There is no denying that Iran has one of the best literary heritages. From Rumi to Hafez to Omer Khayyam to Saadi, Iran has had its share of great poets. Though the most influential poet remains Ferdowsi, known for writing the Persian epic, the Shahnameh (known in English as The Book of Kings). This article by Reza Akhlaghi, The Coup against Mazdakite, provides an interesting analogy between the present day Iran’s pursuit of social justice and a story of uprising in Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. As Reza Akhlaghi states, “Ferdowsi has clearly documented the essence of Persia. It captures the historical identity of Iran. It is incumbent upon readers to discover Ferdowsi to understand the Iran of today.” Another must read for anyone interested in the role of Persian literature in shaping the present day Iranian psyche is Jasmine and Stars by Fatemeh Keshavarez.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
