The Little Black Fish translated by Ruby

[Marieke, Former moderator]

Ruby has translated The Little Black Fish and is happy to discuss it with others who have read it or plan to read it...

[Ruby]

Thanks a lot Marieke. I appreciate this a great deal since I have been trying so hard to get this great political and progressive book out there. I have tried Middle East discussions, Banned Books discussions and many others.

The book is very special and has a lot to offer. It is also the biography of one of the greatest revolutionaries of our time...

Discussing The Little Black Fish will be both interesting and challenging.

[Sue]

Can you give some history on the story Ruby?

[Ruby]

Hi, Sue. I don't want to copy the product description on amazon.com so I am working on a different description for this discussion group, which will be posted soon.

[Sue]

Thanks Ruby. Not knowing more than that limited intro, I'm wondering about your comment about "one of the greatest revolutionaries of our time". I'm looking forward to your post.

[Ruby]

You know Sue, the story of The Little Black Fish is for children. However when progressive adults read the book, they not only see a path to freedom and justice, they also realize that it is a biography. Which fits into the category of "historic fiction" mentioned among your interests. I will soon post a description.

[Sue]

Excellent

[Marieke, Former moderator]

Ruby, perhaps you could give us a little historical background instead of a description? I think this may be something (person plus events) that many members here are unfamiliar with. It would certainly help in terms of having some context within which to appreciate the book and its translation.

[Sue]

That would help me. I'm feeling very ignorant.

[Ruby]

Thanks Marieke for the great idea... Here is a brief Historical Background:

Iran is a country that is getting a lot of attention in the media today. It is ruled by a dictatorship topped with a theocracy, a dogmatic system that is claimed to be coming directly from God and therefore it can neither be criticized nor changed. The people have fought for freedom for generations and Iran was among very few countries where a Revolution for Constitutional rights took place over a century ago. Such Revolutions were the aftermath of The French Revolution, which only happened in a handful of countries (including the USA), as others simply transitioned to it.

As is common in most Third World countries, that Revolution and consequently the right of the people to choose their own destiny were never enforced. With the emergence of a new dictatorship, people took into the streets once again to fight for freedom three decades ago, which was replaced by a much worse system than the existing one, namely theocracy as mentioned earlier.

The importance of this experience of a failed attempt with countless loss of lives, is especially felt with the onset of the Arab Spring, and struggles in most other countries. The reason why the second Iranian Revolution failed can be explained mainly due to lack of proper leadership and organization of the movement, elements that are also absent in the Arab Spring.

Samad Beh-Rang was a school teacher who was highly critical of the educational system. However, his works went far beyond criticism or simply recording the facts, to finding solutions to the problems and teaching children to do the same.

Moreover his works impact many readers, as progressive adults see a clear path to freedom and justice. Among many researches and readings, Samad seems to have taken one particular freedom-fighter’s life and his efforts, as an example.

Samad Beh-Rang was executed for showing this path...The Little Black Fish is also the biography of a popular freedom fighter...

[Ruby]

A new song called "The Little Black Fish".
http://www.radiodirooz.com/images/doc...