Good News Broadcast attended the Commemoration Ceremony on 1150th Anniversary of the birth of Abu Abdullah Rudaki .
To watch the Ceremony please click on the following: http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/specialevents/2008/se080618pm.rm
We also share the text of His Excellency, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations and His Excellency, Ambassador Sirodjidin Aslov, Tajikistan’s speech at the UN and Art Exhibit. There is no joyfulness in this world greater than the vision of the friend’s face; There is no bitterness upon the heart More than separation and distance from the friend. The following is the agenda of the event. A Commemoration Ceremony for the Poet of Wit and the Sage of Wisdom Celebration of the 1150th Birth Anniversary of Abu Abdullah Rudaki.
The Great Master of Persian/Tajik/Dari Poetry, organized by the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations. The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Tajikistan to the United Nations is held on Wednesday, 18 June 2008. The United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room 2, 3:15 P.M.- 3:30 P.M. Welcome and Opening; His Excellency, Ambassador Zahir Tanin , Afghanistan His Excellency, Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee, The Islamic Republic of Iran, His Excellency, Ambassador Sirodjidin Aslov , Tajikistan, 3:30 P.M.- 3:40 P.M. Address by His Excellency, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, 3:40 P.M.- 3:45 P.M. Remarks by Ms. Helene-Marie Gosselin, Director, United Nations Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organization Office in New York, 3:45 P.M.- 3:50 P.M. Introduction to the Panel Discussion with Dr. Alice Hunsberger, Professor of Persian Literature and Islamic Philosophy, New York, 3:50 P.M.- 4:05 P.M. Rudaki: The Greatest Humanist Poet by Dr. Mulloahmadov Mirzo, Professor at the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan , Dushanbe, 4:05 P.M.- 4:20 P.M. Life and Poems of Rudaki, Dr. Nasrollah Pourjavady, Professor at the University of Tehran, 4:20 P.M.- 4:35 P.M. Rudaki and the Ethics of Praise. Dr. Wali Ahmadi, Professor at the University of California , Berkeley. 4:45 P.M.- 4:50 P.M.
Closing Remarks with Dr. Alice Hunsberger. Secretary-General’s remarks at commemoration ceremony on 1150th anniversary of the birth of Rudaki Ambassador Tanin of Afghanistan , Ambassador Khazaee of Iran , Ambassador Aslov of Tajikistan. “Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s a great pleasure for me to participate in this special commemoration. Let me welcome to the United Nations all the distinguished scholars and artists who have come here to share your wisdom and talent with us. I am grateful to our hosts, the Permanent Representatives of Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran , for organizing this meaningful gathering. The fact that we are all here today, eleven and a half centuries after his death, speaks volumes about the enduring influence of Abu Abdullah Jafar ibn Mohammad Rudaki. How fitting that the United Nations, which stands for peace, development and human rights, should commemorate the life of this poet, who so beautifully extolled the virtues of good and justice. With simplicity and elegance, Rudaki pioneered a great tradition, laying the foundation for Persian classical literature. He took poetry from the realm of the abstract into contemporary life. And in the process, he shed new philosophical light on society. Rudaki is truly the Sultan of Poets.Here at the United Nations, we are often so caught up in the day-to-day challenge of confronting crises that we rarely have the chance to reflect on the larger meaning of our work. Today’s commemoration reminds us, through music, poetry and song, of the values that underpin all of our activities worldwide. This is all the more important as the UN strives to bridge the divides that separate cultures and nations. Rudaki’s timeless and profound writings provide an inspiration for the Alliance of Civilizations, our initiative to counter extremism and heal the divisions that threaten our world. All of you here today are contributing to our broader cause of promoting tolerance across cultures. As Secretary-General, I feel humbled to be surrounded by such eminent scholars. I cede the floor to you with a pledge to carry the spirit of Rudaki’s poetry in my heart, as I work on behalf of the United Nations in pursuit of our shared goals. Thank you very much.”
Speech from His Excellency, Ambassador Sirodjidin Aslov, Tajikistan. “Excellencies Mr. Secretary General, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen: On behalf of the government and the people of the Republic of Tajikistan, it is a great honor to welcome you to this joyous commemoration of the 1150th birth of the Persian-Dari-Tajik poet Rudaki. I also take this opportunity to express our deepest appreciation to H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, who has graced this meeting by his presence in spite of his busy schedule. Permit me to focus only on three points that reflect how the poet Rudaki integrates his global vision with the commitment of our Persian-Afghan-Tajik tradition and the sacred task of the United Nations in service to humanity. Imagine over 1100 years ago! Imagine the time when our poet Rudaki, who is also the Rudaki of Iranians, the Rudaki of the Afghans, and the Rudaki of the rest of the globe, founded Persian-Dari-Tajik poetry in ideas that integrate the wisdom of various cultures of the past. To this end, he demonstrates that a comprehension of the present and peace in the present world can be gained only by recognizing and integrating the cultures of all past civilizations. The speakers in this panel will show that Rudaki’s global vision focuses not only on tolerance- rather, it delights in, and encourages differences in cultures, religions, and ways of life. His musical poetry likens these differences among people to the symphony of shades of flowers, to the rainbow, to rich multi-dimensions of feelings of being in love and loving. His response is not to grieve but to open our hearts to the joys of life present in nature and to the human ability to transcend the temporal with the eternal and universal ideals. His poetry and music is an invitation to humanity to seek harmony and to enrich their traditions by the grace of the gift of love, knowledge and power. The essence of love lies in the ability of the heart to receive the world like a pure mirror (safa); in this mode loves becomes knowledge when it invades into the secrets of the world order; in this light it becomes power. Indeed, Rudaki teaches that true power resides not in conflict; by contrast, power is in our submission (salama) to hearts. The heart, which has a desire to receive love, ALSO NEEDS TO GIVE LOVE, love to our parents, children, fellow human beings and the world; though love of others we reach a unity within ourselves. The legacy of Rudaki is also the story of the heart of our countries which were situated in the vibrant Samanid state in the greater Khorawson province, this land was a crossroad at which a number of rich cultures met each other, the holders of rich antiquities of many historical periods. A symbolic icon of this diversity and a Jewel of the treasures in Tajikistan is the largest statue of Buddha, some 20 feet tall that will be safeguarded for generations to come. Embracing pluralism, multilingualism and diversity are the very foundation for tolerance. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen- I humbly present to you this message of global peace from the people of Tajikistan . It is an honor to share with you their goal-which is the eternal message of unity, tolerance, peace, compassion and embracing pluralism, are the very principles of this sacred organization THE UNITED NATIONS. Excellencies, Ms. Under-Secretary-General, Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of the UN Missions of Afghanistan, Iran and Tajikistan I would like to extend to you our sincere appreciation for participation in the Opening ceremony of the Arts Exhibition dedicated to the celebration of the 1150th birth anniversary of Abu Abdullah RUDAKI, the founder of the Persian/Tajik/Dari literature. I would like to introduce to you our three artists, whose paintings are on display today: Mr. Faridun Negmat-Zade and Mr.Leonid Khushvakhtov from Tajikistan. Their paintings speak volume about the rich heritage of our people’s history. Among these, of particular interest, are the portraits of Rudaki and other renowned poets and philosophers, representatives of our literature and history, such as Omar Khayam, Djami, Saadi, and Rumi. Here you can see some models of the musical instruments that outstanding poets of that epoch, Rudaki among them, used to play while reciting their poetry. I would like to draw your attention to certain artistic items made from semi-precious stones. These mosaics and arabesques have been created today, by our contemporary artists and craftsmen, who were inspired by the subjects of our ancient history, and the landscape and architecture of our countries. Our countries have centuries long experience in creating national clothes made of cotton, lavishly embroidered with silk, woolen and golden threads. Here you can see a few samples of these clothes of breathtaking beauty. From time immemorial, our craftsmen have been famous for producing fine examples of art such as glazed pottery, metalwork, and wood carvings. You can marvel at some such items, which are on display here. Our Exhibition is displayed in two separate venues. One that you see here, the other one is located between the Vienna Caf and the Visitor’s Shopping Center. We do hope that you will find time to visit each of them this week. Once again, I thank everyone for coming today. Our hope is that this Exhibition will give you a better idea about the cultural heritage of our beloved countries, in whom we take much pride. Thank you for your attention. Now allow me to give the floor to Her Excellency Ms. Migiro Asha-Rose, Depury-Secretary-General.”
