DeepSummary
In this podcast episode, Dilraba Samadova, a human rights lawyer from Tajikistan, discusses the central role that poetry plays in the daily life and culture of Persian societies. She begins by reciting a famous poem by Saadi Shirazi about human solidarity and empathy, which is displayed at the United Nations headquarters.
Samadova explains that poetry is deeply ingrained in the Tajik culture, being learned from a young age and used in various contexts, from celebrations to funerals. Poetry is seen as a vehicle for conveying wisdom, values, and ideas about life, friendship, freedom, dignity, and justice. In advocacy work, poetry is often used to establish a common ground and connect with others on a human level.
Samadova shares that she also writes poetry herself, as a way to express her emotions and moods. She highlights the importance of poetry in Persian culture, with public poetry competitions being a popular tradition. The ability to recite and use poetry to convey one's views is highly respected in Tajik society.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Poetry is deeply ingrained in Persian culture, particularly in Tajikistan, and is used in various contexts, from celebrations to funerals, as a way to convey wisdom, values, and ideas.
- Poetry serves as a means to connect people emotionally and establish a common ground, particularly in advocacy work and discussions on human rights.
- The ability to recite and use poetry to convey one's views is highly respected in Tajik society, with public poetry competitions being a popular tradition.
- Themes of human solidarity, empathy, justice, and dignity are prevalent in Persian poetry, dating back centuries, and are seen as universal values, not Western imports.
- Poetry is seen as a vehicle for expressing emotions and personal experiences, as Samadova herself writes poetry to capture her moods and feelings.
- The episode highlights the enduring power of poetry in shaping cultural identity and facilitating communication, particularly in the context of human rights advocacy.
- The use of poetry in advocacy work helps to humanize discussions and establish a common ground between different parties, by appealing to shared values and experiences.
- The episode challenges the notion that concepts like human rights and solidarity are Western values, by showing how they have been deeply rooted in Persian poetry and culture for centuries.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “It means that people cannot just think about their own problem. We all created from one thing. We all belong to one God, and it's about the solidarity. And one nation cannot be happy, safe and rich when another is suffering, because we are all together and all in one. And you cannot call yourself human if you don't care about the suffering and problems of another person.“ by Dilraba Samadova
- “We use read, sing poetry during all events, even during the funeral, there is a special poetry to say goodbye that we are going to meet in the next life. So this is very emotional stuff, cultural stuff, which connect people.“ by Dilraba Samadova
- “And sometimes, even when we start with the poetry, we sing first line, and then the let's say opposite side tells the second line. It means that we already connected in the same level as a human rights defenders.“ by Dilraba Samadova
- “Some nations have like their collective mood or character. And for the Persians, I think they most important thing is poetry.“ by Dilraba Samadova
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Episode Information
Strength & Solidarity
Strength & Solidarity
4/20/23
Human rights advocate Dilrabo Samadova marvels at the way poetry get into absolutely every aspect of life in her country, Tajikistan, and notes that solidarity, justice, and equality feature in Persian verse as far back as the sixth and seventh centuries, proving these are not “western values.”
For a list of supplemental readings and additional information about this episode’s content, visit https://strengthandsolidarity.org/podcasts/
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