Session 19: A Message from the East

ABOUT THE FILM:

Muhammad Iqbal was a dynamic contributing force towards the empowerment of South Asian Muslims during his lifetime. A poet, a philosopher, a lawyer, and political activist, Iqbal spoke of the power we have as individuals to strengthen ourselves and our communities through respect for the cultural other and by being engaged with the present moment. Through the inspiration of the 13th Century Mystical Poet Rumi from Iran, Iqbal believed the problems of his own time would not be solved unless we had a greater understanding of ourselves. It is our responsibility to be actively involved in our own communities and co-creators of the world we wish to see.

The greatest problems of the 21st Century have little to do with radical extremism and everything to do with our perceptions of ourselves and each other. The message of Iqbal is a strikingly contemporary one which encourages us to overcome our suspicions and doubts. Ahead of his time, he understood Einstein's Theory of Relativism as a vehicle to bridge the differences between Religion and Science. And as always, a Revolutionary Thinker who spoke for the freedom and dignity of all people.

Time: TBA
Location: SITE 5084, University of Ottawa
Language: English · Admission: Free

Official Selection Beirut International Film Festival 2010
Official Selection Muslim Fest 2010
Official Selection Salaam Film Festival 2010
Official Selection Fargo Film Festival 2010
Official Selection Mammoth Film Festival 2009

Session 18: Language and Identity

The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1563)

- And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

- And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

- Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

- So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city (Genesis: 11, 5-8).

Questions of Language and Identity are extremely complex. Depending upon time and place, both terms are dynamic, ambiguous notions. 

Talking about identity, we can point to physical, psychological, geographical, ethnic/national, or social one. Language can be seen as a mirror reflecting the human identity. When we hear someone speak, we immediately make guesses about gender, education level, age, profession, and place of origin. 

Beyond this individual matter, a language is a powerful symbol of national/ethnic identity. Questions of ethno-linguistic identity come from the need of ethnic minority within a community, such as immigrants, exiles, foreign workers. Once a group becomes aware of its ethnic identity, it will try to preserve and strengthen its status. Because of close link between ethnic/national identity and language, one of the significant indexes for unity of the ethnic groups revolves around the second one.

Since Constitutional Revolution of 20^th century, the cultural and linguistic diversity of Iran has always been the centre of debates. Some considered it as a barrier for our national unity and an excuse for separatism; others saw it as an obstacle for recognition of all existing ethnic groups in Iran.  Despite the vast research on this field, the issue of the link between the national identity and the language remains controversial and ambiguous. 

In this session, I try to talk about ethno-linguistic issues of Iran. The more discussion we resume, the more questions will be arisen. It is crystal clear that we don’t expect to solve the problems, even to find the solution. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to hearing your questions and opinions. 

Nazila Khalkhali
Master of Translation Studies
University of Ottawa

Time: Thursday, June 7 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: SITE 5084, University of Ottawa
Language: Persian · Admission: Free