"Know that we are still here; that we live."

posted by k

In 1660, the restored monarchy of England faced the problem of what to do with John Milton. Milton wasn't just an uncompromising republican, who had recently published the pamphlet The Ready and Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth. He had also responded to the monarchist pamphlet, Eikon Basilike, with his own Eikonoklastes, defending the right of the Commonwealth government to execute Charles I. This made him, in the eyes of Charles II's government, a regicide and the penalty was death by hanging, drawing and quartering. The corpses of dead regicides were disinterred, executed and the decomposing quarters put on public display.

Milton was discreet enough to retreat from London to Chalfont St Giles. It's said his friends and admirers intervened on his behalf, suggesting that his blindness was a divine punishment and that it would be wrong for the king to punish the poet further. The poet was allowed to live and completed his great works of the Restoration: Samson Agonistes, Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained.

States often have to cope with poets who oppose their regime. This isn't because poets are naturally in opposition - there's also a history of poets supporting the government with fawning praise. Virgil's praise of the Emperor Augustus is excellently done but leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. Shakespeare included neat compliments to the monarchs he served in his plays. He knew who paid the bills.

But the way states treat poets and creative artists who oppose them often goes down in history. Regimes that mistreat their poets seem particularly barbaric - afraid of words and their power. The voices of poets survive.

The Jerusalem Post knows it cannot ignore the death of the great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. Darwish's voice can still be heard - full of power even when I cannot understand the words. The words of his poems - in their original Arabic and in English translation - can be found in libraries throughout the world and on the web.

Mahmoud Darwish's funeral was also reported throughout the world.

There is, currently, less publicity for the imprisonment and torture of Uzbek poet Yusuf Juma. Perhaps everyone is distracted by the Olympic Games or the news from Georgia. Or perhaps we're all so used to the atrocities of Karimov's regime that a tortured poet barely disturbs any more. But he will not be forgotten. Osip Mandelstam's poem against Stalin resonates more strongly because of Mandelstam's arrest, mistreatment and death.

I don't know what we can do about Yusuf Juma who is being held and tortured in Jaslyk prison. His son Mashrab seems to have disappeared in the Uzbek prison system. His wife is appealing for help.

At least, by posting this, I can show that Yusuf Juma is not forgotten. And I hope the Uzbek government will realise that, by imprisoning and torturing Yusuf Juma and his son, they add weight to the words Yusuf Juma has written against them.

I implore the Uzbek government to free the poet Yusuf Juma and his son.

The courage of Yusuf Juma

posted by k

Poetry doesn't always translate easily. However, I am posting a complete poem by Yusuf Juma, about the Andijan massacre. The massacre took place on 13 May, 2005 when hundreds of unarmed protesters were killed by Uzbek security services for taking part in a demonstration against the government. Yusuf Juma wrote this poem about the event:


The best men of the people were shot in Andijan.
Elders like Dukchi-ishan, were shot in Andijan.

People were shot in Namangana, shot in Fergana,
the very best lions were shot in Andijan.

The blind are alive, the jackals are alive,
Sharifjan Shokurovs were shot in Andijan.

Future Babarakhin Mashrabs were killed,
tigers like Babur were shot in Andijan.

In their hearts they were wild activists, endurers of the right way,
let their graves be full of light, they were shot in Andijan.

They went off faithful to their faith, they went off with open eyes,
the earth was left without men, they were shot at Andijan.

Yusuf Juma has a history of speaking out and protesting about repression in Uzbekistan. As a result, he is banned from publication in his own country and he and his family have suffered harrasment and arrest. In 2001, he was sentenced the three years in prison for "insulting the president". The sentence was later suspended.

Earlier this month, Yusuf Juma and his sons began a series of small demonstrations in Bukhara, by holding posters which called for the resignation of President Karimov. There was an election campaign at the time. They were severely beaten for this. In the evening, the Uzbek security forces stormed Yusuf Juma's house. They killed two of the family's dogs, They destroyed the poet's archive and library as well as other personal possessions. They arrested his daughter. Yusuf Juma escaped. He wrote an account of what happened on that evening. This is part of his account:

"At approximately 18.00 we heard people outside shouting ‘Babur! Babur! Run away!” I was reading at this time. I looked out from the window, but didn’t see anyone. I then went outside and saw a lot of people getting out of their cars. Having seen this entire army all the people in the village were shouting to us, “Run away! Run away!” Then the men started shooting.

"Bullets were coming like rain from all directions. They were shooting from our cow-shed. I ran away, barefoot. My wife and nine-year-old son Javhar ran out of the second house. Three of us hid behind a water tank. A group of armed men stormed into my room. I heard one of my sons asking to see whoever was in charge.

"Another two of my children were left surrounded in our second house. They were still shooting. We heard the sounds of dogs, cows, geese, and chicken being shot.

"One of the armed men spoke. "He must be a leader of the terrorists. Here are his notebooks, his books. He might be hiding behind the curtain. Open fire!" Another said, "Smash the head of this man who has lifted his head against our Leader!"

"They were shooting ceaselessly from four sides. "We are dead . . . " whispered my wife. "Forget about us, but what will happen with the kids? They’ll also be killed."

"My son Javhar was trying to hide my foot. "They can see it, they will shoot!" he whispered.

"They were shooting in all the rooms, shooting everywhere. They were shooting at locked doors. They were using automatic machine guns, pistols and firearms.

""Mother f***er, this guy's house is surrounded by trees. If they aren't at home, they must be hiding in the trees. Target every tree, every bush," someone ordered.

"They started to shoot with more intensity.

""This is our fate, but my poor boys . . ." cried my spouse.

"Suddenly the electricity was cut off. The terrorists who were in my room shouted: "Why have the lights gone out?" Then they left.

"We went to the house of our neighbor who himself was an employee of the National Security Service. Then they started to shoot at us. The bullets were flying above our heads. But God saved us. However our two children were still left behind in the second house.

"After few minutes, my wife couldn't take it. "I won’t leave my children, I will go back. They can't survive after this shooting . . . I would prefer to die," my wife said.

"I tried to calm her down. "Don’t be silly! God will save them, you will see. He will protect us.""

Yusuf Juma escaped with most of his family that night. On 19th December, he and his son Bobur were arrested at the hosue of Mukhiddin Akramkhodjaev. Since then, they have been held in detention and denied access to lawyers.

A petition has been drawn up, asking members of the United Nations and the European Union to take up his case. It makes the following requests:

1. information about whereabouts of Yusuf Juma and members of his family;

2. humane treatment for Yusuf Juma and members of his family, who are under detention;

3. to allow his lawyer access to Yusuf Juma and other arrested members of his family in prison;

4. to demand their immediate release from detention;

5. to stop persecution of the family members and relatives of Yusuf Juma and provide protection to the family of Yusuf Juma and their relatives.



You can sign the petition by clicking here, scrolling down and adding your name.

If you wish to make your own representations on Yusuf Juma's behalf, you can write to the following:

President

Islam A. KARIMOV,

Rezidentsia prezidenta; ul. Uzbekistanskaia, 43; Tashkent 700163; UZBEKISTAN

Fax: + 998 71 139 53 25, email: presidents_office@press-service.uz

Salutation: Dear President Karimov

Minister of Internal Affairs

Bahodir MATLIUBOV

Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del RU, ul. Novruz, 1; Tashkent 700029; UZBEKISTAN

Fax: + 998 71 133 89 34

Salutation: Dear Minister Matliubov

Minister of Justice

Buritosh MUSTAFAEV

Ministerstvo yustitsii RU, ul. Sayilgokh, 5; Tashkent 700047; UZBEKISTAN

Fax: + 998 71 133 51 76; telex: 02 11 65 94 JUSTICE; e mail: info@minjust.gov.uz

Salutation: Dear Minister Mustafaev

Procurator General

Rashidjon KODIROV,

Prokuratura Respubliki Uzbekistan, ul. Gulyamova, 66; Tashkent; 700047; UZBEKISTAN

Fax: + 998 71 133 39 17/ 133 73 68, email: prokuratura@lawyer.com

Salutation: Dear Procurator General

COPIES TO:

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Elior GANIEV, Ministerstvo inostrannykh del RU; pl. Mustakillik, 5; Tashkent 700029; UZBEKISTAN

Fax: + 998 71 139 15 17

Head of the National Centre for Human Rights ,

Akmal Saidov, Natsionalny tsentr po pravam cheloveka, 5/3, Mustakillik Maidoni, Tashkent 700029, UZBEKISTAN

Fax: +998 71 139 13 56; email: ncpchonline.ru

Also, please include the Embassy of Uzbekistan in London:

41 Holland Park
London
W11 3RP
020 7229 7679
020 7227 7029
info@uzbekembassy.org

I realise this is a departure from the main topic of this blog, which is concerned with British politics and liberty. But, as Craig Murray has reported, the British government has given support and encouragement to President Karimov's regime. We cannot escape from an obligation to the people of Uzbekistan.

You are welcome to copy and use this information in your own blogs.

"poetry is respected"

posted by k

The Uzbek poet Yusuf Juma has been arrested. So far as I can discover, his "crime" was exhibiting a poster opposing President Karimov in the recent elections.


A petition is currently circulating making the following requests:

1. information about whereabouts of Yusuf Juma and members of his family;

2. humane treatment for Yusuf Juma and members of his family, who are under detention;

3. to allow his lawyer access to Yusuf Juma and other arrested members of his family in prison;

4. to demand their immediate release from detention;

5. to stop persecution of the family members and relatives of Yusuf Juma and provide protection to the family of Yusuf Juma and their relatives.

I shall post more details later. Meanwhile, here is a list of addresses, e-addresses and fax numbers for anyone who wishes to urge the Uzbek government to free Yusuf Juma and his son.

NOTE: not all the e-addresses below work. Please use the addresses at my later post on this subject, which also gives further details of the case.

President of Uzbekistan, Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov, ul. Uzbekistanskaya 43, Rezidentsia prezidenta, 700163 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: +998 71 133 1395325, E-mail: presidents_office@press-service.uz

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Norov, Ministerstvo inostrannykh del RU, pl. Mustakillik 5; 700029 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: + 998 71 139 15 17, E-mail: rnews@mfa.uz

Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Sayora Rashidova, ul. Xalqlar Dostligi 1, 700035 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: +998 71 139 85 55, E-mail: office@ombudsman.gov.uz

Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ubaydulla Mingbaev, Verkhovny Sud Respubliki Uzbekistan, ul. Abdulla Kodiri 1, 700183 Tashkent; Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: + 998 71 144-62-93

Further information can be found at the website of Uzbekistan Initiative, where the petition will be posted shortly.

General Prosecutor of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Rashidjon Hamidovich Kodirov, ul. Gulyamova 66, 700047 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: +998 71 133 39 17, E-mail: prokuratura@lawyer.com

National Centre for Human Rights, Senator Akmal Saidov Natsionalny, Tsentr po pravam cheloveka, Mustakillik Maidoni 5/3, 700029 Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, Fax: + 998 71 139 13 56 / 45 16, E-mail: office@nchr.uz

Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the United Nations in Geneva, PO Box 1853, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland, Fax: +4122 799 43 02, E-mail: uzbekistan@bluewin.ch

"No words men write can stop the war"

posted by k

Today is the 100^th anniversary of W.H. Auden’s birth. As the South Bank Show on Sunday made clear, he’s still seen as a difficult figure: the poet of the left who spent the war in America. No matter that his departure was arranged in the wake of Munich nor that the decision was personal (Auden later ascribed it to a need to grow up but he’d also found a life-long partner in the young Jewish-American poet Chester Kallman); according to the thinking of the time it was the responsibility of poets to join the army or be bombed in London. Settling in New York (eventually joining the U.S. army as part of the Strategic Bombing Survey) didn’t fit the popular image of the lyric poet who should, ideally, die young.

What Auden did instead was to rethink the role of the poet and, by implication, of language itself. Before the Second World War began, Auden, who had become accustomed to speak in public on a range of subjects from documentary film to anti-fascism, discovered that he had the ability to sway an audience. The experience shocked him and may have been one of the influences on his renunciation of lyric poetry. Within the space of a single poem – “In Memory of W.B. Yeats” – he moved from the idea that Time “Worships language” to the declaration that “poetry makes nothing happen”. By 1950, in “We Too Had Known Golden Hours”, Auden observed that “words like Peace and Love,/All sane affirmative speech” had been “soiled” and “debased” by mass media and politicians, so that the only possible speech remaining was “wry” and “Ironic”. Still the “suburb of dissent” remained.

The ironic, questioning, playful voice continued until 1973, often dissenting and asking awkward questions. Auden reminds us to be mistrustful of political and media rhetoric and to avoid the easy cliché which sways opinion by avoiding thought. He reminds us too of a shared humanity.

It seems apt to recall a few of his words on what would have been Auden's 100^th birthday.

“In our age, the mere making of a work of art is itself a political act. So long as artists exist, making what they please and think they ought to make, even if it is not terribly good, even if it appeals only to a handful of people, they remind the Management of something managers need to be reminded of, namely, that the managed are people with faces, not anonymous members, that Homo Laborans is also Homo Ludens.” [i.e. man who labours is also man who plays] (“The Poet & the City")

"Speech can at best, a shadow echoing
the silent light, bear witness
to the Truth it is not …" (“The Cave of Making”)