Womanly Tales

For those of us living in the United Kingdom we are at the end of a most delightful weekend. Starting with the Royal Wedding Day and culminating with the May bank holiday. So what was my moment from the weekend? There were clearly many moments but for me I am most partial to just one.

On Saturday night I went with my best friends to watch Love Never Dies. This was my second viewing though like good musicals, the number of times you watch it really has no significance. After the show, we trooped by the stage door waiting to meet and greet the Phantom. We were excited and shy and when the Phantom did come out it resulted in us not being able to string two words together. The actor is Ramin Karimloo – an Iranian born Canadian who’s Phantom is emotionally evocative. It’s one thing to build a relationship with a character on a stage – one that has been cultivated over the years. It’s another to build a relationship with a voice, through multiple listenings. And then there’s the real flesh & blood experience of meeting with an actor with a relatively new voice (an amazingly stunning one) and without the mask. First up Mr. Karimloo is very good looking and amazingly down to earth. He came out the stage door and was almost embarassed to be there acknowledging us – his devoted audience. I do not use the word ‘devote’ lightly here – There is something about Ramin Karimloo’s voice that is evocative in relation to the matters of the heart – We listen with our hearts and not our ears. The time to get his autographs came all too quickly and then he agreed to a picture and generously put his arms around the two of us… To be photographed with the phantom – Shocking!
As he moved slowly to meet & greet the next group, I looked down at his autograph and that was when my moment found me. Two words, the first in English and that read ‘Blessings’. The second in Persian that spelt his first name – Ramin (that means Joyful). It was one thing to meet the Phantom and quite another to acknowledge the amazing talent behind the mask – - someone who also is confident and uniquely comfortable in his identity. That night I became a fan of Ramin Karimloo.

There were two events that flanked my moment. The preceding moment was the Royal Wedding. At the other end was the death of Osama Bin Laden. Let’s talk about the first. For every Republican and cynic on the British Royalty, the Royal Wedding day demonstrated something about the identity of a British person with their Royalty. It was summed up beautifully during the Westminister Abbey ceremony when a priest declared every man and woman King and Queen of creation. The message from the Bishop of London was also most appropriate and listening to it I did not hear a Christian message but a message common to all faiths and critical to all humankind.

‘They did us proud’ was the common sentiment from my British friends and this tells me something about their identity that embraces the Royal family as part of their own. My best friends on the Royal Wedding Day were in front of Clarence House at 4am – a feat I find astonishing. To see all the people from different parts of the world and different walks of life, come together to celebrate this part of their identity was indeed special. This was not about sycophants who believe that the Queen is chosen by God and her family are ‘better’ than the rest of us. In fact, if anything, this event was about nurturing a living history – and tendering it with care like a gardener does one’s garden to ensure the health and long life of a British identity. This was wonderful.

Do I wish I was out there amongst the pageantry? No, I preferred watching this on television and tearing up as I thought of Diana and her legacy that lives and breathes in both her children – but that was all I had to give to this splendid occasion.

The second event that unfolds as I type this post is really the ‘moment, ten years in the making’ as reported on the BBC World Service. What does it signify for me?
Firstly it’s a battle between individuals – Osama vs Obama. It is simple for all of us to understand the outcome of this battle. Some of the American commentators are referring to this as a symbolic victory and for Obama this is true in more than just the most obvious way. The irony of the death of one announced by the other who has in his own country had to publish his birth certificate only a week back is probably most felt by the President of the United States himself.

Secondly the collective behind the individuals are in today’s world as complex to comprehend as it was in 2001. Let’s begin with those behind Osama since that is a rather shifting landscape. On one hand is his ‘village’ – Saudi Arabia where the government refused to accept his body. On the other is his ‘Kurukshetra’ – Afghanistan – a country who despite being pounded by all the ‘big powers’ that ever were still retains the independence of its identity. However between the two hands is this wide, shifting landscape of terrorist factions – those in the military establishment of Pakistan (that also has nuclear capabilities), to factions in Yemen, United Kingdom and other nations all over the world. Will the death of Osama Bin Laden impact his collective?

Clearly the biggest impact will be on Pakistan who has been harbouring Osama in the recent past. The Australian prime minister mentioned how her country is committed to stay in Afghanistan to ensure that it does not become a haven for terrorism again. Will this same logic be applied to Pakistan now that is a proven haven for terrorism by hosting Osama Bin Laden in a large mansion less than an hour away from Islamabad. Or is this a case of Libya vs Syria? Will the Americans continue to support the millions of dollars contributed to building and keeping the Pakistani military? For me, if the US & the United Nations can use this event to convince the Pakistani government to relinquish their nuclear capability, that would be a just first step in dismantling the country’s terrorist networks. This also has many implications for China who are making an art of forging alliances with the ‘devilled’ nations across the globe.

Next, a plan to withdraw all military forces from Afghanistan in return for investment in trade and infrastructure would help Afghanistan move towards being a war-free zone. This move should be led not by the Americans but by the Asians who will need to provide assurances that Afghanistan will not be subject to any more military subjugation in its future.

Lastly, the onus of dealing with home-grown terrorist outfits needs to be owned by the concerned governments. The terrorist outfits in the United Kingdom and the ‘kettling’ of muslims in various parts of the country need to be seriously considered by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and his Home Ministry.

So what about the collective behind Obama? I can understand how individuals will take to arms as they find themselves marginalized by society – but I cannot understand how ‘free’ citizens can live in blatant ignorance like some Americans do and turn against their own leaders in pitiful, conspiratory ways. Bill Clinton, the former President from the United States, once said that the great leaders in the World have been killed by their own and not by outsiders. His examples were that of Kennedy and Gandhi. Obama’s greatest conflict is with his own countrymen and women. Despite being the ‘greatest nation in the world blessed by God’, there isn’t anything ‘united’ about the USA. While they might be in economic doldrums for the past two-three years, we must remember that they were doing splendidly for at least the hundred years preceding this.

Still there is much pettiness and narrow-minded visions with every other individual embroiled in their own conspiracy theories. [EDITED-May 03 see comment for source references] 50% of Americans when polled about Jesus Christ believes that he will return in about 50 years and have people judged for their actions. The US President had to publish his birth certificate to convince individuals that he is indeed born in the USA.

Obama’s problems are really very much like the ones faced by the Queen herself. It is a problem of identity. What do the Americans stand for? Is it religious tolerance? Is it global peace? Or is it every man for himself and if you’re American, you’re more likely going to be the last man standing? The Queen has done splendidly for herself this weekend and it has helped reinforce the British identity – her collective. What Obama can do to mobilize his troops around the American Dream is yet to be seen.

In closing may I also acknowledge a moment that I haven’t comprehended in full yet – Deepan in response to the royal weekend has firmly made the switch from being a Blogger to a Microblogger. Follow him on Twitter @ DeepanB