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January 30- Sunday, Bloody Sunday

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Topic: January 30- Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Posted By: Komnenos
Subject: January 30- Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Date Posted: 30-Jan-2006 at 02:22
Three events in British History today, one symbolical, one farcical and one seminal, namely the last, and most recent one, that was one of the defining moments of the modern United Kingdom.

Let's start with the last one.
On January 30, 1972, it was a Sunday, a demonstration organized by Civil Rights groups in Northern Ireland marched through the streets of Derry. Exact figures are still disputed, but a few thousand people protested against the structural discrimination of the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland, the province of Ulster that had remained British after the rest of Ireland had gained independence in the 20s.
The march began peaceful enough,winding its way through the Catholic area of Derry, being prevented by a large contingent of the British army to reach the center of town. As it was customary during the “troubles” a few over-enthusiastic teenagers, not happy being restrained by army barricades, began to hurl obscenities at the British troops, and when that didn't show any effect, stones. The army answered with the usual barrage of water canons, “dum-dum”bullets and the like.
It seemed just an ordinary day in the troubled province.



Civil Rights March in Derry, Jan 30, 1972


What happened next has been the subject of countless inquiries, public and private, of films and documentaries, and of many songs and ballads, and until today the exact sequence of events that followed has never been satisfactorily been reconstructed. What is however clear, is that all hell broke loose in Derry on that Sunday afternoon and what had started as a protest march, ended as the one of the worst massacres of the wars for Irish independence.
The British paratroopers suddenly opened fire at the marching crowd, shooting indiscriminately at the panicking people running for their lives and when the guns had died down, fourteen protesters were killed and numerous others wounded.
Why, by whom and when the orders were given to fire live ammunition at the unarmed crowd, has subsequently been hotly disputed, with both sides giving contrary accounts of the events. Not surprisingly, the British Army, backed by the British Government, stated initially that they only had returned fire having been attacked by Irish snipers, thus having been acting in self defence. First inquiries in the incident, conducted by the British establishment, soon asserted this version, not without relying on false witness statements and faked evidence.
A subsequent inquiry, held in the last few years, contradicts these findings, and agrees more with the statements of the Civil Rights Movement, that had always insisted that the British Army had not been attacked, but deliberately had set out to kill innocent protesters.
Whatever happened on that day, it proved fatal for Northern Ireland. Had the resistance by the Catholic minority in Ulster against British occupation up till then shown the same more peaceful tactics of similar civil rights movements, the events of “Bloody Sunday” changed the nature of the conflict profoundly. The killing of 14 innocent, unarmed protesters proved to be the single most successful recruitment drive for the more militant factions of the Nationalist Irish population. The IRA, having played a rather insignificant role in the last few decades, got a new lease of live, and with many more volunteers joining the ranks after this day in Derry, was able to sustain armed struggle against the British troops in Ulster for the next 25 years.


Rather symbolical was the execution of Charles I of England on January 30, 1649. It marked all but the end of the English Civil War, and thus the victory of the forces of the Puritan parliament under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell. The defeated King was accused, tried and convicted for high treason, and beheaded in Whitehall, the seat of the British government.

But the British monarchy had its moment of farcical revenge. Only nine years later, on January,30, 1658 , Charles I's son, the restored King Charles II, had Oliver Cromwell's body exhumed and posthumously executed, hanged, drawn and quartered in the good old tradition.


Complete list of events:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_30 - Wikipedia

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Replies:
Posted By: Behi
Date Posted: 30-Jan-2006 at 05:27
Doshanbe, 10th day of Bahman

Sadeh Celebration


Zartoshtian Fire in Yazd temple

Sadeh is an ancient http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian" title="Iranian - Iranian tradition celebrated 50 days before http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowrouz" title="Nowrouz - nowrouz .

Sadeh in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian" title="Persian - Persian language means ‘hundred’ which refers to one hundred days and nights left to the beginning of the new http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian" title="Persian - Persian year celebrated at the first day of spring on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_21st" title="March 21st - March 21st each year. Sadeh is a mid winter festival that was celebrated with grandeur and magnificence in ancient http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran" title="Iran - Iran . It was a festivity to honor fire and to defeat the forces of darkness, frost, and cold.

The ancestors of ancient Persians divided the year into two sections, summer and winter. Summer started from the first day of spring, 21st of March, and lasted 7 months to the 22nd of October. Then, the winter started and lasted for five month to the end of Iranian calendar. Therefore, Jashn-e Sadeh or Sadeh Festival was one hundred days after the first day of winter or 100 days and nights to the beginning of summer.

Persian legends have it that King http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hushang&action=edit" class="new" title="Hushang - Hushang , grandson of http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gayumarth&action=edit" class="new" title="Gayumarth - Gayumarth the first king of Persia, established the Sadeh tradition long ago. It is said that once http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hushang&action=edit" class="new" title="Hushang - Hushang was climbing a mountain when all of a sudden he saw a snake and wanted to hit it with a stone. When he threw the stone, it fell on another stone and since they were both flint stones, fire broke out and the snake escaped. This way he discovered fire. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hushang&action=edit" class="new" title="Hushang - Hushang cheered up and praised God who revealed to him the secret of fire. Then he announced: “This is a light from God. So we must admire it.”

According to religious beliefs, Jashn-e Sadeh recalls the importance of light, fire and energy; light which comes from God is found in the hearts of his creatures. According to the teachings of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroaster" title="Zoroaster - Zoroaster , the light inside us is a sign of the existence of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahura_Mazda" title="Ahura Mazda - Ahura Mazda (God in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism" title="Zoroastrianism - Zoroastrianism ) everywhere. In http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avesta" title="Avesta - Avesta , Zoroastrians’ holly book, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise" title="Paradise - paradise means an eternal light.

During ancient times, Jashn-e Sadeh was celebrated by lighting fire. For http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrians" title="Zoroastrians - Zoroastrians the chief preparation for Sadeh was and still in some parts is the gathering of wood the day before the festival. Teenage boys accompanied by a few adult males would go to local mountains in order to gather camel thorns, a common desert shrub in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran" title="Iran - Iran . For most, this is the first time they are away from their families. The occasion resembles a ritual of passage to adulthood, a notable step for the boys on the way to manhood. The boys would take the camel thorns to the temples in their cities; and if it was their first time doing this, on their return, a celebration was held at home with the presence of friends and families.

During ancient times, the fires were always set near water and temples. The fire originally meant to assist the revival of sun and bring back the warmth and light of summer. It was also meant to drive off the demons of frost and cold, which turned water to ice, and thus could kill the roots of plants. For these reasons the fire was lit near and even over water and by the Shrine of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehr" title="Mehr - Mehr .

The fire was kept burning all night. The day after, women would go to the fire in the morning, each taking a small portion of the fire back to their homes to make new glowing fire from the “blessed fire” of the temple. This is to spread the blessing of the Sadeh fire to every household in the neighborhood. Whatever is left from the fire would be taken back to the shrine to be placed in one container and kept at the temple until the next year. This way the fire is kept burning all year round. The “eternal fire” also symbolizes the love of homeland which is always alive like a fervent fire in the people’s hearts.

The festivities would normally go on for three days. The evenings are spent eating and giving out foods as donations, food that is prepared from slaughtered lambs and is distributed among the poor people.

The most elaborate report of the celebration of Sadeh after the dominations of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslims" title="Muslims - Muslims over Iran comes from the 10th century AD during the reign of http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mardavij&action=edit" class="new" title="Mardavij - Mardavij http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zeyari&action=edit" class="new" title="Zeyari - Zeyari , the ruler of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isfahan" title="Isfahan - Isfahan . Zayari family did their best to keep the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian" title="Persian - Persian traditions alive. Bonfires were set up on both sides of the http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zayandeh&action=edit" class="new" title="Zayandeh - Zayandeh -Rud River to remember the Sadeh custom. The fires were kept in specially built metal holders. Hundreds of birds were released while the fireworks were lighting the sky. There were fireworks, dancing and music with lavish feasts of roasted lamb, beef, chicken and other delicacies.

Today the ceremony is celebrated somehow like the ancient times in some http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian" title="Iranian - Iranian cities such as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerman" title="Kerman - Kerman and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazd" title="Yazd - Yazd . Jashn e Sadeh is also celebrated every year in Kushk and Rajavand gardens in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaj" title="Karaj - Karaj (a township of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehran" title="Tehran - Tehran province) splendidly with the presence of Iranian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrians" title="Zoroastrians - Zoroastrians and others interested in traditional http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian" title="Persian - Persian ceremonies. Sometimes the fires are not lit outside and all activities take place inside the Zorostrian temples. The activities of camel throne gathering have almost been stopped though there are efforts to preserve the tradition. However, the bulk of the Iranians are becoming more familiar with the occasion and there are gatherings and celebrations even outside the country on 30th of January each year. People will gather and pray, and then they will hold each others’ hands, form a circle, and dance around the fire.

Every year, on 30th of January, thousands of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrians" title="Zoroastrians - Zoroastrians in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran" title="Iran - Iran and other countries celebrates the religious feast of Jashn-e Sadeh by burning firewood in an open space to signify the coming of spring and as a symbolic token of the eternal fight with mischief.

There is a cave in a mountain near http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazd" title="Yazd - Yazd , called http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chak-Chak&action=edit" class="new" title="Chak-Chak - Chak-Chak Fire Temple. Every year some special ceremonies are held in this place during the Sadeh Feast. It is believed that the last http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrian" title="Zoroastrian - Zoroastrian princess took shelter there in 640 AD when the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslims" title="Muslims - Muslims expanded their power to the east.

Although for the majority of Iranians Sadeh has no religious significance and no specific rituals are involved other than lighting fires at sunset and having a cheerful time, Iranians of all faiths make a collective effort at this day to keep up with their ancient traditions and to celebrate the precious things God granted humanity.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadeh - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadeh
http://www.chn.ir/en/news/?section=2&id=6134 - http://www.chn.ir/en/news/?section=2&id=6134
http://www.iranianshistoryonthisday.com/FARSI.ASP?u=&I1.x=24&I1.y=12&GD=30&GM=1 - http://www.iranianshistoryonthisday.com/FARSI.ASP?u=&I1. x=24&I1.y=12&GD=30&GM=1



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Posted By: ulrich von hutten
Date Posted: 30-Jan-2006 at 15:25


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Posted By: Maju
Date Posted: 30-Jan-2006 at 21:54
The army answered with the usual barrage of water canons, “dum-dum”bullets and the like.
It seemed just an ordinary day in the troubled province.


Dum-dum? That's deadly. You must mean rubber bullets.

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Anyhow, I've been thinking that due to the dates, it would seem like the 1968 of Britain: the institutions tried to take over disciplinarily and ended up with a grown up problem: something they couldn't manage anymore.


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NO GOD, NO MASTER!


Posted By: Komnenos
Date Posted: 31-Jan-2006 at 13:09
Originally posted by Maju


Dum-dum? That's deadly. You must mean rubber bullets.




Sure, you're right. I always thought it was the same.

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[IMG]http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i137/komnenos/crosses1.jpg">


Posted By: Maju
Date Posted: 31-Jan-2006 at 21:38
Dum-dum bullets are those that fragment inside the body, so damage is greater than with common ammo. They are forbidden by international conventions but they are also being used again in "anti-terror" ops because they seem to kill faster.

Anti-riot ammo instead uses rubber and plastic bullets, along with tear gas, batons, water cannons, etc.




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NO GOD, NO MASTER!



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