Hive Residents vs. Cast of a Film Studio Town: Dissecting Two Societies

Perhaps this is the question that has preoccupied many Western thinkers and has even echoed in the bewildered delusions of Trump and Netanyahu: After the assassination of leaders, why did the Iranian government not collapse like other countries?

Within the first week, a well-educated friend in the West shared this question with me via email. Answering this question completely and by referring to the history of Shia and Imam Hossein (AS) may be incomprehensible to the Western mind. Therefore, I tried to formulate my answer using concepts from Western literature. I wrote to that friend and narrated a research book by "Morris Maeterling" called "The Life of the Bee"; A book that was given to me by a kind neighbor when I was young, before the revolution.

The point I want to make may make the question easier for a western reader to understand. Maeterling points out that before an actual experiment, all researchers assumed that the absolute ruler of the hive was the "Queen" and that everything existed to serve her and her wishes. Accordingly, they designed an experiment: they placed a ring at the entrance of the hive that the worker and soldier bees could easily pass through, but the queen could not pass through because of her larger size.

Then they staged a mock attack on the hive. According to their natural instinct, the bees mobilized to save the queen first. Because the only way out of the besieged hive was through the ring, the queen got stuck in it when she tried to escape. After a while, his bodyguards suspected that he did not want to leave. So they stung and killed her, selected another larva capable of becoming a queen to replace her, and built a new hive with a young queen elsewhere.

The scientist's conclusion is profound and surprising. After that, he stripped the queen of the title of "God of the Hive" and redefined that superior force as the "Invisible Spirit of the Hive".

Exactly the same thing happened in Iran, with one difference: this time the enforcement officers were the real aggressors; But again, their aggressive methods failed to capture the "invisible spirit of the hive".

I intend to explain the difference between the people whose god is the "invisible spirit of the hive" and the population of other countries with more detailed explanations. I have a filmmaker friend named Sidreza Mirkarimi, the director of several lasting works in Iranian cinema, whose name and films you can search for. He has an interesting interpretation of those countries around Iran that have become independent only a few decades ago. He compares them to the "Backlot" during the production of big Hollywood epics.

To better understand his analogy, imagine a movie about the time of Alexander the Great being filmed on a set in the Cinechita in Rome; Thousands of characters, huge sets and magnificent scenery. A movie set that depicts ancient Rome, but if the camera pans a little left or right, you might end up with the set of a cowboy movie town.

When we look at it from the angle of the camera and on the silver screen or even IMAX, we are amazed by its greatness. Even actors immersed in their roles believe for a while that they are really the characters. But when the show's false glamor wears off or filming ends, they realize they've only briefly stepped out of their true selves to live in someone else's skin.

After filming is over, all those magnificent sets are taken away and replaced with another set of captivating shots. This is the whole story of a magnificent and glamorous life that is spent in a movie set, devoid of original identity. Maybe even the day after the end of filming, the lead actor will not be allowed to enter, patrol or even review the memories of the past.

The difference between many nascent Arab states - which are full of heterogeneous racial populations such as Pakistanis, Indians and others - with the authentic and native inhabitants of those lands is precisely the role of the black troops in the film. The only reason for their presence is to receive a salary and a share of that fame and ephemeral profit for tomorrow, without making a lasting impact on the future of that cinema decor.

But the people of Iran - and even the leader who was assassinated - believe in the "spirit of the beehive". This is why for two hundred and twenty days, men and women, old and young, have been standing firmly in the squares and streets.

As a final word, I suggest you, who are the readers of this article, to search and study the legendary story of "Al-Tahir Logic" by the Iranian poet, Attar Neishabouri. The story in brief is as follows: a group of birds from all over the world gather to find a mythical bird named "Simorgh" on the top of Qaf Mountain and make him their leader. On the last day of the journey, only thirty different birds remain on top of Qaf Mountain; The rest have failed to continue the journey for various reasons along the way. They do not see the mythical Simorgh, but they find out that the legendary Simorgh is actually their own group. They don't need to wait for a miraculous bird to lead them. In the end, I recommend you, the reader of this article, to find and study the Persian fairy tale "Mojak al-Tir" (or "The Conversation of the Birds") by Attar Neishabouri, an Iranian poet. The summary of the story is as follows: a group of birds from all over the world gather to find a mythical bird named "Simorgh" at the top of Qaf mountain and choose him as their leader. On the last day of the trip, only thirty different birds remain on top of Qaf Mountain; The rest have not been accompanied along the way for various reasons. They don't see a mythical Simorgh; Rather, they find out that the legendary Simorgh is actually their own group. They no longer need to wait for a miracle bird to guide them.

Perhaps by watching this video - which shows the people of Iran during the recent forty-day war; Where a woman speaks of her faith in God (or rather: the spirit of the hive), just before invading drone forces recreate the Maurice Maeterling experiment right above them—get a clearer sense of the difference between the real members of a hive and the pretentious but empty actors on a film set. Listen carefully to the words of that woman; The words that the simultaneous bombing of the enemy gives them a real and deep meaning.

The bombing of the march of the people of Tehran by an American drone at around 8:30 am on the 10th day of the American and Israeli attack on Iran (April 18)

Note: This text is written and sent with a cold mind, in English and for a non-Iranian audience.