Country and martyrdom

Abstract The land and geographical environment is one of the most important and most obvious component of national identity that performs as a head stack to form the other components of national identity and form historical view, there is no doubt that the local sense coming with it is the important element of cultural, human most initial local-sensory phenomenon, while the non political role of this phenomenon in opposed to the meaning of land that has a political motivation in its mature has been remained intact. The meaning of being patriot is very instinctive that sometimes incorporates with the human spiritual belongings and will be as divine aspect; as if Islam says: the love to homeland is a part of faith. Therefore the relation between human and land is a mutual process. They belong to the feeling beyond the one-dimension theory of ownership that encourages the calm and still people to fight for retrieving their lands. Human fight to preserve their country, they show enthusiasm to that and hazard their lives for that. Along with the analysis of relationship between land, martyrdom and national identity, this of article tends to show an outlook for these phenomena.

News ID: ۱۱۶۹۴۲

يکشنبه - ۰۵ مهر ۲۰۰۸ / 2008 05 July

1. Introduction
The land and geographical environment that act like a basis to from the other component of national identity, has a condign role in creating the senses of distinguish, alienation and separated in the nature of human living on it.
This definition has the meaning of “border”? in the past and in fact, It’s that meaning that makes a sense of distinguish and being separated from others.
So, the people in a country have a common sense of: common interests, religion, land, history, customs, language, that these fetors shape their national identity exclusive for them and is different from the other countries of the world hence, we have a lot of cultural, historical, land, religious, lingual and perception of common interests equal to the number of geographical political spaces of countries in the world, That no one wants to forbear the least interests(profit) and there were so many wars and bloodshed in the world for their sake and there will be in the future too, therefore, to defend of the land that integrates the national identity and common profits of a nation like a basis and head stack, Is accepted for all people of the world as a basic and valuable principle, so far as people hazard their lives, sacrifices and endanger themselves for their countries and devote themselves to their land and chastity.
This research wants to present an outlook from the relationships between these contexts by analyzing and examination of the meanings of land, Martyrdom and identity, along with response to this question whether there is a relationship between land and martyrdom that encourage the peoples sacrifices, devotions and self-sacrifices to defend that or not.

2- The way of consideration
The main method of this study, with regard to the research’s theoretical stance, is descriptive-annalistic and so the librarian instruments are used to collect information. Based on that, first, the views and opinions about land, Martyrdom and identity and their relations will be presented and then, the relation between land and martyrdom will be under investigation.

3 - A glance on the land, martyrdom and identity meanings

3 – 1 Land
Porous mouthed made is believed that: “Region”? is an old term in the Persian language that first of equal to “home land”? and in the other hand, is close to the European definition of land. Although the term “region”? isn’t under investigation in the present spoken language political geography culture of Persian and there is no place in science for it, But can enter to this culture coming along with the meaning of “border”? and be a good(perfect) substitution for the term “Territory”? in Persian.
Mojtahed Zade also says: “One can definite the land as the horizontal or physical face of country, a geographical meaning that turns to political aspect with the meaning of government that with these meaning and the meaning of nation, It “makes the political-geographical phenomenon of country real”?.
M. Reza Hafes Niya is believed too that: the land is the cradle of loving and the connection arena between human and nature. Human’s local, geological, and natural attachments as well as shaping the patriotic, familial and residence interests will be practical in connection with the land.
The land with its characteristics, whether it be one’s birth person meet each other for first time, the question, “where are you from”?, Is their first one to ask. Where everyone id from, Is their native, local and residence symbol to belonging to, They know id as their homeland, region and home, feel attached to that and have pride on it, They’re eager to its shining and progress in comparison with another places. Therefore, the land and geographical environment are one the national identity, and continuing of national identity subject. The land belongs to the components that always make identity.
Gean got man is believed: The etymon of the term territory is Latin, that in old Greece; it was called some areas around a city and its real. This meaning vanished after empires were shaped, with tending to Globalization. In opposed to him, Hinzely, believed the background of the term “the land”? is back to the Roman Empire and says the empire extent is the Rome territory. In all aspects, the definition of the European word “territory”? is similar to its Persian meaning, “The Region”?(while the meaning of the word “”?homeland”? in Persian has a feelingly aspect and is far from definitions). The land is the production of society historical past. The spatial shaped and structures, are historical phenomena always changing and at mutation, Are the common processing production of mathing a group and a frame work where society work in. The land is the heritage keeper of a society and has a material and a cultural dimension.
Awareness to the feeling of belonging to a land is for all societies (even among the people who ate excluded from that, and are looking for its retrieving).

3-2 Martyrdom
There are a lot of meanings for martyrdom. Such as:
Means, self-sacrifice,
Means, annihilation, into in the way of being extinct
But also to fade away with divine, means, to connive at your most precious, dearest and the sweetest property, your soul and life for love to homeland, chastity, and satisfaction of God.
Martyrdom means presence and the martyr is witness and present in the road to love the creator of creatures,
Is joining to the great empyrean and the martyr is close to divine love.
Martyrdom is the greatest rank and the martyr is close to God.
Hence, martyrdom has a special place and luminosity among Islamic highest values. One should search its elevated and glittering place of this great value in its way of playing.
It’s in this looking and investigating, there will be found the relation between religion and divine lows, commandment, and educating survival and is un severable.
The holy cultural of martyrdom is the torch for conducting and saving nations today and tomorrow.
Time passing, changing, generations frequentation never harm to the eternity of this humanizing culture and the lovers to God and the world freemen always hold this conducting torch and tear the dark screens of night and make the brightness of freedom, honor and esteem appeared.
So, there are two foundations for martyrdom: 1- first, it be in the way to God. Its goal is saint and one want to devote his life and second, it has been done awarded.
Because, martyrdom is a holy and awarded action, is avoided from any selfish motives, is very admirable and honorable and is a heroic one.
It’s just this way of dying that has a better and holier life in comparison with the other deaths.
Martyr Aman Allah Ekhtiarry has written in his testament on this subject about choosing martyrdom optional that: “If I reached to the glory of martyrdom it was due to living, fighting and dying awarded”?.
Martyr moved salary is impressed too that: “Dear father, this time I’ll sign my death with my blood and I don’t want to fie in the bear”?.
Commander Haj Abdolwahdy maghfouty was martyred in the Karbala 4 operation he has written in his testament that: “I’ve chosen this way freely and optional”?.
Therefore Because martyrdom is for defending land, home land, life and chastity, and is for attracting the satisfaction of God, It’s been like a holy and valuable principle in all societies, human respect to that, and know that as the precious and clean characteristics of humanity.

3-3 National identity
Identity means who, that how somebody or a group of people, know themselves, how they want to be know. Identity is a respond to human natural need to make himself know for some geographical historical, and cultural elements and phenomena.
As one need to be known by describing and defining familial and personal names and specialties, a group of people, need to be known by a range of environmental and spiritual phenomena that create the special national personality and distinguished identification for them.
The searching of these material-spiritual phenomena make the meaning of the word “nation”? real; the phenomena such as: A common political land, a common religion, a common language, a common political wishes range, some kinds of common social viewpoints and a series of common literature, art, and customs. The collection of all these definitions will create the national “identification”? that makes a group or nation “national identity”? real.
This word has been shaped, after shaping the international system, in the political system of the world during the two past centuries. When, national identity showed itself in the political and social science as a prosperous one was the time that people wanted to be informed of their own identity against the other nations and imply that with the social-cultural or economical-political aims. Barnett believes that: identity means knowing yourself in connection with the other. Identities are not personal or individual and are as social meaning solely and will be defined in interactions with people.
Heidegger knows the geography as the basic factor of national identity and is believed that identity is defined due to the connection of human existence to soil and his native roots and cutting these roots off will be the cause; Wendt believes that: Identities and the government’s interest will be shaped in connection with each other.
Jean got man has investigated the political separations in a group of people and recognized a “spiritual”? movement in the humanitarian arena that collects persons into a group delicately and make them separated from the other groups and turns them to an integrated hundreds.
He illustrates this force that: “Being separated from the other’s environment and honored with your own specialties are the natural symbols of each group of people”?.
It’s no need to a valley or mountain, a special skill or language to be from the other’s environment, but, to reach this aim, an area needs a sustained belief Based on the religious belief, some special perspective and some aspects of political wishes and usually needs those three.
Being separated from the other and being distinguished from them, is the old principle and has a deep root into spiritual laities, As the great book “Qur’an”? says: “lo people, we created you in both men and women settled you in nations and groups and tribes to be distinct from each other your most popular is your most pious, Indeed.
William O’henry that is one of the most famous Iran and Eastern knowing persons says: We can’t know we exist until we don’t know, we have been existed; means that knowing for our nature is depend in knowing of our history and we can’t know where to go until we haven’t learnt about the place we reached to.
William James also said that: where I find this real “Ill me, there will be my identity.
Erickson sees the identity as a covert process into itself and its general performs. Studying the definition of identity from various viewpoints, results that identity definition expresses the identity and consisted characteristics of a group of people that mean in connection with the living environment, history, language, costumes, religion, nationality is the cause of them to be separated from the other human group.

4 – The relationship between the land and martyrdom
Cultural heritage is one of the obvious specialties of human societies against animal nines. Human in all societies according to the culture ruled on society, collaborate, fight, and imitate and learn how to live along with these actions, but animals, organize their life affairs instinctively. Culture, is the conductor of all human efforts, so, culture belongs to human exclusively. Also in the subject of war, the morale of conflict and being warrior and defending society and country against aliens invasion, has the root in to every culture and this can be seen differently in various societies showing that war and defending country are the inseparable components of every society culture; whereas Clark wheeler summarize culture aspect into 9 item such as:
Language and speech; material specialties, art, myth and a scientific knowledge, Social and familial system, wealth and possession, government and war
Richard Moir is believed that: It’s clear that the realm-wanting behavior of human and also the affective reaction to place have been completed during history. The relation between man and land isn’t a consistent one, but change from this stage to another along with society progress. Walker has announced the relationship between country and the considerable psychological issues made by this relation like following: securities of countries have enclosed our understanding from that what is security and for whom is this, not just for this reason that fighting between countries is unavoidable, But also because the other political society shaped are unimaginable. The various countries claim in having a legitimate power in one certain land, results to denying or even obliterating the other statements about political identity.
Based on some commentators’ views, realm-wanting is merely depending on facilities rather than psychological domain. For example according to M. Smith’s idea the “realm-wanting isn’t an instinctive characteristic of human but a social structure.
But, Robert such that finishes a vast investigation on realm-wanting subject, has denied a quite basic question and states: “I passed this mother that the human realm-wanting behavior, is a biological instinct or desire”?.
Patriotism isn’t a special vision or philosophy, But an instinct arising from its first feeling to belong to the special place, identity and the feeling to defend interests from the historical view, there is no doubt that land and region are the first human environmental-feelingly phenomena that its manifestations result the encounters of men, while being nonpolitical aspect of this wars before that wave raised from the patriotic motives and the ww2 was the production of facing the nationalistic taught.
J. Anderson said in 1986 that: the nations just don’t occupy lands like the other organizations or social structures, but claim to match with a special geographical place. They participate in this land property by government ruling and this participation will create the national government meaning.
So, speak about the martyr of battlefields, should be the sweetest and the most precious ones, because the story is about devotion and the art of self-sacrificing. The martyr of battlefields made sacrificing real. The sacrificing that guarantee the most grand(splendid) victories for religion of tight and make then real. A martyr sacrifices himself to condescend for the belief, faith sake as far as religion root by powerful. Maje himself as a monk for the sake of society honor, freedom, esteem. Also, in the Islamic cultural, defending the life, property, wife, child, homeland, and land, honor, nationality and independence of country are the holy subjects and everybody accepts them, Any body and any nation doesn’t accept being surrendered to alien invasion. People in all beliefs and races know defending their land admirable.
For example, about the relation between martyrdom and land, there is the idea and beliefs of a Zoroastrian martyr in following: "I love Iran, Because of its sanctity, history, great men, old culture ... that I was born in Iran and that I become its soil particle after I’ll be dead, is enough for me"
And somewhere else we read a Christian martyr’s vision about "Dear fellow countrymen, I’ve been dead for my homeland sake.
My friends don’t be sad on my martyrdom. Because, from the beguiling of revolution it was my first goal to sacrifice myself to this home land, sail and water. I’ve reached to this honor wearing the military uniform, for my name to be recorded as the patriots. I expect all brave Iranian people and the theist, patriot Armenian people to keep my way for our country freedom and independence.
In this topic, another Zoroastrian martyr wrote to his mother that:
When you hear my martyrdom, try to lighten the other alone martyrs memory, heavily! People must see you more honored then ever; but you can fall your tears down when you’re alone. Because if you don’t cry sometimes, I think you don’t love me, just don’t forget the others because of my love. I will be dead because of people, and so did my father.
In the Iran political philosophy, people don’t just play the pivotal vole to its survival, But also can be seem like a unique and integral unit, In the other hand, people of Iran have a unique identity, despite their deferent racial, religious beliefs and thoughts and this can be seen in the scientific and literary texts showing their attachment to their country. this item results in helping people to eliminate and repel problems, under the shadow of national identity if there be a problem, together. It was the same in the war of Iraq against Iran.
even it can be said about the relation between land and expansionism that, many wars were for controlling some specified lands during history and the external policies of many countries sere effected by the tendency to control the other wider domains(land)for reaching economical, political and military goals.
Based on the Ardrie’s idea, the realm on land is called to a place consist of soil, water and air that an animal or a group of them defend that as their exclusive area.
After that definition is presented by Arderie, he realized that human like animals want to seize and defend such space and the land-tending characteristic of human is natural and inexpugnable Zarrinkoob was the eye witness of a great invasion during the WWII on Iran. His notes recalled the ancient calendar of Iran occupied by the allied forces and his within reactions. In hoe idea, love to home land is the beloved lost one that finding feel safe with that, Persons who know the value and importance of being safe know that: safe is just its pseudonym name and its real name is home homeland weakness and poverty make that dearer more than power and wealth to human... . The life is hard; but it can be tolerable until country is existed. It’s for these reasons that love to homeland is the saint ideal, is the imagination of a true love. It’s interesting that beyond them the love of homeland never means without peace to be existed. Place is so important in the Heidegger’s thought, because he believed that existence and relevance will happen on earth.
Habitation and existence mean the way that human live in earth.
So, these two definitions are related to each other.
Heidegger in his lecture called "making existing, thinking" emphasizes existence along with its original meaning.
Kasrawi also consider the word "country" or "land" as one of the identity-making elements that manifest itself in the national motto of pact as "a religion, a banner". The Iranian scholars have paid attention to this matter from the beginning of recently eras and consider this as the most important subject in identity-making topic.
These factors can be summarized like following:
Country will provide better social and political distinctions by touchable bounding and geographical specialties.
Country is sustainable, bound able and controllable and without flowing Anybody living in such places will be mire attached to land due to feeling stability and endurance.
Country increases social and national correlation, integration and the feeling of belonging to a general unit.
Kasrawi hasn’t mentioned nationalism in his notes deliberately, But the meanings of "people" being patriot" have a special; place in his view.
He describes them following:
Twenty million people living somewhere making a mass, in fact, they promised each other to improve their life affairs and to resist difficulties and share their benefits, happiness’s and losses together. Such pacts can be found in any masses and the mass is based in that. We want to protect independence and to keep homeland from enemies’ invasion and know that as the braveness for child and wife. He says the people who built a land and live there from ancient times to now, there be their lands to keep and to block any invasion on aliens to there and manliness and courage to guard wife and children that is necessary for any one is for preserving liberty that is the most valuable term to love, so this is patriotism. In the Islamic rules, this is essential to defend Islamic lands and the Shiites and Sunnis jurisdictions considered that as jihad (crusade).
The great leader of Iran Said to clergymen and Islamic propagandists, based on this subject that: It’s essential to defend the Islamic lands for all Muslim people.

5 - Conclusion
Based on the analyzing of land and martyrdom identity and meaning, The relationships between this two definition, we understand that although martyrdoms an optional action to defend land, chastity, ideals values and sanctities and to reach to God, but its connection to land is a spiritual one, because the initial ecological relationship existed between land and human causes human to like the environment inwardly and to have a spiritual fanaticism to that due to his experience of his environment from the birth where he grew up, and so this spiritual connection will cause human to defend their homeland, soil and water and to sacrifice their life to protect them; hence birthplace and its rights to be bourn in it protect people living in a common realm, as its inhabitants can decorated their lands with clean innate characteristics such as self-sacrifice, devotion and martyrdom to defend that, also the homeland gives his children special values and so, this mutual connection and integration will cause the inhabitants(dwellers) to realize innately and instinctively that they are nothing without their lands and country.

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