Happy Cyrus Day
30 Oct, 2007
October
29th has been designated as the international day of
Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, who declared the first charter
of human rights in the world, also known as the
Cyrus Cylinder. In 539 BC, Persian troops entered the city of
Babylon, without encountering any resistance. On
October 29th, Cyrus himself entered the city, assuming the
titles of "King of Babylon, King of
Sumer and
Akkad, King of the four corners of the world.” The Cyrus
Cylinder was placed under the walls of Babylon as a
foundation deposit, following a long Babylonian tradition.Cyrus the Great proclaimed more than 2500 years ago: “Today, I announce that everyone is free to choose a religion. People are free to live in all regions and take up a job provided that they never violate other's rights.” Cyrus the Great declared himself not a conqueror, but a liberator and the rightful successor to the crown.
Iranians are proud spiritual descendants of King Cyrus the Great, the
author of the first charter of human rights. Some of Cyrus’ children
live in the patch of land, called Iran. The overwhelming
majority—free humans with human beliefs—live in every country, city,
and village of the earth.
Those world-wide people, one and all, irrespective of nationality,
color, or creed are “Iranians” because they all adhere to the
Cyrus Charter; they practice and defend its lofty tenets and
transfer this humanity’s precious treasure to the next generation.
The ancient world held universal admiration for the beliefs and
practices of the Persians as enshrined in the Cyrus Charter of Human
Rights. Even the Greeks, the traditional adversaries of the
Persians, called Cyrus “The Lawgiver.” History has recorded that
Cyrus did accomplish the task for which he was foreordained.
Alexander the Great plundered Persia. He destroyed and
burned Persepolis, the magnificent palace complex of the
Achaemenid kings in the province of Pars. Yet, Alexander paid
tribute to Cyrus the Great at his tomb. This shows how much Cyrus
the Great was respected, even in the eyes of his fierce enemies.
Cyrus the Great was an adherent to the faith of
Zoroaster, which was based on the triad of Good Thoughts, Good
Speech and Good Deeds and constituted the standard of life for the
Persians. Other teachings of the faith of Zoroaster, arguably the
most ancient divine religion, have inspired the teachings of other
faiths.
Cyrus the Great has been given many names: Cyrus the enlightened
liberator, Cyrus the benevolent, Cyrus the Law-giver, Cyrus the
righteous, Cyrus the heroic conqueror, Cyrus the tolerant King, and
many more. No other man so far back in ancient history had been
showered with such accolades by kings and emperors who knew of him
only by reputation.
Cyrus the Great is the founding father of Persia and the mighty
Persian Empire — perhaps the most exemplary, magnificent and just
king the world has ever seen.
An illustration of the benevolent beliefs and practices launched by
this unsurpassed historical figure goes back to the landmark action
of King Cyrus the Great of Persia. In 539 B.C., having conquered
Babylon, the benevolent King Cyrus freed the Jews from captivity and
empowered them to return to the Promised Land and build their
temple.
For his acts of kindness, Cyrus the Great is immortalized in the
Bible in several passages and called “the anointed of the Lord.”
The Jews, throughout recorded history, looked to Cyrus’ people, the
Iranians, as their friends and protectors against oppressors such as
the Seleucids and the Romans.
In the book of Isaiah, Cyrus, the King of Persia, a non-Jew was
called the "mash'aka" God, according to Isaiah when he wrote: “Thus
said the Lord to his 'mash'aka (anointed), to Cyrus” (Isaiah
45:1). Jeremiah also told that Cyrus was commissioned by God to go
to Jerusalem and build the Second Temple.
"Who carry the vessels of the Lord" (v. 11b). Ezra tells the story
of the departure of the exiles from Babylonia: "King Cyrus himself
brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar
had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods"
(Ezra 1:7).
"This says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whom I have seized by
the right, to subdue nations before him. Yes, I will open the loins
of kings, to open the two-leaved doors before him, and the gates
shall not be shut. I will go before you and make hills level; I will
tear apart the bronze doors and cut the iron bars in two. And I will
give you the treasures of darkness, even treasures in secret places,
that you may know that I am the Lord who calls you by your name, I
the God of Israel" (vs.1-3 Para.).”
To Cyrus the Great, humanity was one widely dispersed family. He
believed in this tenet long before unequivocal genetic findings
clearly established that biologically there is only one human race;
that the genetic variation within a single troop of chimpanzees, for
instance, is greater than that of any two human groupings, no matter
how different they may appear physically.
What makes people different is not their biology, but the “software”
that runs them. People are as good as their software – their
beliefs.
There is ample proof to support the above assertion. A case in point
is the present menace posed by the
people whose life is programmed by the software of Islam: an
ideology anathema to the Cyrus Charter.
Regretfully, the Islamic Republic despotic rulers have occupied the
Iranian nation and have set out to defeat the Iranian spirit inside
Iran and extinguish Cyrus’ spirit around the world through
brainwashing, coercion, and terrorist acts beyond the borders of
Iran.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, which holds in great contempt any
non-Islamic belief or heritage, has embarked on destroying the
archeological sites of Pasargad and Persepolis ― some of humanity's
most prized cultural heritage. The heinous destruction of the two
Buddha statues by Afghanistan's Taliban pales in comparison to the
present barbaric designs of the Islamic Republic.
Pasargad and Persepolis are more than a mere collection of ancient
structures. They are embodiments of humanity's historical respect
for liberty and tolerance of diversity. For 2,500 years, the
mausoleum of Cyrus the Great has stood on the plain at Pasargad, a
simple but dignified monument to a revered king. Many fear the new
built dam and reservoir, so close to Pasargard, will pose a great
threat to tomb of the Cyrus the Great.
But once again, human decency is rising to the challenge, this time
in the voice and actions of billions of free people who proclaim: we
are also children of Cyrus the Great; we meet any challenge and pay
any price to defeat tyranny; and we will not rest until humanity is
completely free of the despotic rule of Islamofascism.
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Amil Imani is an Iranian born, pro-democracy activist who resides in the United States of America. He is a poet, writer, literary translator, novelist and an essayist who has been writing and speaking out for the struggling people of his native land, Iran. Amil Imani's Home Page: www.amilimani.com.
Name: vbv
Date: Monday October 29, 2007
Time: 23:04:04 -0700
Comment
All ancient religions were tolerant and benign,they had human values,they respected human rights. The founder of the world's first monotheistic faith Zoroastrianism was Zara Thushtra ,or also known as Jerath Thwashtra in the Rig Veda,was also the inspiration to all the Abrahamic faiths for espousing monotheism. But Abrahamic faiths became intolerant and highly bigoted.Christianity and Islam , the youngest of the Abrahamic faith , carried it to a fanatic fringe in their extreme zeal to convert the world to their idealogies by crusades,jihad and forcible conversion at the point of sword ,destroying all indegenous cultures and great civilzation to impose their dark superstition ,ushering in ignorance,fear and an era of "dark age". Human Creativity was suppressed with so many do's and don'ts imposed by the notorious clergies (like the Roman Catholic Church in the middles ages and Islam ever since it came into existence and still continuing) and zealous rulers ,both hand in glove to keep their subjects always in abject submission. Islam still practices this bigotry with its Quran,Haddees and the uncivilized and barbaric Sharia. Cyrus the great should be an inspiration not only to modern Iran in the hands of the fanatic mullahs but also the rest of the world. I think I wont be wrong in claiming that the ancient Persia was in every way contiguous with ancient India. The evil design of the Ahmedinejad and the lunatic Khommenies?mullahs in Iran should not be allowed to destroy the country's great heritage ,while they have already destroyed its culture through the mad creed of 'islam'. Iranians should rise to protect their heritage and culture by going back to Zoroastrianism and throwing the barbaric Arabian creed 'Islam' into oblivion. Don't they have pride in their ancestors' culture than hanging on board a foreign barbaric creed? We hindus in India have survived nearly a 1000 years of muslim barbarism , and we still are holding our bastion against the deception and sly attacks of muslims ,including the terrorism exported to India by Pakistan and Bangladesh, I don't see any reason why the true persians can't stand upto the fanatic mullahs and throw the out of power. Afterall there is always strength in numbers if most of the people are united.
Name: Samir
Date: Tuesday October 30, 2007
Time: 07:11:46 -0700
Comment
Islam is intolerant but other religions are not that much better. All religions poison life. I am not against religions, I am against "religious" people who do NOT stop proselytizing others. You can have your own religion or even change it every day but JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!
Name: Godot
Date: Tuesday October 30, 2007
Time: 09:18:06 -0700
Comment
Let's just imagine that the Greeks made up a religion out of their mythology and adopted the Odyssey as their Holy Book. Wouldn't we find that weird and preposterous? This is exactly how every religion came into life. A man-made anecdote that was iflated over time.
Name: semi-detached
Date: Wednesday October 31, 2007
Time: 10:19:12 -0700
Comment
Citing the chapter "Sudden Civilization" in a book known as "The 12th Planet"; Greek records contained much information about these Persians and their lands. ( which roughly parralleled today's Iran). Judging by the names of their kings---Cyrus,Darius,Xerxes--- and the names of their deities, which appear to belong to the Indo-European linguistic stem, scholars reached the conclusion that they were part of the Aryan("lordly") people that appeared from somewhere near the Caspian Sea toward the end of the second millenium B.C., and spread westward to Asia Minor, eastward to India, and southward to what the Old Testament called the "lands of the medes and parsees." Yet all was not that simple. Inspite of the assumed foreign origin of these invaders, the Old Testament treated them as part and parcel of biblical events. Cyrus and the other kings of his dynasty called themselves Archeamenids--after the title adopted by the founder of the dynasty, which was Hacham-Anish. It was not an Aryan but a perfect Semitic title, which meant "wise man". By and large, scholars have neglected to investigate the many leads that may point to similarities between the Hebrew God Yahweh and the deity Archeamenids called "Wise Lord", whom they depicted ashovering in the skies in a Winged Globe( discovered on a seal known as the royal seal of Darius). As predicted by the biblical prophets, Babylon itself came to an inglorious end when Cyrus the Archeamenid conquered it in 539 B.C. Though they were rivals throughout their history, one would be hard put to find any significant differences between Assyria and Babylonia in cultural or material matters. Even though Assyria called its chief deity Ashur("all-seeing") and Babylonia hailed Marduk("son of the pure mound"), the pantheons were otherwise virtually alike.
Name: you failed to mention!
Date: Wednesday October 31, 2007
Time: 12:45:22 -0700
Comment
In your citing the book called "The 12th Planet", there is also a reference to the first laws being adopted by Hammurabi, the Babylonian king. Later in the "Sudden Civilization" chapter it states the following; ---Because the inscriptions of Assyria and Babylonia were deciphered well before the Sumerian records, it was long believed that the first code of laws was compiled and decreed by the Babylonian king Hammurabi, circa 1900 B.C. But as Sumer's civilization was uncovered, it became clear that the "firsts" for a system of laws, for concepts of social order, and for the fair administration of justice belonged to Sumer. - - - But hte Sumerian legal system, and the enforcement of justice, go back even farther in time. By 2600 B.C. so much must have alreadry happened in Sumer that the EN.SI Urukagina found it necessary to institute reforms. A long inscription by him has be called by scholar's a precious record of mans first social reform based on a sense of freedom , equality, and justice---a "French Revolution" imposed by a king 4400 years before July 14, 1789. This clearly indicates that the Sumerian rulers, not Cyrus, were the first to employ civil rights for the betterment of the people!
Name: vbv
Date: Wednesday October 31, 2007
Time: 22:06:23 -0700
Comment
"semi-detached" & "you failed to mention" it was enlightening presentation and it was correctly said that the first civil code/criminal code somewhat in line with modern thinking actually came from the Sumerians way back in 2600 BCE ,i.e. 4,600 years old now . We in India must have had similar laws around 3000BCE ,otherwise it wouldn't have been possible to administer the vast Indus-Saraswati civilization,covering nearly 500,000 sq. miles, dotted with hundreds of urban settlements like Mohenjadaro, Harrappa, Lothal, Kot Diji,etc.Vedic ages precedes Indus-Saraswati civilization, and Vedic people had highly evolved philosophies which is evident in many of their rigvedic hymns. So also one can say for the great Chinese civilization which is easily as old as Sumer ,Indus-Saraswati , the 1st dynasties of Ancient Egypt,the Stone Henges, the Ancient Chinese civilization, or the ancient civilizations of the Americas,etc. All these civilizations evolved indegenously , autochthonously conceived. There are no biblical Adam and Eve of civilizations here.So respect must be accorded to all ancient civilizations ,not dismissed arrogantly like the Islamists and the fanatical Christians do to bolster their creed showing other ancient civilizations in poor light! You see the history books written by European or American authors . They show that the world civilization started in middle-east and suothern Europe. China, Japan,India etc. find only a passing reference in their books , although not less than 40% of world's population always inhabited these lands and they had a great and tolerant culture .
Name: Maratha
Date: Thursday November 01, 2007
Time: 02:53:13 -0700
Comment
Great work .....But u should mention that,it were Hindus who offered shelter to Parsians.. I wonder why Parsians adopted faith born in Arabia..and there is no respect for Iran or Parsians in the eye of ARAB.. Arab see Iranians as simply converted. Species
Name: piv
Date: Saturday November 24, 2007
Time: 06:05:20 -0700
Comment
"Let's just imagine that the Greeks made up a religion out of their mythology and adopted the Odyssey as their Holy Book." Exactly.
Name: To Piv
Date: Thursday December 20, 2007
Time: 12:28:25 -0700
Comment
Actually the greeks did not make up their gods, or religion. Look at the many similarities in the Greek gods to those of the Hindus. There are numerous comparisons that can be made from their gods, one to the other. Why would any certain set of people make up a religion and claim it to be the way of their God, or gods. Evidence exists to verify that these gods did involve themselves in the everyday affairs of men, for a purpose.
Name: unknown (to samir)
Date: Sunday January 06, 2008
Time: 23:49:14 -0700
Comment
I think if Cyrus the Great were alive today he would agree that Islam is not an intolerant religion (that is if he was fully informed about the religion). What u see everyday in the media is the portrayal of the extremists of that religion. Those types of people compose less than a percent of the muslim population so you might consider it to be unfair to call Islam intolerant. Also, Islam condemns bigotry and did not spread solely "by the sword." Look at Indonesia; eight muslim traders resided there for business and the Indonesians were amazed at these traders' way of life so they converted and now we have two million muslims in Indonesia. Although with all that said, I do not believe that religion should be part of a government and Ahmadenijad is somewhat crazy. gold Super.
Name: IRANDOKHT
Date: Monday January 21, 2008
Time: 12:56:57 -0700
Comment
IRAN IS THE GREATEST COUNTRY EVER.