“Mama” gave Almond
Emergence of all material and non-material cultures have been the result of endeavors by generations of humankind to make their survival possible. Humankind is physically among the least abled creatures on the earth. It has been only through the culture-creating ability that humankind has obtained the present position among all the creations on this planet.
“Mama” gave Almond
Making weaponry was originally one of such cultural endeavors. Since a certain time people began to use their weaponry not only to protect themselves against other animals but also to dominate and exploit one another.
The superiority of weapons was one of the main secrets behind successes of human groups in the wars and occupations. Such successes throughout history meant usurpation of land and belongings and even slavery of the defeated groups; resulting in different types of colonialisms. Human history is full of such happenings whether in large or small scales.
The same was the case with the greatest ever world conqueror namely capitalism. Although in the same manner of earlier world-conquerors, possession of exceptional modern technologies, made capitalist colonialism an exceptional phenomenon ever seen in the history. Especially because capitalist colonialism needed “all” and “everything” on the earth and beyond. After all, it actually had the ability to swallow all cultural ecosystems throughout the world.
Neo-colonialism was one of the many aspects of capitalist domination unknown to the earlier colonialisms. It was going among others to occupy also all the cultural corners and aspects which due to any reason had until then resisted to be assimilated through unrefined methods.
Capitalism was supposed to replace all traditional institutions; among them the important educational institution. Replacement of educational institution could automatically bring about changes in many other institutions. This was done by creating the periphery for capitalism and creating artificial nation states and erecting obedient and mentally dependent ruling classes everywhere.
Iran was one of very few countries which due to the competitions among colonial powers, were not directly colonialized. It was a part of a puffer zone between rival colonial powers. Also in such countries the task of destroying all aspects of native cultural eco-systems was given to modernist dictatorships. The installed ruling dictators of the peripheries were supposed to replace all native socio-economic and military institutions by the so called modern capitalist ones.
An interesting pseudo- documentary film is recently found about the arrival of a “knowledge”-soldier in the village of Deh Pahn near the provincial capital of Kurdish province of Kermanshah.
Apparently the film is made for UNSCO by a person who describes the event in French language. The new modern village-teacher is shown to bring the Kurdish villagers and their children to sit in the newly constructed class room; teaching them to write a French -Persian sentence: (“Mama” gave almond).
“Mama” gave Almond
Although the film is meant for propaganda some interesting observation could be made as regard to music, dance and dress culture of the villagers. Although the film has been taken about 1962 only the school boys and teacher and one of the dancers are in European dress. The class room with the desks and blackboard and chalk (like those of the cities) are of European models.
It may be interesting to note that about 1969 in an excavation outside of the same village by Robert Braitwood, it became clear that this settlement has a nine thousands years of background. This American archeologist also discovered there the signs of early domestication of animals.
Photos of the bodies of domestic animals, Sarab Dehpan Hill, Kermanshah
Still this was the discovery of beautiful women figurines giving this village a prominent place in archeology and history of arts.
After Braidwood this sight was excavation by the University of Toronto which led to discovery of 2400 clay objects. It is the largest quantity of human figurines of all excavated Neolithic sites in Iran. The number of animal figures including dog, pig, goat or sheep found up to now exceeds 797. Among 650 human objects found, only 18 are men, all others being figurines of women.
Deh Pahn is today an anomic and disordered suburb of Kermanshah city; with much over one million inhabitants. Nothing of the material and non-culture of such an old settlement has survived. The pre-historical site and other historical and archeological ones such as a palace called “Emādieh” have been plundered and destroyed.
If the above mentioned “knowledge”-soldier is still alive, he could perhaps go and visit that previous village. As he actually played his role as one of the messengers of the holy capitalism almost like a professional actor. His sentence on the blackboard regarding the advent of modernity is very much evident. He could very clear see that the forbidden almond presented by “Mama Eve” has been a bitter one.