Marcel D. Gerou (Μάρκελλος Δ. Γέρου)
Niagara On The Lake
I am neither a professional journalist nor an expert in geopolitics. I can only offer a moderately informed opinion that may not carry much weight. I apologize in advance for my limited knowledge and for not having the latest updates or complete facts. I initially intended to write about art and my friends at Titre Mag for this tenth anniversary. However, I find it challenging to share my experiences as I feel overwhelmed by current events and the state of the world during this hazardous and turbulent time.
As a pacifist, I have spent most of my life striving to remain impartial and apolitical. However, with the rapid and distressing rise of fascism and the ongoing brutal genocide in Palestine, I can no longer stay silent. Silence equates to complacency, and I am now compelled to choose a hill to die on. “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
Israel launched an unprovoked attack on Iran, igniting a new conflict without adequate justification. The two countries are not simply “exchanging missiles”; Israel initiated the aggression, while Iran acted in self-defence. This is how the headlines should portray the situation. I’m frustrated with the mainstream media’s tendency to downplay or sanitize the actions of a state currently committing genocide.
Much like his counterparts in the U.S. and Russia, Israel’s Prime Minister’s behaviour is reckless. His unprovoked attack on Iran represents an alarming escalation that could have disastrous consequences for millions in the region. If his goal is self-preservation and protecting lives, it’s hard to see how his tactics can achieve that in the short or long term. Iran has the right to defend itself, and Israel must put an end to its attacks, incursions and merciless treatment of the Palestinian people. Nonetheless, I hope Iran’s leaders possess the fortitude and patience to withstand the provocations from a man intent on remaining in power at any cost, especially considering that the motivations behind these attacks are questionable and unsubstantiated.
I comprehend the urge to reciprocate and defend, but my concern is that this conflict could escalate into an ideologically driven war. This concern is amplified because the worst possible person (POTUS) is in the arbitrator’s chair. Given his handling of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, it is likely that he will side with or even join the aggressor. He is an ally to no one but his ego; a malignant narcissist and a self-serving demagogue who respects neither friend nor foe. A playground bully in a suit whose only approach is to extort, slander, and lie.
“I may do it, I may not do it. Nobody knows what I want to do.”—The President of the United States was talking about joining a war. That is not a statement that a responsible, rational, or mature person would give. That is not the response an adult would give if asked if they would come for a round of golf. This is not a game. Do his enablers and supporters see the problem yet? Can they?
War is neither the path to disarmament nor the route to regime change. The “war on terror” achieved nothing beyond loss of life and increased instability. I fear that if the current situation deteriorates any further, it could trigger a series of events that might plunge us all into another global weaponized conflict.
Having said this, I will attempt to revisit what I originally intended to write for Titre Mag’s tenth anniversary. Like this article, I have recently found it difficult to focus on my art. Given everything happening in the world—the injustice and suffering—I often feel that my lifelong pursuit of fine art photography seems trivial by comparison.
Moreover, I’ve been struggling to concentrate due to the constant stream of negative news. I’m unsure if this is because of the interconnectedness of our communication age or if the world has truly gone mad. Some of my relatives have stopped speaking to me because I keep sounding the alarm! I’ve even started questioning my sanity, as I’m accustomed to dealing with and digesting one major issue at a time. Anyway, I digress.
Years ago, during my figure drawing class at the Ontario College of Art & Design, I met Pooyan Tabatabaei. After class, we grabbed coffee, and during our conversation, he asked me about my background. I told him I was Greek, and he responded, “Greek! You owe us for Persepolis!” We laughed, but then it struck me that Iranians and Greeks share an ancient interrelated history. This realization fascinated me, and I became eager to learn more about this rich culture that predates my own.
Without Canada’s rich tapestry of cultures, I would never have met my dear Iranian friend. Six months ago, I would have included the U.S. in this assertion. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that, under the current regime and its supporters, isolationism and xenophobia are the prevailing policies for now and the foreseeable future.
In contrast to my alma mater, one of the most prestigious universities in North America is currently facing pressure to adopt the conventions and ideologies of an intolerant and regressive regime. Across the country, protesters have gathered in unprecedented numbers. On the West Coast, in defiance of the Posse Comitatus Act, the Marines have been deployed to protect ICE and facilitate their unlawful abductions and deportations. The protests in LA and throughout the US are citizens exercising their immutable right to freedom of speech and assembly under the First Amendment while defending their Fourteenth Amendment right to due process and the principles established by the Habeas Corpus Act. These are the doctrines and foundations that once made America “great”—not tariffs, exceptionalism, racism, and blatant hate-mongering. I apologize for the legal jargon; I want to be thorough.
How has a once-powerful democracy transformed into an authoritarian kakistocracy so quickly? How did it decline so dramatically? Since January, it has felt like watching a kettle boil, and now it has blown its lid—US democracy is on life support. Come the midterms, we will determine if the ventilator has already been disconnected.
I must admit that witnessing the deteriorating situation in the U.S. has been utterly exhausting. I grew up on a steady diet of WWII history. I fondly remember watching old WWII films and documentaries with my father; it was a family pastime. My roots trace back to the island of Lesbos in the northeastern Aegean, where my grandfather bravely stood against the Nazis as part of the Greek resistance, enduring persecution and hardship. Never could I have imagined that a nation once celebrated as an allied power—like the U.S.—would transform into the dominant stronghold of fascism in our time. Nor could I foresee that the descendants of Holocaust survivors, individuals who have endured unimaginable pain, would allow hate to cloud their judgment, leading them to commit a dehumanizing genocide of their own. Neither my grandfather nor my father are with us anymore, and I often wonder what they would make of all that is happening. They would likely be as perplexed, disillusioned, and anxious as I am; I do not recognize this world.
After defeating King Xerxes I, Alexander of Macedon, in an act of Dionysian barbarism, set fire to the palatial city of Persepolis. History is marked by events so significant that they resonate in our collective memory for millennia. One significant event for me was January 6, 2021, when a misinformed, violent, ragtag group of insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol. This marked the moment when the MAGA movement crossed the Rubicon. Fast forward four years, and much like the fall of the Achaemenid Empire, the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and the fall of Byzantium, we are now witnessing the decline of yet another empire: the United States.
Those closest to the fire can only watch in disbelief as this transformation unfolds at a pace comparable to Constantinople’s fall. I am not a historian, but I recognize that what we are witnessing is undeniably historic. The future is uncertain, and while predictions abound, one thing is clear: turbulent and transformative times lead to loss of life, regardless of the outcome.
Why, of all generations, must ours be the one to witness the fall of empires? Will we experience another global conflict in our lifetimes? Is humanity doomed to self-inflicted annihilation? If our destiny is to descend into violent madness every century, then what is the purpose of anything? Evidently, we do not, and cannot, learn from our mistakes. As if life weren’t challenging and absurd enough, we are doomed to repeat the same vicious cycle time and time again.
To Titre Mag and my Iranian friends,
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for allowing me to experience Iranian culture in a way that few others have. Thank you for introducing me to your art and profoundly rich heritage, which has been a catalyst for civilization and home to the Cyrus Cylinder, the earliest codification of human rights. You have truly opened my eyes and mind.
I hope the ongoing conflict is resolved peacefully for the benefit of the Iranian people, your many talented artists, and their amazing, vibrant, and unique art. The world needs to appreciate just how fascinating Persian culture is and stop including your country and its culture in the so-called “axis of evil.”
One day, once the world has calmed down, I hope to visit Persepolis and apologize for the actions of my distant ancestors. I also hope to fulfil a long-time dream of photographing the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence and the many architectural marvels that Iran has to offer. Someday.
As we say in Greek: Αγάπη και Ειρήνη (Agápi kai Eiríni, Love and Peace), and Elbows up!,
Marcel D. Gerou (Μάρκελλος Δ. Γέρου)
