
ال تعرفان الكذب
Your eyes are two mirrors
Stranger to lies
حسيني
نازأغايي إي
(اللطيف المحبوب)
أخي الحبيب
صديقي
مغني الغفران
رسول الحب
سأترك الشباك مفتوحا
...ربما
My Hossein
"Aghay e naaz”
(the cute beloved one)
My beloved brother
My friend
Singer of forgiveness
Messenger of love
I’m leaving the window open
Maybe…
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Poem by: Shokoufeh Shahidi Photos by: Hoda Hamedi (mirror in a garden)
& Sahar Fadaian (Hossein’s portrait, his sister and a mirror) Translated into English by: Guita Garakani
Translated into Arabic by: May Haddad
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تقف الكلمات عاجزة أمام صخب وقارك وتواضعك وعلمك الغزير الذي أمطرته علينا فجنينا ثماره حتى اليوم
" موبايلي"فعندما أصور في .. في اإلذاعة والتلفزيون وحتى التصوير أتذكر كلماتك ونصائحك في كل شيء
ورغم اإلمكانيات المتواضعة أجد نصائحك في زاويا التصوير وأهميتها وأسأل نفسي ما الذي أريد إبرازه وكيف
الت ماز!ومنها رحيلك عنا؟.. أسئلة كثيرة ال أنفك عنها!! أركز على جزئية دون أخرى وما هدفها وأهميتها؟
معلما نبجله ونحترمه ونقدر علمه .. ومستقرا في قلوبنا.. ستبقى خالدا في ذاكرتنا !!الصدمة ال تبارح تفكيري
ويحسن إليك كما أحسنت إلينا يا أيها ( حسين شهيدي)يرحمك هللا أستاذي ومعلمي .. الذي ال يقدر فعال بكنوز الدنيا
.اإلنسان الراقي والرائع
.الحمدهلل كنت محظوظة بذلك .حسين شهيدي. ظيم بالنسبة لي بأن علمني قامة مثل دوهللا إنه لشرف ع
ختام عامر
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بقلم حمزة السبوري
صحفي كبیر، ومدرب عظیم، يحمل الجنسیة البريطانیة، من أصل إيراني، دربني في جامعة بیر زيت، وطلبت منه أن يزور الخلیل، وقتها كانت االنتفاضة الثانیة على أشدها، حیث اإلغالقات
.المتتالیة، وفعال زار الخلیل، وخالل دقائق بسیطة استنتج أشیاء كثیرة
فحین دخل الخلیل من مدخلها الشمالي قرأ عبارة كبیرة على مسجد هناك: )أهال بكم في مدينة حماس(. فبدأ ينظر يمین ويسارا نظر المترقب المتوجس،، ثم ذهب لیستريح عند أحد األصدقاء
لساعات والتقینا لیال في منطقة رأس الجورة، ومشینا إلى نادي أضواء المدينة لنحتسي مشروبا بادرا،، فقال:
هل نحن في مركز المدينة؟؟ قلت: ال،، نحن في أطرافها، ولكن لماذا السؤال ؟
فقال: هذه مدينة فیها الكثیر من األموال!
فقلت: وكیف عرفت؟فقال: تقول إننا في أطراف المدينة، وأنا أرى محالت تبیع الكهربائیات والنثريات والكمالیات، والوقت
متأخر لیال، وكلها ملیئة بالزبائن، فلو كانت المدينة فقیرة لما كان إقبال الناس على الكمالیات في !أحد أطراف المدينة بهذا الكم
فقلت: تحلیلك منطقي، وماذا بعد؟
.فقال: أنت شعب قوي جدا، وال يمكن كسر إرادتكم فقلت له وكیف عرفت؟
فقال: رغم كل هذه اإلغالقات واإلجراءات اإلسرائیلیة المشددة، أرى الناس لیال يتمشون في
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الشوارع، يسهرون ويضحكون، وهذا الضحك داللة القوة، بینما العبوس يكون لمن يعجز عن التغلب !!! على مشكلته، أنتم شعب قوي فعال
فقلت: وماذا بعد؟فقال: كنت أظن المرأة عندكم مظلومة، ولكني أرى شیئا آخر، إذ إنني أرى الكثیر من الفتیات
والنساء في الشوارع، بمالبس مختلفة، تنم عن مساحة من الحرية، أراهن يبتسمن ويشترين ويتناوالن المرطبات والبوظة في الشارع، بینما حین دخلت المدينة وقرأت عبارة الترحیب: )أهال بكم
في مدينة حماس(، كنت أحسب أنني سأرى في الشوارع ملثمین وأكیاس رمل وبنادق
ورشاشات، كنت أظنها ساحة حرب، ولكنكم شعب يريد أن يعیش، ويصر على هذا الحق
ثم ذهبنا إلى نادي أضواء المدينة، وفتشنا عن طاولة قرب البركة فالنادي جمیل وأنیق ويحتوي على مسبح، كان ملیئا بالشباب، وأصوات ضحكاتهم تعلو لدرجة أننا كنا نضطر لرفع أصواتنا حتى يسمع
أحدنا اآلخر،، بحثنا عن طاولة لنجلس، ولكن لم أجد طاولة نظیفة، وكلها كانت مبللة بالمیاه، وكان المكان ملیئا بالذباب، وهو مشهد لم أره في ذلك النادي إال تلك المرة، يا للحظ العار!
شعرت بالحرج، وطلبت منه أن نذهب إلى مكان آخر، ولكنه أصر أن نبقى في المكان، رغم أنه لم يكن أمامنا مكان يمكننا أن نجلي فیه وقال: أشعر بالسعادة الحقیقیة حینما أرى هذه االبتسامات
من تلك الوجوه الشابة النابضة في الحیاة ، يأتون لیسبحوا رغم إجراءات االحتالل، أي إصرار هذا على التمتع بالحیاة! يا لقوتكم!
وفي الیوم التالي رأيت في عینیه حزنا لم أره إال ذلك الیوم، حیث زار المسجد اإلبراهیمي الشريف في الخلیل، وقال لي: اآلن فهمت تماما مدى وقاحة هذا االحتالل، وعرفت كم هي مظلومة مدينة
الخلیل!
وطلب مني أن أصطحبه إلى مكان يستحق أن يزوره في المدينة قبل أن يغادرها لیشري شیئا
تذكاريا، فأخذته إلى مصنع النتشة للزجاج والخزف، ورأى الصناعة الیدوية الجمیلة العريقة للزجاج في الخلیل، وبدأ يفتش عن شيء ممیز له وأشیاء يهديها لبعض أصدقائه البريطانیین المسلمین
والمسیحیین والیهود، فاخترت له صحونا مرسوما علیها الحرم اإلبراهیمي الشريف، وقبة الصخرة المشرفة، فأعجب بها كثیرا، ولكنه تركها ووضعها جانبا، واختار صحونا من الخزف مكتوب علیها
باللغات الثالث: )سالم - شلوم - بیس( بالعربیة والعبرية واإلنجلیزية، فاستغربت من ذوقه وسألته
عن سبب اختیاره لها دون غیرها، وكنت أظنه سیشتري صحونا علیها رسوم لمقدسات، فقال: صديقي حمزة: المقسات غالیة، ولكن السالم أغلى من المقدسات! فرسالتي هي المحافظة
على اإلنسان!
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From Haitham Al-Sharif:
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THE WIND WILL CARRY US
باد ما را با خود خواهد بردI chose a much beloved modern Iranian poet, whose works that Hossein surely knew by heart, and whose theme of love seemed just right. I couldn't have matched it. The movie director Abbas Kiarostami made a film, also called 'The Wind Will Carry Us' using the poem as its theme
Norbert Hirschhorn MD http://bertzpoet.com/?page_id=16
THE WIND WILL CARRY US
in my small night, what mounting regret! wind has a rendezvous with the trees’ leaves
in my small night, there is terror of desolation
listen! do you hear the wind of darkness howling?
I watch breathlessly and wondrously this alien happiness
I am addicted to my own hopelessness listen! listen well!
can you hear the darkness howling – the dark hell-
wind scything its way towards us?
in the night now, there is something passing
the moon is red restless and uneasy and on this roof – which fears
any moment -- it may cave in –
clouds like crowds of mourners await to break in rain
ruin a moment and then after that, nothing.
behind this window, night shivers and the earth stands still
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behind this window an unknown something fears for me and you
you who are green from head to toe! put your hands -- like a burning
memory into my loving hands lover’s hands!
entrust your lips – your lips like a warm sense of being! –
entrust! – your lips to the caresses of my -- loving lips – lover’s lips!
the wind will carry us the wind will carry us
Forough Farrokhzad, (1935-1967) (translated by David Martin)
http://www.jonathanrosenbaum.net/2000/12/the-universe-in-a-cellar/
Bert in Hossein’s camera (London, 6 22 21)
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Sodade (Saudade)
Hoda Hamedi remembered Hossein with Sodade on the World Music Day (June 21),
with Cesaria Evora’s song posted at
you:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNVrdYGiULM
...Saudade was once described as "the love that remains" after someone is gone.
Saudade is the recollection of feelings, experiences, places or events that once
brought excitement, pleasure, well-being, which now triggers the senses and makes
one live again. It can be described as an emptiness, like someone (e.g., one's
children, parents, sibling, grandparents, friends, pets) or something (e.g., places,
things one used to do in childhood, or other activities performed in the past) that
should be there in a particular moment is missing, and the individual feels this
absence. It brings sad and happy feelings all together, sadness for missing and
happiness for having experienced the feeling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudade
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يقول عبدهللا مبيضين احد موظفي معهد االعالم االردني وخريج الدفعة االولى فيه عن الدكتور
شهيدي: " تعلمت منه الدقة، ليس من خالل ما يقوله عنها، وإنما من خالل تمثله بها . وأضاف
مبيضين، انه كان مرجعا مهنيا في كثير من مفاصل العمل المهني" .
ويستذكر المبيضين حادثة حصلت معه عندما سافر الى الصومال عام 2011 لتغطية المجاعة
هناك، حيث أنه اتصل به الستشارته في بعض األمور هناك، حيث شجعه كثيرا وسعيدا بتلك
التجربة الميدانية في تغطية االخبار في مناطق الصراع والكوارث.
وبين المبيضين، أن قلة من اولئك الذين يفتحون لك النوافذ ، ويرشدوك الى تتبع المدى والدكتور
شهيدي كان واحدا من هؤالء الذين ال يعبرون في حياة االخرين دون ذكرى.
http//:www.jmijournalists.com/Articles/1595 .
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Link (Radio Farda)
http://www.radiofarda.com/content/f35_shahidi_torfeh_intv/25329041.html
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For the article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/blogs/2014/04/140411_l44_blog_editors_shahidi_hosein.shtml
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Life is wise
By Luz Floreciendo (Bolivia)
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Love will last
Nadia Dalloul’s card included:
Sadly, grief must be the price we pay for loving someone dear,
But unlike sorrow, LOVE WILL LAST and shine forever, bright and clear…
So may every sweet REMINDER bring its’ comfort, day by day.
And the glow of happy memories help to light the future way.
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Close and intimate
Sabah Jabbour shared with us a poem by François CHENG –dedicated to
Hossein:
Each presence is lost in the immensity,
At the same time , it is a pole where the universe turns around it ,
Becoming close and intimate
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Tonttus-Shared by Sirkku Kivisto (Finnish and English)
Many of us felt like the twin brother or sister to Hossein, just like tonttus, creatures that Hossein liked…
TONTTUJEN ELÄMÄNKAARI Tontut syntyvät hyvin pieninä perheeseen, johon kuuluu aina isätonttu, äititonttu sekä yksi kaksoisveli/sisko, sillä tontut synnyttävät aina kaksoset. Noin sadan vuoden ikäisinä tontut etsivät itselleen puolison, jonka kanssa menevät naimisiin morsiamen syntymäpäiväpuun alla keskiyöllä, aina täysikuun aikaan. Tonttujen keskimääräinen elinikä on 400 vuotta, sillä niiden geenit ovat pysyneet hyvin puhtaina. Lisäksi heillä on terveet elämäntavat: paljon liikuntaa, ei liikaa syömistä eikä suuria sydäntä särkeviä murheita. Jonain kauniina tonttumies lähtee sitten vaimonsa kanssa valetamaan kuoleman vuoristoon, jonne ne sitten menehtyvät onnellisina, elleivät petoeläimet niitä syö tällä viimeisellä matkalla. *** THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE TONTTUS (tonttujen) The tonttus are born in the family of father, mother and one twin brother or sister, because tonttus always have a twin sister or brother. In about 100 years of age the tonttus seek a spouse, they marry under the birthday tree of the bride. The marriage is always in the midnight during the full moon. The mean lifetime of tonttus is 400 years, because their genes are very pure. In addition, they live a healthy life; much exercise, not too much eating, no big worries to break your heart. Some beautiful day male tonttu heads out with his wife to the mountains of death, where they die happily, if the predatory animals have not eaten them during the last voyage. TONTTU = ELF, singular, TONTUT = plural, TONTUN genitive, singular, TONTTUJEN, genitive, plural.
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Friendship and time
The two photos of Hossein with his friend Jim Reilly in 1979 and 2007, demonstrate a friendship of
more than 28 years. This fact is also demonstrated in several of friends tributes to Hossein and that are posted in Dr Hossein Shahidi face book page.
Jim said: Hossein and I had known each other since our student days in the 1970s. He lived the
virtues of clear thinking, compassion, critical detachment when needed, and commitment to making a positive difference in whatever he was
doing. As it happens, he and I both ended up in the teaching profession. When I reconnected with Hossein again later in our lives, he was living the
virtues I’ve described. I guess we already are who we are when we reach our 20s, and after that it’s all elaboration and deepening. Hossein and I were
old friends, not only because of shared values and experiences, but also (and this is important!)
because we found many of the same things funny. I’ll miss his laugh and his wry observations (remarks about things, events, places, relationships
that are both knowledgeable and humorous) most of all.
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درباره حسين شهيدي
جاي خالي همان معلمي كه نداشتيم
زاده اميرعلي عالمه
« سیدجعفر شهیدي»دانستم او فرزند حتي نمي. را نديده بودم« حسین شهیدي»من هرگز هرگز در باره نسبت و نسب . ات فارسي دانشگاه تهران استمجتهد، اديب و استاد بنام زبان و ادبی
دانستم ايران فقط مي. وجو هم نكرده بودم دانم چرا، اما هرگز جست نمي. دانستم او چیزي نميداشتم؛ يعني خواندن دكترا در دانشگاه آكسفورد، او نیست و درست همان چیزي كه من دوست
تازه . نگاري خوانم و دوستش دارم؛ روزنامه من ميآن هم در همان رشته كه . همان كرده است
باز همان . سپري كرده است« محمدعلي همايون كاتوزيان»همه اينها به كنار، او روزگار دكترا را با آيد مطلبي از او در منتهي به خاطرم نمي. دانستم خیلي بیشتر نمي. كه من دوستش داشتم
شك ام، بي اگر نخوانده. آمده باشد كه نخوانده باشم هاي فارسي زبان هاي ايران و رسانه رسانهفقط . پنداشتم كه ممكن است او بیمار باشد حتي اصال نمي. ام بايد نديده باشم كه نخوانده
سي نیست و خوانده بودم كه لندن را به مقصد .بي.شود كه در بي اي مي دانستم يك دهه مياين را از يكي از دوستانم شنیدم كه از . كند ميجا در دانشگاه تدريس آن. بیروت ترك گفته است
وجو نكردم كه نامي يا دانم چرا هرگز جست كنم نمي االن كه فكر مي. المللي است خبرنگاران بین
كنم، گر چه حاال كه بیشتر فكر مي. كم گشوده شود اي دست نشاني از او بیابم و باب مكاتبهالبته من . شد خواستم، مي اگر مي. نبوديابم كه به دست آوردنش هم خیلي سخت درمي
هايي هاي دقیق و انساني او از دوره به هر حال از گزارش. ام هايي از اين دست كم نداشته تنبليجداي از آن كه بر سر افغانستان و عالقه و نگاه به آن هم . ام كه در افغانستان بوده است را خوانده
چنان ساده و روان بود . آمد افغانستان وافغانان خوشم ميرسیديم از نگاه او به سلیقه به نظر مي
. آلود است دانم در كدام خیابان، زمین گل پنداشتم اگر من به همان مسیر بروم، مي گزارش كه ميخورم، مثل آن كه تا كنون نشده است كه در هايي كه در اين روزگار مي در كنار همه حسرت
م، يا تز دكترا را با هما كاتوزيان بگذرانم، اين حسرت هم در نگاري بخوان آكسفورد دكتراي روزنامه. اش را دريافت كنم دلم مانده است كه چرا با او دوست نبودم، چنان كه صدايش را بشنوم يا نامه
چنان . ام بهره برده« نگاري در ايران؛ از حرفه تا وظیفه روزنامه»من از مطالعه تز دكتراي او، با عنوان
نگار در مطبوعات تهران را بر سر مسايل مربوط به انتشار آن ي دو نويسنده و روزنامهكه جدال قلممیان . دانم چرا من بايد درباره حسین شهیدي مطلبي بنويسم با اين حال هنوز نمي. ام دنبال كرده
ز سويه بوده است كه آن سو، ا اي يك از دور هم رابطه. اي از نزديك نبوده است من و او هیچ رابطه« May Haddad»امیدوارم فقط اين نوشته، پاسخي باشد كه سركار خانم . خبر بوده است آن بي
كم آن را خواسته و دريافت كرده است، و بديهي است كه برايم زجرآور است اگر و فقط اگر، دستخواند، چنین برداشت كند كه اين متن نوشته شده است يك نفر، از كساني كه اين نوشته را مي
، خودي نشان دهد و به چشم آيد، كه «حسین شهیدي»نويسنده از آمدن نام خود، در كنار نام تا
هاي هاي خبري است و نه يكي از ارزش يكي از ارزش« شهرت»دانم هاست نیك مي مدت «خبرنگار»
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ADDITIONAL TRIBUTES
Fari Khanom, Paris: Malgré la méchanceté du bas monde, Hossein est toujours présent et observe le monde. Avec son sourire, il est dans la lignée de Mozart et se fout des bêtises humaines
بإبتسامته كأنه مرتبط .. على الرغم من دناءة الدنیا، ف حسین كان حاضرا ومراقبا دائما لهذا العالم ..ر من حولهبموزارت حیث أنه ال يهتم بسخافات البش
Ahmad-Shah Duranai, Ontario: I just read in BBC Online Persian that he passed away yesterday. He was a great guy and a real professional. His diaries on Afghanistan when he spent time there as Journalist are excellent. He was a great AUBite and like me, also changed his profession. He changed his career from an Electrical Engineer to a Journalist and Teacher. We will always remember you fondly. RIP Hossein. Eman Khader Shanan, Gaza:
الدكتور حسین شهیدي ترجل الفارس من عالمنا ولم يترجل من قلوبنا عاش كحلم جمیل مناسب كرقته ومهنیته الراقیة ومضي وبقي ظله محیطا بكل من أحبهم
Diala Rajaie Al-Azzeh, Australia: I truly wish if I could read Persian, just for one week. I need to read everything written by
Dr.Shahidi-يرحمه هللا- in his own language, in his words and description. May your soul rest in peace Hossein Shahidi. Mohammadreza Jalaeipour, Oxford
شریف، فروتن! از نازنینان روزگار بود( یاد سیدجعفر شهیدی زنده)حسین شهیدی مانند پدرش اش زنده و روحش یاد و خاطره! ها که بودشان بهتر از نمودشان است از آن! کار و کاردرست درست
!شاد و آرامDr Fadia Fasna- Gotenberg, Sweden "A mentor ....he touched the lives of all his students and friends ..." Sari Hanafi, American University of Beirut He was a great friend in my department at AUB. he was always smiling ... we used to have a coffee weekly .. we have often talked and argued about politics but above all about his nostalgia to Iran... allah yerhamou Lina Abyad, Lebanese American University Hossein was so gentle! i have a very sweet memory of him! I only hope he did not suffer much! what a loss. what a loss!
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Ahmad Dahwich , Burj Shmali Camp, S Lebanon Volunteers and activists at Borj Shmali Camp for Palestinian refugees in S Lebanon are ever grateful to Dr Hossein givings, helping them in research and community work skills Vicki Perkins, Calgary He was full of life and humour. Thanks for creating this tribute page. Firas Abu Aloul, Palestine Lebanon What your fingers wrote, lives after them. rest in peace Dr.Hossein Youmna- Al-Khattam, Egypt Hossein was a man of huge influence and lively Cam Lecce, Italy Uomo gentile e pieno di umanità! Guissou Jahangiri, Afghanistan It is with a heavy heart that I express my condolences to Hossein's family, his good friends and acquaintances who had the honour of knowing Hossein from around the world. I first met Hossein in 1992 in the middle of the civil war in Tajikistan that he was covering for the BBC, we peeped out of the window as tanks marched the central Rudaki road in Dushanbe. A decade later I was a guest at his residence in Kabul when he was collaborating with UNIFEM and supporting women in Afghanistan. Not so long ago he joined me in Kabul again to support, exchange and train a group of human rights activists and journalists working with my organisation. We both wondered about what decades of war had done to this country and to our friends. We had planned together to publish his Afghanistan memoirs. It is man of great, diverse and in-depth knowledge, deep intellectual engagement and a golden heart, a man with wide shoulders that we have so unjustly lost. May we all cherish what we have learnt from this exemplary man and act upon them With sadness…
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Selections from London Days (92 pages)- By May Haddad-April 2005
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An exhibition was organized then. The materials included
books, articles, photo essays authored by Hossein, or materials
compiled through the face book page- Baabdat 31 5 14
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Fragrant flowers bloomed in my house for the first time in 15 years
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Islington & St Pancras cemeteries
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The Garden of Permanent Sleep باغ های خواب ابدی
Hossein now rests in the same cemetery that he visited in April 2012. He published then his photo essay “The Garden of Permanent Sleep”.
از آن ديدار و سپس،گزارش تصويری آن را منتشر کرد 2012امروز، حسين در همان گورستانی آرميده که در ماه آوريل April 2012 In the photo essay Hossein says: A nation’s wealth and happiness are best displayed in its cemeteries; its hygiene and health, in its public conveniences. These pictures were taken in and around the 160-year-old Islington and Camden Cemetery in North London on Saturday, 14 April 2012 http://iranian.com/main/albums/garden-permanent-sleep.html 2012آوريل
گورستان ها، بهترين نشان دهنده ميزان ثروت و خوشبختی، بهداشت، سالمت و آسايش همگانی : درباره اين گزارش نوشت
14شنبه، .در شمال لندن، گرفته شده" ايزلنگتن و کمدن" سالة 160اين عکس ها از دور و درون گورستان . يک ملت اند
2012آوريل Feb. 2014 I was showing the map of the area to Hossein when he was at the critical care unit at Whittington hospital last Feb 2014. To my surprise, he was only interested in the High gate cemetery that was nearby. And then he explained that this was where Karl Marx was buried. The next day, I went to the cemetery, saw Karl Marx statue, took photos to show Hossein and prepared this Flipagram that I shared with him http://flipagram.com/f/Nj7GxQEivn 2014فوريه
فوريه گذشته که حسين در بخش مراقبت های ويژة بيمارستان ويتنگتن، بستری بود وقتی داشتم نقشه اطراف را نشانش می
برايم . ، در همان نزديکی بيمارستان، برايش جالب است (High Gate ) دادم با تعجب دريافتم تنها، گورستان دروازه بلند
روز بعد به تماشای گورستان و مجسمه مارکس رفتم و چندتا . ورستان به خاک سپرده شدهگفت که کارل مارکس در اين گ
عکس ها را پشت هم چيدم و در بيمارستان نشانش دادم. عکس برايش گرفتم : http://flipagram.com/f/Nj7GxQEivn Reported by May Haddad Translated into Persian by Shokoufeh Shahidi گزارش می حداد برگردان فارسی از شکوفه شهيدی
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Photo essay: Islington and Camden Cemetery, North London
By Hossein Shahidi-April 2012
http://iranian.com/main/albums/garden-permanent-sleeppage4.html
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Beirut-April 2015