افغانستان و محمد دين زاخيل بر صليب "رنج های مسيح"
“The Passion of Christ”
Hozhaber Shinwary
Recently the film “Passion of Christ” brought to the surface centuries lost memories of Jesus Christ to the silver screen. This glorious and wildly discussed film is directed by Mel Gibson who has directed and produced among others films like “Deadly Weapon”, “Brave Heart” and “Patriotism”.
The film was well received in Europe and America. Different people went to see the film for different reasons triggering an array of reactions. Some viewed it with laughter and tears in their eyes, some with hatred and anger while others with curiosity and inquisitiveness. Some thought the film is great and a masterpiece, others considered it boring and sadistic, while others felt the film to be exaggerated and over dramatized. In some Islamic countries like Lebanon, Egypt and Syria the film was welcomed and broke box office records. In Saudi Arabia where there are no legal movie theaters the illegal copies was widely viewed. Jewish communities accused the director of the film with anti-Semitism and boycotted the film, banning its screening in Israel and in Jerusalem and occupied territories. When some Islamic countries learnt of this reaction by the Jewish communities outside and in Israel, they permitted the film’s screening without imposing any form of censorship.
Passion of Christ depicts the last few hours of Jesus Christ’s life. The film commences from the night Jesus and his disciples gather in the forest where Jesus expresses to them that he is to be stabbed by one of those closest to him and shall be betrayed. It is here that a group of Roman soldiers arrive with Judas and tying Jesus with chains and ropes take him to the Jewish clergy who do not hold back punishing him, accusing him and sentencing him to death. But Jerusalem is under the control of the Romans and for any death sentence the approval of the Roman rulers is required. The governor at the time, while not in favor of the death sentence orders soldiers to brutally punish Jesus and he is eventually persuaded by the Jewish clergy to consent to the death sentence.
Sadistic Roman soldiers brutally place a crown of thorns on Christ’s head and like criminals of the time force him to carry the cross on which he is to be crucified, to the place where he is to meet his faith. This film has been produced with Hollywood’s most advanced and sophisticated cinematography. Mel Gibson with amazing creativity and clever use of technology, using a talented cast, skillfully takes the audience on a journey so incredible that the audience feels the lashes of the whip as Jesus is whipped and the weight of the cross as Jesus struggles under the weight of carrying it. With tears in your eyes you can’t help but be carried away and feel his pain and clench your teeth in frustration, anger and hatred at the total absolute inhumanity and inexhaustible cruelness of mankind.
Unlike you and I, Christ with his hands nailed to the cross and his body tortured and broken, looks at the soldiers and the Jewish clergy making fun of him and then looks at the sky with his weak but deep voice with pain and heartfelt earnestness cries out “Oh God forgive them for they do not know”. This is where you understand the greatness of this human soul and the reason why God has chosen him above others to enlighten the flock of misguided and desert wandering Jews to shepard and bring to them the message of peace, tranquility and love for mankind preaching to them love even for their enemies.
The choice of colors, shadows and visual effects employed in the film is thorough and carefully imbedded and calculatedly selected. The music of the film is so beautifully composed and masterly chosen that it takes the audience throughout the film on a breathtaking journey that one truly forgets the passage of time during the film lengthy duration. The role of the background music employed in the film is decisive and clear. Overall the balance of the music in the film is proportionate, exciting and heart-wrenching. The only time the music loses its momentum in the film and breaks to a calm silence in the height of exhilarating crowd noise is when Christ is taken for interrogation to the Jewish clergy in the temple. On his way, Christ sees a carpenter busy in his work and remembers the days when he was a carpenter and his mother would bring him water. This particular scene lasts only 1 minute. Throughout the film this is the only time when we see a smile on Christ’s face. The beautiful music which is played during this emotional scene calms and soothes the audience like raindrops in an otherwise emotionally charged state of mind. To Afghan audience and to those from the other side of the Atak Bridge the melody played during this 1 minute sounds very familiar. It sparks one’s memory and suddenly you realize listening to some very familiar melodies from the land of art loving Afghanistan. The melody between the 20th and 21st minute of this film which is indeed taken from the treasury of Afghan music and skillfully incorporated with the film’s background music is nothing but the famous song (Waro Waro kezhda Qadumunnah Ashnaa …). This song was composed by the golden fingers of Mohammad Din Zakhel, one of the most talented Afghan composers in not too far but sadly forgotten yester days of piece and tranquility in Afghanistan. The lyrics of the song is also from the late Zakhel which he wrote in1974 and was sang by the beautiful and captivating voice of Mrs Gamaargul and recorded in the Radio Afghanistan studios in 1974. The late composer undoubtedly was a talented and unmatched poet and music composer of his time and has composed more than 700 songs for many Afghan singers. From this collection comes heart-warming classic songs like “Da Zamoon Zeeba Watan ….”, “Pa Loyoo Gharoo Bandee Ra Tashowa Toofanona…” and “Sengha Meena Zemaah Stah Waah” and many others. Although the productive and creative life and works of late Zakhil requires serious academic research something I endeavor to do time permitting, there is absolutely no doubt that selection and use of his work in this film without any permission and copyright acknowledgement is a daylight artistic plagiarism. Zakhel’s great artistry and cultural heritage belongs to his family and to the art loving people of Afghanistan. In the present painful and tragic period in the nation’s war ravaged history even our material and spiritual heritage is not being spared. The old enemies of the Afghan people have employed every cunning method possible to steal or destroy the most valuable artifacts from our national museum in Kabul and the museum of Hadda Farm in Jalalabad. The forces of darkness and evil blew up the Buddha statues. While illegal archeological expeditions are on rampage on every corner of the country, from Ai Khanoum and Tela Tapa to Tapa Maranjan, from the old city of Balkh to Mirzaka and Logar City. Even our graveyards and the mausoleums of our great spiritual and cultural icons are not spared to the extent that gravestones and their bones are being sold in illegal international art market. While the country is in the state of chaos and in many cities the lords of the war and cultural destruction are in lose, with private prisons being discovered in Kabul linked to high ranking officials of the government, the action of Mil Gibson is of no surprised. If we continue this discourse and collectively as a nation do not revise our social consciences, way of thinking and understanding and appreciation of culture and politics, no doubt days darker than this is awaiting us. Can we blame anyone else then for engineering such a state of cultural decimation and social disintegration? Of course not.
Two years ago with fall of the Twin Towers - the giant symbol of capitalism and with rise of so called “new world order” it appeared that the cultural and social suppression and aggression against Afghanistan might finally be over. For a short period the national interest of the only left super power of our time, the US of A and of Afghanistan have found common purpose. With this the voice of defending democracy and support for basic human rights, the people of Afghanistan found new support around the world. In America where this voice is the loudest, the voices advocating for aiding the Afghan people are deafening, coming from diverse political, economic and cultural interest groups across the United State, each justify the interest with figures, graphs and charts overflowing with statistics. Let us hope that all this sympathy and concern for Afghans and their country does not resemble that of Mel Gibson the director of the “Passion of Christ” and the films music director John Debney. Otherwise whatever is left of the Afghan cultural heritage will disappear in these hollow responses for support for democracy and basic human rights for Afghanistan.
No. Let us not let this happen!
Despite the fact that currently there is no official and proper mechanism in place in Afghanistan to protect and safeguard the rights of artists and their creativities, there are individuals in the Afghan government and among the people of Afghanistan inside and outside the country who feel the pains and misfortunes of the nation and whose hearts are filled with love for the people and their cultural heritage. They will not let this daylight cultural theft go without notice and acknowledging the artistic and legal rights of late Afghan composer Mr Deen Mohammad Zakhil. while Icon Production, Mel Gibson the director and John Debney the music directory enjoy the phenomenal financial success of the “Passion of Christ” the family of late Zakhil who barely struggle for their day to day living and people of Afghanistan are deprived of a worldwide accolade towards one of their famous sons the genius music director the late Mr. Zakhil.
The contacts I have made with Mr. Emal Zakhil the eldest son of late Zakhil and Mrs. Qamar Gul, Zakhil family have hired a lawyer to file a copyright lawsuit against Icon Production, Mel Gibson the directory and John Debney the music director of the film. It is upon all art loving Afghans around the world to offer their moral and financial support behind this just cause. Let us make our protest loud and worldwide and let the world know that we Afghans are as good in defending our cultural creativity and heritage as we are of our freedom and love for our land.
Hozhaber Shinwary