Sunday 28 December 2008

Is a Semiotic Reading hopefully Possible?

According to an obituary on Harvard University website, Samuel Huntington, author of The Clash of Civilizations, died on December 24, 2008.
Since the release of the book, particularly as from the beginning of the current millennium, the world has entered into a hellish situation we are facing now: 9/11, terrors, wars, occupations, shattered economies, etc.
Now, the call for change is widespread, manifested not only in the election results at home, but also the throw of shoes abroad. It is exactly at this time that the death of the foreteller of cultural clashes is announced. What makes Mr. Huntington's death more symbolic is that it happened on December 24, a day before Christmas, the birth of Christ, which is the birth of Mithra, the Sun god.
I am not glad of his death, because "Every man's death diminishes me," and I know the answer "For whom the bells toll?"- It's not only for Huntington and Edward Said, it's for me too. I only hope that Prof. Huntington's demise is the end of an era that has had catastrophic consequences for our Planet ship's passengers.

به گزارش سايت دانشگاه هاروارد ساموئل هانتيگتون هفته ی پيش در 24 دسامبر درگذشت. انتشار کتاب "جنگ تمدن ها" سرآغاز دورانی شد که با توحش عمليات 11 سپتامبر، جنگ ها، کشتارها و اشغال های بعدی به فجايعی منجر شد که جهان امروز ما را مبتلای خود کرده است.
خواست تغيير اکنون از همه جا بگوش می رسد، نه تنها از داخل خود ايالات متحده که خود را در نتايج انتخاب نشان داد، بلکه حتی در پرتاب آن دو لنگه کفشی که مشهور همگان است. درست در چنين وقتی است که مرگ پيش گو اعلام می شود. آن چه اين مرگ را به لحاظ نشانه شناختی مهم تر می کند وقوع آن در شب کريسمس، شب تولد ميترا و فرازتر شدن خورشيد است.
من از مرگ پرفسور هانتينگتون، هم چنان که از مرگ هيچ انسان ديگری خوش حال نمی شوم. "مرگ هر انسانی از من می کاهد"، هم چنان که مرگ ادوارد سعيد چنين کرد، و اين زنگ ها برای من و تو است که به صدا در می آيد. اما، آرزو می کنم درگذشت او مرگ دورانی باشد که زندگی همه ی سرنشينان کشتی سياره ی ما را دست خوش اين همه رنج کرد.

2 comments:

  1. I love the mosaic at the top.
    You don't mean that if he had not written the book, nothing would have happened. The clash of cultures has is one long sad story intercepted with bit and pieces of humanity.
    FP

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  2. Thanks for the comment:

    1) I have to remove the picture because I can't find copyright information,

    2) Of course not! However, he might have had his share in the clashes by being the spiritual father to a new reading of them.

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