THE PAST IN THE PRESENT: THE HOLY BATTLE OF KARBALAH

‘Sukoon,’ the only word strong enough to describe the emotion on entering Karbalah. Walking on arid pavements, where once only sand lay, wearing five layers of woolens in the night, when centuries ago one had to make do with robes, and passing through dim lit streets, where once the starlight lit the land- Karbalah, the land of Hussein, the land where Shiites crave to visit, the land where centuries ago, bloodshed brought about the emergence of a stronger belief in Islam.

Maulana Hussein, son of Imam Ali was performing Haj when he received numerous letters from the distressed people of Kufa asking him to save them from the wrath of the Yazid. The Yazid, the 2^nd Caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, was driven by might, power, and arrogance to kill Maulana Hussein whose influence was spreading at a fast and powerful pace across the Islamic world. He therefore threatened the people of Kufa, urging them to call Maulana Hussein to the city, where he and his troops had planned an attack.

Maulana Hussein, along with his family and followers, started undertaking their journey to Kufa to attend to the people in need. Foreseeing his martyrdom, Imam Hussein requested his family and seventy two army men to stay back in Mecca. Even so, they vouched to stay by his side. In the midst of their journey they encountered a small troop belonging to the Yazid. The troops led by Hur’Aleh Salam were extremely exhausted and thirsty and begged for water to Maulana Hussein. Maulana Hussein gave the troops every ounce of water they possessed, despite them being the enemy. Hussein, then asked what this land they had stopped on was known as and that’s when he was greeted with the response- Karbalah. Revelation dawned upon him, this was the holy land of Karbalah, the land where his grandfather Prophet Mohammed had told him he would breathe his last. Maulana Hussein stopped along with his family and decided to set up tents along the river Euphrates, waiting for the enemy to attack. It was the month of Moharram, and this very month is mourned to this day by Shiites all over the world.

It was three days before the epic battle of Karbalah, that the Yazid and his army starved Maulana Hussein’s family of food and water. When Maulana Hussein begged a member of the army to spare his six month old baby Aliazgar of this inhumane act, the soldier pierced the baby’s neck with an arrow, proving that no one would be spared.

The afternoon of the 9^th of Moharram, was when the Yazid’s army was preparing for attack. However Imam Hussein asked them for one last night of prayers and meditation, and they agreed. On the 10^th day of Moharram, the battle began. It is on this day that sermons are held by Shiite Maulanas’, all over the globe re-counting the horrific events of the day. The first death of the Ah le-Baith (Imam Hussein’s family) began with Hussein’s brother Abbas-E-Alamdaar. Imam Hussein’s young daughter Sakina could not bear the thirst anymore, and approached her uncle Abbas for help. He instantly climbed on his horse, and started riding towards the river Euphrates from where the army had pushed them away. Guards hid behind bushes ensuring that none of the Ah le-Baith would approach the river for water. Abbas-E-Alamdaar, holding a water container in his hands approached the river and started to collect water in his container. He suddenly felt a sharp arrow pierce through his left hand, he took the water container in the right hand and continued to collect water, an arrow then pierced the right hand as well. Determined to collect water for his thirsty niece, Abbas-E-Alamdaar picked the water container in his mouth, the guards seeing this, pierced an arrow straight through his mouth leading to his death. The first death of the day had happened, and Maulana Hussein’s brother was no more.

Amongst the people who fought the battle, Imam Hussein’s son Ali Akbar, and nephew Abdullah fought with as much strength and power they could muster, but were eventually killed. The afternoon’s scorching sun bore down on the family, and amongst the men of the family, Maulana Hussein was the only one remaining to fight. Commanding the battle all this time, he knew his time of death had arrived. He appointed his ailing son Ali-Zainul Abaideen to carry on the Imam’s lineage which exists to this day. The Yazid had chosen his right hand man Shimr to kill Imam Hussein since he was the only man in the army who dared to commit such a crime. The enemy was thirsty and their thirst lay in the Imam’s blood. In a matter of seconds, the Yazid achieved what he wanted, but had unknowingly created such a strong belief in Imam Hussein, that Shiites all across the world beat their chests in mourning through the month of Mohharam. Shimr beheaded Imam Hussein without an ounce of remorse, and he along with his army paraded all over Iraq with the head of Maulana Hussain on his spear. It was at the moment of Imam Hussein’s death that all hell broke loose. Tents were put on fire, woman and children were beaten, bodies were walked over, and captives were taken whose eventual fate was death and death alone. Among the women, Zainab, the sister of Imam Hussein mourned, having to witness the massacre of her sons, nephews’ and her own brother, in the bloodiest way of barbaric killing.

The army travelled with the head of Imam Hussein from Iraq, through Damascus, all the way to Egypt. It is for this reason that the head of Imam Hussein is buried in Egypt, while the body lies in Iraq. When one undertakes a pilgrimage to Karbalah, one visits the mausoleums of Imam Hussein, Abbas-E-Alamdar, the land where the tents were put up, the hill from where Zainab stood and watched her brother’s death, and the graves of various other family members and companions who died in the battle.

The mausoleums of Imam Hussein and Abbas-E-Alamdar are connected through a common pathway. The domes are large and golden and stand as magnanimous structures bound by 5 layers of tight security. Followers are seen camping out nights outside the mausoleums to gain blessings and have their prayers answered. One can even see believers in penance crawling to the mausoleums, walking with bare feet on the gravel laden path, or even fasting for days before entering the doors of the Imam’s shrine. The interiors of both the mausoleums are grand, and flaunt Turkish carpets, numerous chandeliers, and several precious stones forming designs. The crowd inside each mausoleum is overwhelming, and people’s personal photographs and currency of various countries fill up the walls of the graves signifying various mannats. The grave, enclosed by a silver and golden jali, has been funded by the Dawoodi Bohra head priest Dr. Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin Saheb along with the Turkish government. Within the shrine of Imam Hussein, also lies the grave of the 72 army men who fought for Imam Hussein in the battle of Karbalah. His sons Aliazgar, and Ali Akbar, lie next to his grave, and are enclosed within the same jali.

The spiritual journey to Karbalah, walking on the same ground where the Prophet’s family shed their blood, takes you into a world where the power of the Almighty seems so near and so approachable. Even though one hears these stories every year in the month of Moharram, the passion, and emotion these stories evoke is one which is indescribable. To write about the power and martyrdom of Hussein, and bring in the same sense of passion through words, is impossible. No words are powerful enough, no translations are good enough, and no explanations are complete enough to define the love Imam Hussein has spread, and the belief he has mustered in every Shiite worldwide. Here I sit and write about the story unfolded centuries ago, while the sensation of the battle happening yesterday does not seem to fade.

ZAHRA AMIRUDDIN-3742

Italy and the European Union

Created in the aftermath of the Second World War and with a view to bring prosperity among European countries, the European Union or the EU is today the force that has given its 27 member countries a stature of peace, prosperity and stability.

Italy was one of the founding members in the EU in 1951 along with other countries like Belgium, Germany, France, Luxemburg and the Netherlands. It started with these 6 countries and has today grown into a 27 member Union.

In its initial phase the EU was formed with a basic view to bring a sort of economic stability to European countries however what once started as a forum for economic growth has today sprouted into an organization that deals with issues like the environment, human rights and has one of the most ambitious projects that deal with the ways in which the climate change can be reduced. The EU has since its inception developed into a single market with a common currency the Euro and is noted to be the rival to the Dollar. It has fostered in the smooth and free flow of goods, services and other products from one member country to another with the utmost ease. Without a doubt post the Second World War the EU has brought about a significant level of profits and has changed the lives of the people and the member countries distinctively.

The countries in the EU have been admitted to the Union firstly as a means to strengthen the Euro and facilitate in the creation of a stronger economy in the region and secondly after such an economy has been created to help in sustaining it. Since 2008 with the economic slowdown that affected a large number of countries all across the globe there has been pressure on certain countries in the European Union to step down from their role in the EU due to economic reasons. Italy is one such country. Due to the massive economic crunch that along with affecting other countries like USA, Portugal, Greece and Spain etc has also affected Italy. Although many countries have wriggled their way out of the slowdown Italy is still struggling.

Mario Monti the current PM of Italy has been in a tough spot since his election to save the country from a financial ruin. Many economists claim that Italy has been trying to save itself from the its heavy debt crisis by changing its leaders and introducing new policies but they believe that no amount of change in leadership or policies can bring Italy out of the severe debt crisis. British Economist Hugo states that Italy is never going to come out of the debt crisis because it is too big a country to be saved and because the Euro zone exists. The huge debt must also be kept in mind; Italy has a debt of nearly $1 trillion which is said that it is 1.2 times the total economic product of Italy. The crisis that has plagued Italy has been due to reasons of extreme corruption seen at the topmost levels(the last PM Berlusconi ash been charged with tax frauds, money laundering, prostitution etc), the mafia infested south garbage disposal and also the tendency of the nation to spend more that it makes. There is also the problem of tax evasions; Italians have over the years resented paying taxes one of the reasons is that they feel they get little in return as the roads and hospitals are bad, playgrounds are not maintained and are also messed up due to graffiti.

 The EU however has asked Italy to make changes in 3 keys areas, they are- the problem of garbage disposal in Naples, immigration and the debt crisis. With a view to bring about change the EU has asked Italy to implement new policies in the above mentioned areas that will help take away the current crisis that the country is facing. If Italy does not respond it could face the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which has the power to rule against member states and levy heavy fines and other penalties.        

Italy as a country has faced severe problems in the recent past and it still continues to haunt the present growth of the country. However it also goes without saying that the EU has been beneficial to Italy in a number of ways since its membership in 1951. It has helped in the growth of Italy post the World War II, it has given rise to the ‘single market’, and this has been helpful in easy trade between the different countries like as if it were happening in a single country. The EU has also led to the strengthening of the Euro, which in turn has benefited the countries in the Euro zone including Italy. The use of the common currency across all 27 countries has benefited the people of the region the most; it has facilitated easy travel and steady economic growth.  

Do you think it is important?

A country’s identity is established by a few very important things but we often tend to avoid them. The National symbols of a country are those symbols by which the country is internationally known.

I’ll begin with the National Flag of Israel.

The flag is a rectangle (ratio is described as 8:11). A consists of a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) on a white background known as the The Magen David (shield of David, more commonly known as the Star of David) which is centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag.

The white colour in the flag is a symbol peace and honesty. The blue symbolises vigilance, truth, loyalty, perseverance & justice. The same white and blue are also the official colours of Israel.

The flag was first adopted during the first Aliyah and then as the flag of the Zionist movement since its inception in 1897. It had gained large popularity among the Jewish population in Israel and therefore was chosen the national flag on 28^th Oct. 1948.

National Emblem

The national emblem of the State of Israel was adopted almost 9 months after the country gained independence (14^th May 1948). It includes a seven branched-candelabrum,called the Menorah, flanked by two olive branches. The Menorah has been the symbol of Judaism since ancient times. This symbol was partly chosen by a competition announced by The Provisional Council of State to design the emblem.

The Menorah was well accepted as people could make immediate connection with the temple in Jerusalem. The bottom of the emblem also bears the inscription 'Shalom al Yisrael', Peace over Israel.

National Anthem

The Anthem is called ‘Hatikva’, The Hope. It was a 9 stanza poem written by poet Naftali Herz Imber. The first stanza and refrain were adopted as the national anthem when the State of Israel was established. Hatikva only became the official national anthem in 2004, when it was rooted in the "Flag and Emblem Law" of 1949 which then became the "Flag, Emblem, and National Anthem Law, 5709-1949."

You could listen to the National Anthem here

Kol ode balevav P'nimah – As long as in the heart, within,

Nefesh Yehudi homiyah, A Jewish soul still yearns,

Ulfa'atey mizrach kadimah, And onward, towards the ends of the east,

Ayin l'tzion tzofiyah; An eye still gazes toward Zion;

Ode lo avdah tikvatenu, Our hope is not yet lost,

Hatikvah bat shnot alpayim: The hope of two thousand years,

L'hiyot am chofshi b'artzenu - To be a free people in our land,

Eretz Tzion v'Yerushalayim. The land of Zion and Jerusalem.

Because of the words of the anthem most of the Israeli Arabs refuse to sing the anthem because they don’t identify with it and it only alludes to Jews and the yearning of the Jewish soul for the Holy Land. It has been a matter of controversy for quite some time now. Recently Justice Salim Joubran, the only Arab on the Supreme Court of Israel, chose not to sing Hatikvah during the swearing-in ceremony for new Supreme Court Justice. Some of his colleagues say that he should be removed from his post and should return his Israeli identification card and receive resident status only. His friends say that he objects to singing "Hatikva" on principle.

Further the National Bird is Hoopoe. The National flower and tree are Cyclamen and Olive tree respectively.

Hoopoe, Duchifat in Hebrew, was chosen as the national by a voting process in 2008. The flower and tree were also chosen in 2007.

If anybody knows why it took almost 60 years for the nation to choose its national bird and flower, please do let me know.

Music In Spain

Music of Spain has a long history and has played an important part in the development of western music. It is varied in form and style, although for many citizens, it is synonymous to Flamenco, an Andalusian genre of music. Rock music, folks, pop, and hip hops also exists in Spanish lands. Instrumental music in Spain was influenced by Arabic music in the early Renaissance period. 18th to 20th centuries led to the conclusion of the "classical" musical culture of Spain and led to the new venture of guitar compositions by renowned Spanish musicians.

Spain's regions have their own distinctive musical traditions. There is also a movement of singer-songwriters with politically active lyrics, paralleling similar developments across Latin America and Portugal. Popular music resonates out into the cobbled streets and squares of Spain. Shaped by history, social and political change, Spain music has an undeniable familiarity and accessibility, making it an essential part of Spanish culture and tradition. Regions retain distinctive and diverse cultural and musical styles. Popular music produced commercially, such as heavy metal, punk have a prominent role in Spanish society with bands.

Flamenco is a genuine Spanish art, and to be more exact an genuine Southern Spanish art. It exists in three forms: Cante, the song, Baile, the dance, and Guitarra, guitar playing. Gypsies are very often named as its fathers, and at least it can be taken for certain that they played an important part in its creation. But also the popular songs and dances of Andalusia have influenced early Flamenco considerably. Certainly there were other influences, too, as it will not surprise in a country that has been dominated by most diverse cultures and civilizations during its different historical eras. There were the legendary Tartessos, and seven centuries of Muslim occupation that could have passed without leaving traces. All this, directly or indirectly, influenced Flamenco. The first time Flamenco was reported in literature in the 'Cartas Marruecas' of Cadalso, in 1774. Its cradle most probably was where, between 1765 and 1860, the first Flamenco-schools were created.

Madrid music essentially refers to Flamenco and Jazz, though there are other music forms that are also popular in the city. It has been able to preserve this ancient form of music and presently, it is played in plenty of pubs and nightclubs of the city. Besides the traditional music of Madrid, the city also is home to many musical genres that have emerged during the 20th century. One of the most popular musical genres that can be heard in many of the restaurants and nightclubs of Madrid is Jazz. The city celebrates this form of music through the famous musical event International Jazz Festival. Other types of music in Madrid include world music, soul music, international pop, rock, folk music etc.

Salamanca is another form of music that fits under the musical umbrella of inland Spain's Castilla-Leon region. Just as the area's string of civilizations had a major impact on its history, they have also played a monumental role in the development of the area's music. Along with the impact of the Celtiberian tribes that first settled the area, traces of Gypsy, Portuguese, Roman, Jewish, and Moorish cultures can all be found in Spain's music. Following a 19th and 20th century resurgence of regional folk music throughout Spain, Salamanca continues to embrace the traditional music of the Castilla-León region while showing equal interest in the newer musical stylings of contemporary and jazz. The city hosts a myriad of festivals featuring anything from traditional religious to funky electronic, welcomes a variety of major concerts throughout the year.

Tomatina Festival

La tomatina is the festival that is celebrated every year on last Wednesday of August during the week of festivities of Bunol, in the Valencia town of Bunol (located 30 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea). Thousands upon thousands of people make their way from all corners of the world to fight in this 'World's Biggest Food Fight' where more than one hundred metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets. The week-long festival features music, parades, dancing, and fireworks. On the night before the tomato fight, participants of the festival compete in a paella cooking contest.

The Spanish LOVE to eat tomatoes and according to one of the Spain Magazine it is believed that the Spaniards eat 17 kilos per person annually! As with all Mediterranean cuisines, the tomato is an essential ingredient of Spanish cooking. The Spanish eat tomatoes every day and prepare them in a variety of ways, including fresh, crushed, stewed or simmered in a sauce. Tomato sauce is served on the side with fried eggs, chicken, meat and omelettes at most Spanish dinner tables.

La Tomatina festival actually started by accident. According to all accounts, there was a parade and festival in Bunol on the last Wednesday of August of 1945 when a fight broke out between some young men. Taking advantage of a nearby fruit and vegetable vendor’s stall, they threw tomatoes at each other. The police broke up the quarrel and those responsible ended up paying restitution to the tomato vendor.The following year the young people brought tomatoes with them to the parade and started a tomato fight again. Each year the fight continued until the early 1950’s when it was prohibited by order of the town council, but some townsfolk insisted on creating a fight and were thrown in jail. Protests ensued, including a “Tomato Funeral” and finally, in 1957 the town council allowed the fight to continue. In fact, since 1980 the city government has provided the tomatoes.

RULES:

There are five simple rules that must be followed. They seem to be common sense to ensure the safety of participants:

1. You must not bring bottles or other type of objects which could cause an accident.
2. You must not tear or throw t-shirts.
3. The tomatoes must be squashed before throwing them, to avoid hurting people.
4. You must be careful of any lorry (truck or van).
5. When you hear the second shot, you must stop throwing tomatoes.

Festival Celebrated Today:

The celebration continue to take place on the last Wednesday in August in the Plaza Mayor of Bunol. The tomatina starts at 11:00am with the sound of a rocket being fired and ends one hour later. According to the research, last year around 40,000 people were expected to participate in throwing over 100 tons of ripe tomatoes in the streets.

FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL: THE WOMEN OF IRAQ

Unfair, Unjust, and Uncalled for- the treatment of woman in the country of Iraq post 1978. Victims of rape, faces marked with acid attacks, and scars affecting more than just flesh, this is the state of Iraqi woman today. As war, conflict and insurgency began; Women’s bodies and women’s independence became the battleground of ethnic, religious, and political strife.

Historically speaking, the women of Iraq have had the privilege of a lot more rights than the rest of the Middle-Eastern countries. The Iraqi Provisional Constitution (drafted in 1970) formally granted equal rights to women, along with specifications regarding their education, right to vote, run for political office, and own property. They were also allowed to hold jobs in the Civil Service Sector, along with a year’s maternity leave, and freedom from sexual harassment at the work place. The fact that the government encouraged women to work broke down the traditional belief of woman working outside the home being considered a sin. With regard to personal status laws which were modestly amended in 1978, divorced mothers were granted custody of their children till the age of 10, at which time, at the discretion of a state-employed judge, custody could be extended to the child’s 15^th birthday. The child could then choose which parent to live with.

The most significant political factor that began the decline of woman’s rights in Iraq, was Saddam Hussein’s decision to embrace fanatic Islamic and tribal traditions as a political tool to consolidate power. In 1998, at the beginning of his reign, it was reported that all females working in government agencies were dismissed. Furthermore, a women’s freedom to travel abroad without a male relative was legally restricted and co-educational institutions were forced to cater to a single sex. Due to financial constraints, families preferred to send only the male child to school leaving the girl child uneducated. In 2001, the U.N. Special Reporter for Violence against Women, reported that an estimated 4,000 women and girls had been victims of ‘honour killings.”

In the years following the 1991 Gulf War, the deterioration of woman’s rights during war began rapidly, and this remained the case through all the wars that took place thereafter. Women were greatly affected by the economic consequences of war, and lacked access to food, health care, and education. These effects were compounded by the changes in law that restricted the woman’s mobility and access to the formal sector in an effort to ensure jobs to men, along with appeasing religious and conservative groups.

As America entered Iraq, and the Islamic Militancy began, women were hurled into a new whirlwind of chaos and discrimination. In 2006, as violence increased dramatically across the country, families and community leaders imposed various restrictions on the life of women. Religious groups launched pressure campaigns on women to avoid ‘immoral’ or ‘un-Islamic’ behavior, and forced them to wear headscarves- including Christian woman in Baghdad. Many women had their heads shaved if they did not wear a headscarf, and many were stoned in the streets for wearing make-up. Unmarried woman dressing improperly became the victims of violent attacks in Basra. Forced marriages, honour killings, and kidnappings became a usual affair especially in the region of Kurdistan. Women were also used as bargaining tools or gifts among tribes.

Many women fled their homes due to the fact that their husbands were arbitrarily arrested by occupation forces or government personnel. Since a household without a man in such conditions was seen as vulnerable, women fled the country and stayed as refugees in Syria and Jordan. According to the United Nations, more than four million Iraqis have been displaced in the past seven years, including approximately 2.8million registered as internally displaced persons.

Professional working woman were shot dead on their way to the work place, and women drivers had their cars banged up and destroyed on the roads. Optimists say that the fact that 25% of Iraq’s Provincial Council comprises of women, goes to show that women have been empowered after the invasion. However the fact that political posters of women are blackened out, and covered with slogans such as ‘No women in politics,’ lies as a stark reminder of the opposition they face.

The violence in Iraq has resulted in the disappearance of women in the public sphere and has also minimized their role in the decision- making process. In order to combat this situation, it is necessary to encourage an increased participation through women organizations and combat the gender-discrimination through leadership skills amongst women. Baghdad Women Association and Women Leadership Institute are two organizations who are trying to meet the agenda of instilling leadership roles among women, and carrying out activities to spread the negative impact of gender based violence through street plays and drawing competitions. They also act as counseling centers, and provide a safe place for women who have been victims of violence, and offer them free legal support.

In July 2010, the UN Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) worked on a resolution to continue promoting women’s human rights and to concentrate efforts on eradicating violence against women. In January 2011, the International Alliance for Justice, and No Peace Without Justice, gathered decision-makers and local and international civil society, for a conference on ‘the role of women in peace-building, reconciliation and accountability in Iraq.’

On International Women’s Day, 8^th March 2011, 17 Iraqi Women’s organizations announced the creation of a national network to combat violence against women in Iraq. The network known as Nuhud will be involved in the protection of women’s rights and will make sure that they comply with international conventions.

With organizations such as these, the women of Iraq have hope to lead a normal healthy life where their voice will be loud and strong, rather than meek and unheard. From having rights, to having none, the Iraqi women have suffered numerous atrocities which makes one questions whether humanity does truly exist in every human. Fear is now a constant emotion in the hearts of Iraqi women, and extinguishing that very flame of fear, is a challenge that one must strive to undertake.

ZAHRA AMIRUDDIN-3742

The Boy from Kraków and the Man from Warsaw

I have always reacted intensely to war stories. No matter how much you read about it in textbooks, nothing makes you experience the horror of war quite as intensely as the real life stories of people who have experienced it. And if you were Jewish and living in Poland during the Second World War, the stories don’t get much worse than yours; although one can never tell with War. The movie The Pianist tells one such story – that of Władysław Szpilman; and the man who made the film, Polish director Roman Polański, has lived through another.

The Pianist is the screen adaptation of the autobiography of Władysław Szpilman, the famous Polish pianist. It is an understated, yet intensely moving account of Szpilman’s survival through the Jewish ghettoes of Warsaw, his separation from his family when he miraculously escapes boarding the train to the concentration camps, and his desperate attempts to survive in hiding as the War goes on. While Szpilman’s story is riveting in itself, what makes the movie so painfully memorable, is the details. Those few second-long scenes, which have nothing to do with the plot as such, but make the sufferings of the Jews so viscerally real for the viewer. And these details come from somewhere within the dark recesses of Roman Polański’s mind, where he has stored the haunting memories of his own childhood in war-torn Poland.

Born to a Polish-Jewish father and a Russian-Catholic mother in Paris, Polański and his parents moved to Kraków in 1936, and were living there when Hitler marched into Poland with his troops in 1939. At the age of six, Polański, like millions of other Jews, was forced to live with his family in the Jewish ghettoes of Kraków. As a boy, he was made to witness his parents’ deportation to concentration camps and was left to fend for himself for the remaining years of the war. In The Pianist, it is these war-time experiences that Polański has drawn on to provide a harrowing portrait of the brutalities of War in Poland as the setting for Szpilman’s story.

The scenes that linger in your mind after having watched the film, the ones which make you shudder at the sheer inhumanity of the times, are instances that Polański has witnessed and experienced first-hand. The scene where a young boy who is attempting to escape through the gutter with food stolen for his family is beaten to death even as Szpilman is trying to rescue him, must reverberate somewhere with Polański’s own memories of slipping through Kraków’s sewers with gangs of Jewish children to steal food for his own starving family. The stories of Nazi brutalities are a re-telling of the experiences shared by both, Polański as well as Szpilman. In his autobiography, Polański recounts one instance in particular:

“I had just been visiting my grandmother… when I received a foretaste of things to come. At first I didn't know what was happening. I simply saw people scattering in all directions. Then I realized why the street had emptied so quickly. Some women were being herded along it by German soldiers. Instead of running away like the rest, I felt compelled to watch. One older woman at the rear of the column couldn't keep up. A German officer kept prodding her back into line, but she fell down on all fours… Suddenly a pistol appeared in the officer's hand. There was a loud bang, and blood came welling out of her back. I ran straight into the nearest building, squeezed into a smelly recess beneath some wooden stairs, and didn't come out for hours. I developed a strange habit: clenching my fists so hard that my palms became permanently calloused. I also woke up the next morning to find that I had wet my bed.”

At the end of the War, both Szpilman and Polański had managed to survive. They had both lived at the mercy of old acquaintances or strangers, as scavengers, tramps, always on the edge of starvation, in a desperate attempt at survival, through the years that would come to be known as one of the most horrifying period for Jews in human history. Both survived, moved on and eventually went on to flourish in their respective fields; but their experiences of the War always stayed with them. It is this similar trajectory of their lives, perhaps, that drew Polański to direct The Pianist. In all the 26 films that Polański made before taking on Szpilman’s story, not one film did he make with the theme of War, despite it being the context of a large and significant part of his childhood. But when he first read Szpilman’s book, he is reported to have said, “This is the story I’ve been looking for, for years…”

Almost 40 years after he left Poland, Polański returned to the country where he grew up, through The Pianist. What the world went on to read in history books, Polański recounted from the first person perspective of both himself, as well as Szpilman. For the first time, he re-visited the horrors of his childhood through his cinema, telling the world, in the process, the story of Władysław Szpilman, of Roman Polański and the tragedy of the Jewish people of Poland.