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Ferdowsi, the Globally Renowned Iranian Poet

2024-05-14T12:57:55+07:00

Abul-Qasim Mansoor ibn Hasan, popularly known as Ferdowsi was born in a village named Pazh, in the district of Tabaran near Tus - the present-day Mashhad - in Khorasan in the year 940 AD. His pen name ‘Ferdowsi’, which was derived from an ancient Persian term (Paridaida), meaning “paradisal”, according to a legend, reflected his family’s profession, i.e. agriculture.

According to another legend, it was given to him by his patron, Mahmoud of Ghazna (999-1030). His birthplace, Pazh, was located in a very strategic region near the border of Turan - the most famous rival of old Persian for a long - and, therefore, many Persian national epics were composed about the rivalry between the two. Moreover, Khorasan particularly Tus and Marv region had been a center of political, religious, cultural, and national movements for four centuries after the Arab conquest.

According to Nezami Aruzi Ferdowsi was an agriculturist in his own village and was considerably wealthy. Ferdowsi lived and was educated in Tus; a cultural center and a well-known cultural district in north eastern part of Iran. In the 10th century, an Iranian cultural renaissance occurred under the Samanids, which included the compilation of pre-Islamic Iranian legendary history, in neo-Persian language, i.e. Dari. Ferdowsi loved the legendary history and undertook the task of preserving the customs, culture, and national legends of ancient Iran. Moreover, Ferdowsi lived in close contact with nature and for this reason, the description of nature can be found in many parts of his masterpiece; i.e. “Shahnameh”

Ferdowsi’s “Shahnameh”, which has been translated as “The Book of Kings” is, in fact, a work about the pre-Islamic historical legends of Iran and consists of the detailed history of Persia, beginning with the first mythological king of Iran, “Keyumars”, until the advent of Islam in the seventh century. Ferdowsi revived the pre-Islamic history and culture of Persia in 60000 verses, so skillfully that no literary work can be found that has not been influenced by this unique masterpiece.

Very little information is available on the life of Ferdowsi before he began composing the Shahnameh around 977 AD on the basis of a prose work by Abu Mansur Daqiqi. It can be deduced from Shahanameh that he had a son who was born in 970 AD, a few years before he began composing his work but no more information about his family life has been recorded anywhere.

Ferdowsi spent 30 years of his life composing Shahanameh and completed it on 8th March 1010, when he was 71 years old. Ferdowsi began this work mainly under the encouragement of Abul Abbas Esfarayeni, the vizier of Mahmoud of Ghazna, and was promised a grand reward. However, because of the jealousy of those who envied him and the poet’s religious orientation, it was not favorably received by Mahmoud and he was just paid 50,000 dirhams.

Ferdowsi was extremely upset by this reward and went to a bathhouse and divided the money between the bath attendants. Then, fearing punishment by Mahmoud, he fled from Ghazna by night. According to Aruzi, many years later and due to certain events, Mahmoud regretted his behavior toward the poet and on the recommendation of his vizier had camel loads to the value of 20,000 dinars sent to Ferdowsi. However, as the camels were entering Tus by the Rudbar Gate, Ferdowsi’s corps was being taken out of the city, for burial, by the Razan gate.

Ferdowsi was a Shi’ite Muslim, which is apparent from Shahnameh itself and confirmed by some early resources. It is to be noted that at that time Shiism was in the minority and the Ghaznavid rulers and Baghdad Caliphate followed the Sunni school of thought.

Epic poetry had become part of the Persian literary culture and was adopted as a major vehicle to express social themes. The Samanid rulers prided themselves on their Persian identity and Ferdowsi felt responsible for the revival of Persian identity and culture through his Shahnameh.

It is usual for scholars to consider Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh comprising three periods; i.e. mythological, heroic, and historical ages, which have nearly reflected whole aspects of Persian life. The book starts, after a philosophical preface on wisdom, with the creation of the universe and continues with 51 kingdoms from “Keyumars”, the first king, to Yazdgerd the 3rd king of the Sassanid dynasty.

The main body of the book deals with the history of Persia from the creation of the first human up to the advent of Islam in the mid-7th century A.D. Ferdowsi chronicles the reign of hundred kings, achievements of dozens of epic heroes and seemingly never-ending conflict between Persia and its traditional enemy, Turan.

Embedded in the Shahnameh are some love stories such as Zal and Rudabeh, Bijan and Manijah, that recall the heartfelt yearnings of provincial troubadours and their ladies; tragedies of mistaken identity, hubris, irreconcilable moral obligations, and meditations on the brevity of life. Though ostensibly historical, the poem is also full of myth and legend of fairies and demons. In fact, Shahnameh is the main Persian work accepted as a masterpiece that greatly supported the Persian language and consequently the Persian identity.

Moreover, this book had a remarkable influence on Persian literature in general and on Persian epic poetry in particular. Moreover, Shahnameh has had a sustained and vital influence on the cultural tradition of Iran.

After Ferdowsi, epic poetry continued in Khorasan and gradually in other parts of Persia. From the point of view of its theme, Persian epic poetry can be divided into three types: 1) national, 2) historical, and 3) religious. The national epic tradition was followed by Asadi of Tus (d. 1072-3 AD), after Ferdowsi, in his famous work, Garshasp Nameh, which can be considered the best imitation of Ferdowsi’s work. A few decades after Asadi a poet by the name of Iranshah (or Iranshan) composed two famous books: Bahman Nameh and Koush Nameh, both of which have been published. These two books mainly contain that part of Persian national history that has not been touched upon in Shahnameh.

After the domination of Turks in the late 10th century AH and particularly by the Mongol invasion, the national tendencies were changed and shifted to adaptation with religious concepts, accepting a kind of mystical solution. In the meantime, the national epic was replaced by historical and religious ones and created other imitations, on the same meter and themes of Shahnameh, in two fields.

Religious Epic was established by Mohammad ibn Husam who composed his famous work, Khavaran Nameh (The Book of the East) on describing the legendary biography of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shi’ite Imam, and his battles with the enemies of Islam. After Ibn Husam, composing religious epic poetry was followed by many other Persian poets. This tendency, which had come to an end after the Iranian Constitutional Movement, had a kind of rebirth, in post post-Islamic Revolution (1979 AD) in modern Iran and developed particularly during and after Iraq’s imposed war on Iran.

The following are 3 verses of Ferdowsi’s poem, praising his splendor work:

Prosperous buildings are ruined,
By rainfall and exposure to sunlight.
Ergo, I established a towering palace of verse,
That sees no harm in either dust or rainfall.
I shall not demise as I am alive, henceforth,
For I have disseminated the seeds of discourse.

Election delay likely in two regions due to floods, damaged papers

2024-02-14T12:01:52+07:00

Voinews, Jakarta: The General Elections Commission (KPU) said on Tuesday that voting for the 2024 General Elections could be delayed in Demak, Central Java, and Paniai, Central Papua, due to disaster and logistics damage.

KPU member Betty Epsilon Idroos said that the commission is still awaiting the decision of the KPU Office in Demak regarding voting in view of the floods that hit the region for almost a week and displaced around 21,000 people.

"They said a decision has been made, and a letter will be sent to the KPU on whether they will hold make-up elections or not," she informed.

In addition to Demak, she said that voting could also potentially be postponed in Paniai due to damaged ballot papers. Therefore, make-up elections could likely be held later.

"The law allows for delays due to natural disasters or other disruptions, such as force majeure or compelling circumstances. We will see in what condition they are," she explained.

Idroos, however, did not confirm when the make-up elections will be held, saying her commission is still waiting for reports from the two regions.

Indonesia will hold the 2024 General Elections on February 14, with around 204.8 million voters expected to participate.

Voters will elect a president and vice president, as well as members of the House of Representatives (DPR), Regional Representatives Council (DPD), and Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD) at the province, city, and district levels. ( Antara)

Health Ministry prepares for Feb 14 elections, facilities on standby

2024-02-14T11:55:51+07:00

Voinews, Jakarta: The Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that health facilities will be on alert round the clock during the 2024 General Elections on February 14.

"Community health centers (Puskesmas) and hospitals will stand ready for potential emergencies on February 14–15," said Siti Nadia Tarmizi, the ministry's Head of Public Communication and Service Bureau.

She said that the health facilities are being prepared to anticipate various unwanted events, such as emergencies, disasters, and social conflicts.

The ministry has also readied the Public Safety Center (PSC) 119 hotline as a form of preparedness.

Earlier, the ministry, along with the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan), carried out health screenings for the members of Vote Organizing Groups (KPPS) to minimize the risk of exhaustion among them while on duty.

"Those who are prioritized (to be selected) are people who do not have comorbidities or degenerative diseases or do not have chronic diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, tuberculosis, kidney disease, stroke, malignancy, and lung disease," she informed.

She said that officers identified as having degenerative diseases will need to be examined by medical personnel and get a health certificate and a letter stating that their disease is under control.

The Health Ministry has also been implementing promotional and preventive health measures to minimize health risks during the elections, especially among election officers, since January 24.

Tarmizi said that her ministry has briefed KPPS officers about health facilities and ways to maintain good health by getting enough sleep and exercise, as well as eating enough and drinking sufficient water.

With these preparations, she expressed hope that the election process will run safely and smoothly.

Around 5.7 million KPPS members across the country have been prepared for the elections, in which around 204.8 million voters are expected to participate. ( Antara )

Sex education for children not taboo: BKKBN

2024-01-22T09:49:48+07:00

Jakarta (VOI News) Sex education for children is not taboo, as it is not just about relationships but also about the health of reproductive organs, according to the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN).

BKKBN Head, Hasto Wardoyo, said that people should know that 12 sexual and reproductive health rights are protected by an international regulation.

"Many people are planning to get pregnant but are unaware what the process of pregnancy is like," he said in a statement from BKKBN on Sunday.

Universities should be future-oriented: Vice President Amin

2024-01-22T09:46:12+07:00

Jakarta (VOI News) Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said universities must be future-oriented and teach knowledge that remains relevant in the future.

"Universities must be future-oriented. The knowledge taught today should be relevant and applicable to future conditions," he said when delivering a virtual speech at the 27th Undergraduate Ceremony of the Shalahuddin Al-Ayyubi Islamic College here on Sunday.

In his remarks, as monitored on the Vice Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel broadcast, Amin said that educational institutions, including universities, should not only focus on the number of graduates but also the quality of their alumni.

He said the knowledge gained in universities should be used to help others and solve the nation's problems.

"Live the spirit of tolerance, respect diversity, and respect for differences in the frame of unity and solidity," he said.

VP Amin said both higher education students and lecturers must be able to become agents of kindness, pioneers of change, as well as role models for society.

"I invite all graduates to not only be passive witnesses but become a driving force in the national development," he said.

At the end of his speech, the Vice President advised the board of the Shalahuddin Al-Ayyubi Islamic College to continue to innovate and advance education.

"Shalahuddin Al-Ayyubi Islamic College needs to revive the culture of collaboration for innovation through partnerships with various educational institutions, the government, and other stakeholders," he said.

He expressed hope that the graduates of Shalahuddin Al-Ayyubi College can practice the knowledge they have gained and use it as resources to bring good to the people and the country.

UGM students initiate mango peels as larvicide to suppress Dengue

2024-01-22T09:37:30+07:00

Jakarta (VOI News) Four students of Gadjah Mada University's (UGM's) Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK) have initiated the use of mango skin in making natural larvicide to suppress cases of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF).

"Mango skin has flavonoid, saponins, and tannins which can be processed into larvicides," one of the students who initiated the project, Santi Andriyani, said in a UGM official statement received here on Sunday.

According to her, previous research found active compounds in mango skin that can be developed as larvicide against mosquito larvae.

Andriyani along with her colleagues, Salman Hafiz Ar-ramli Lubis, Nisa Munawwarah, and Jessica Edelyne, who are members of the Mango Skin for Organic Sustainable Aedes Insect Control (MOSAIC) Team, initiated the formula.

She explained that flavonoids can disrupt the nervous and respiratory systems of mosquito larvae, while saponins can be a strong poison against insects by disturbing their gastric system, and tannins can inhibit their digestive enzymes.

The idea of using mango skin waste as a natural larvicide, Andriyani said, is not only an alternative in helping prevent dengue cases but also in helping improve environmental problems by processing unused waste.

For instance, she said that the total mango production in Thailand reached 1.66 million tons in 2020 so there is a great potential for mango skin waste processing in the country.

"Processed mango peel waste in Thailand has great potential to overcome the problems that the country is facing. Thailand itself is one of the largest mango producers in the world," she said.

The MOSAIC Team's mango skin as larvicide idea made them finalists in the Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG) competition organized by Kasetsart University, Thailand.

Sri Mulyani Discusses Climate Commitment with UAE Minister

2023-12-07T12:17:56+07:00

VOInews, Jakarta: Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati held a bilateral meeting with Minister of State for Financial Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mohamed Bin Hadi Al Hussaini, to discuss climate change commitment and cooperation.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP28) in Dubai, the UAE, on Monday (December 4, 2023).

"In the meeting, the topics we discussed were about COP28, climate change commitment, and cooperation between the two countries," Indrawati informed in Jakarta on Wednesday.

She said that both Indonesia and the UAE are paying close attention to climate change handling efforts.

Indonesia is pursuing an energy transition through the Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM), which was introduced at the G20 forum in Indonesia.

It is also handling climate change by issuing green bonds, implementing a carbon market and carbon tax, and using green taxonomy as a catalyst for private sector investment.

Indrawati expressed the hope that the meeting with the UAE Minister would bring many benefits to Indonesia and the UAE.

"It was a short but very concise conversation. Hopefully, it can produce various benefits for the community," the minister remarked.

Indrawati also held several other bilateral meetings on the sidelines of COP28, namely with executive director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Mafalda Duarte; Dutch Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag; and managing director of Citigroup, Julie Monaco.

The COP28 in Dubai raised four themes, namely fast-tracking energy transition, fixing climate finance, focusing on nature, people, lives, and livelihoods, as well as inclusivity.

W Manggarai reviews food safety ahead of ASEAN Summit

2023-04-27T08:59:23+07:00

Jakarta (voinews): The government of West Manggarai district, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province, inspected several restaurants in Labuan Bajo to ensure food safety ahead of the 42nd ASEAN Summit on May 9–11, 2023.

“…we want Labuan Bajo to be a safe and comfortable place, especially for ASEAN Summit delegates, thus the food served here must be safe according to health standards," deputy head of West Manggarai district Yulianus Weng said here on Wednesday.

The inspections would be carried out at all restaurants in the district since it has been estimated that the summit would be attended by thousands of national and foreign delegates, he added.

He, as well as a number of officers from the local Food and Drug Supervisory Office (Loka POM) and related technical agencies, carried out the inspection on Wednesday from 11 a.m. Central Indonesian Standard Time (WITA).

During the inspection, Loka POM officers tested several food samples.

Through the inspections, the local government is seeking to ensure that no restaurants in Labuan Bajo serve food containing dangerous ingredients, such as formalin, the district deputy head emphasized.

"We want to prove that the food served in West Manggarai, especially at various restaurants which are usually crowded with visitors, is free of formalin," he said.

According to the results of the food tests conducted on Wednesday at four well-known restaurants in Labuan Bajo, namely Prima Rasa, Mai Cenggo, La Moringa, and Kelan, the food served by the restaurants was found safe and free from harmful substances, he informed.

Similar inspections are planned on Thursday (April 27) at several other restaurants in Labuan Bajo.

Weng said he expects that the inspections held in other restaurants will not find any food containing harmful chemicals.

If any restaurant is found using harmful ingredients in their food, the local government will take firm action by issuing a reprimand and revoking the business permit of the restaurant, he stressed.

"We expect that the situation during the ASEAN Summit can be well maintained," he said. (Antaranews.com)

IA-CEPA Will Strengthen Australia-Indonesia Bilateral Relationships

2023-02-02T11:34:04+07:00

Voinews.id,Jakarta: The Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Penny Williams PSM stated to just under 15 ACICIS students at morning tea that Australia is starting to reconsider Indonesia as an investment destination.

While the students snacked on lamingtons and drank the free coffee, Ambassador Williams explained that while Australia and Indonesia have a very longstanding, very embedded bilateral relationship that has quite a lot of depth to it, she also noted that Australian and Indonesian economic engagement was not as strong as someone would think, relative to the size of the Indonesian market and relative to the size of their bilateral relationships.

She elaborated this statement while discussing the Indonesian-Australian Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA), which was established in 2020 to help facilitate greater economic ties between the two nations.

Ambassador Williams explained that agreements like IA-CEPA provides Indonesia with tariff free access to Australian markets, along with providing greater market access to both Australian and Indonesian companies.

She stressed that IA-CEPA is really important, but it’s all the other work that gets people to understand the markets of each nation in order to find the opportunities and the synergies.

“Business needs to talk to business, government can take them but business needs to talk to business,” She said.

Ambassador Williams also told the students how “Australia had the largest delegation at the B20, a promising sign that Australians are reconsidering Indonesia as an investment destination. She also discussed how Australian businesspeople and pension funds are now eyeing Indonesia as a next potential investment.

Ambassador Williams stated how the Australian and Indonesian bilateral relationship is currently in a “really strong place,” with Australia enjoying a “deep relationship with its close neighbour,” which she was confident agreements like IA-CEPA will only strengthen. (Gera K/DP)

Digitalization could help hospitals save Rp2 bln: Ministry

2023-01-20T09:08:03+07:00

Jakarta (voinews.id): The digitalization of health services can help save up to Rp2 billion annually at Type C hospitals, the chief of the Digital Transformation Office of the Ministry of Health Setiaji has said.

"This budget can be converted to manufacture a system that costs much less. Because in order to build a system, hospitals do not have to build infrastructure," he explained at a webinar organized by Katadata and Dell Indonesia on “Building the Healthcare of the Future,” which was followed from Jakarta on Thursday.

According to him, the cost of maintaining non-electronic medical records is still quite high, starting from the cost of paper to health workers, who have to record information repeatedly.

Digitalization can make health services easier, starting from shortening patient waiting times while registering at the hospital to accommodating patients to access health services wherever they are, he noted.

"From a service point of view, it will be faster. Hospitals no longer need to input data repeatedly. Then, digitization also allows patients to immediately get their medical records or the results of their examinations," he pointed out.

Nevertheless, the digitalization of health services also presents its own challenges. Hospitals that have implemented system digitization are mostly not comprehensive. Not all services at hospitals are connected digitally.

"Maybe the registration service for patients has been digitized but their back-end has not been connected to individual services such as pharmacies, laboratories, radiology, and inpatient care," Setiaji disclosed.

To achieve the digitalization of health services, the government has prepared regulations starting from the Personal Data Protection Law (UU PDP) to the Law on Health, which will later become an omnibus with other supporting regulations.

In addition, president director of Mayapada Hospital, Grace Tahir, said that hospitals in Indonesia must refer to a digital-based system, especially for maintaining the medical records of patients.

Currently, her hospital is in the process of becoming a smart hospital. However, it is still prioritizing patient experience.

“Whatever we do is to provide experience to these patients. For us, the most important thing is the patient," she said.