What does Rumi’s poetry have to do with Iran and Afghanistan Fighting? A thread 🧵
Since the Tālibān takeover, Iran’s government has been cautious but not hostile to the new government, to the chagrin of Iranians and many Afghans, especially the Persian-speaking Tājiks.
Early in the takeover days, Persian-speaking Afghans in the Panjshīr region began to resist the new Tālibān government.
They were led by Ahmad Masʿūd, the son of famous commander Ahmad Shah Masʿūd.
Many Iranians and Afghans believed that Iran should have supported resistance.
Recently, Iranian border guards clashed with the Tālibān, leading to a few deaths. It might be related to tensions regarding water rights.
This prompted Ahmad Masʿūd to tweet a hemistich from Rumi:
“Didn’t I tell you don’t go there? I am your friend.”
Simply put, it means, “I told you so, I am your real friend in Afghanistan.”
Sending political messages with poetry may seem esoteric, but it is quite normal in Persian political culture.
Ali Shamkhani, once Iranian Minister of Defense recently resigned with a couplet:
If you are interested in the role of Persian poetry in Iran’s political culture, check out this article I wrote two years ago:
newlinesmag.com/essays/the-key…
I have also explained similar poetic messages from Iran’s former foreign minister, Javad Zarif:
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