by Mansoureh Tajik for the Saker blog
The explosion that killed Darya Dugina, Alexander Dugin’s daughter, was a hybrid crime of “hit, miss, and warn”. May God Rest Darya’s soul. May God Grant Darya’s father and family peace and serenity in their lives and hearts. Furthermore, May God Cut off the terrorist hands that were involved, in any way, shape, and form, and dry out their roots from this planet. Amen, Ya Rabb-al Alamin (the Lord of the Two Worlds).
Those who are not currently trapped in whirlpools of virtual antisocial nets, serving inside virtual colonial cells and servicing false masters, would have some clues as to why Alexander Dugin would even be a (direct or indirect) target. Beyond deflecting and misleading headlines, it is instructive to open the blinds a little and see through the slits.
In this text, I would like to focus on a small corner of the pivotal role Alexander Dugin has played in turning around the perspective of many ordinary Iranians about Russia, Russian people, and Russian culture, as well as deepening the understanding of many Shi’as in religious circles, academic historians, and socio-political scholars. Decidedly, this was not (and has not been) a small task and did not occur easily and overnight. Let’s take a short glimpse.
Iranian people’s views and perception about Russia and Russian people, in a nutshell, were anchored in decades of distorted propaganda by the West, especially the British and the US, combined with a communist history of the Soviet Russia, and a troubling Iran-Russia history. As a consequence, Russian people and Russia were perceived (quite wrongly), by many Iranians, particularly by most Shi’a thinkers and scholars, as Godless people in a Godless country, respectively. This narrow and untrue perspective did not provide fertile grounds for either a strategic socio-political and cultural relationship to be sown, or, to be strengthened and grow, when sown.
In two decades, things changed, however. In an essay titled “Iran-Russia Relationship: Requisites for Transition from Meager Tactical Actualities to Actualization of Deep Strategic Potentials,” published on this blog last year (See Here), I discussed very briefly segments of the historical developments between the two nations and Ayatullah Khamenei’s role and efforts, in particular, in creating a nuanced view about Russia long before Iran-Russia strategic cooperation in Syria occurred against the US/West/Zionist and their incarnate, the terror group invoking the name of one of the trio’s most beloved deities, ISIS.
Within wider social scenes and through people-to-people contacts though, Alexander Dugin has played a significant role that cannot be ignored. He is not merely a desk thinker-philosopher theorizing inside a self-absorbed social vacuum nested somewhere in an obscure academic tower. He is a “field practitioner” of his philosophy and someone who dares to be present in the right place, at the right time, saying and doing the right things.
With respect to Iran and the Shi’a, for nearly a decade, long before any strategic cooperation between Iran and Russia materialized, as witnessed in Syria, Dr. Dugin travelled to Iran many times and participated in diverse events and met with great many Shi’a thinkers and scholars. Doing so has been instrumental in bridging the gap between the two people, cultures, and religions. May God strengthen his resolve and help him continue in this path.
The person who facilitated and arranged for Dr. Dugin’s travels, interviews, and participation was none other than Mr. Nader Talibzadeh. Mr. Talibzadeh himself was a greater thinker and activist, also, the executive producer and director of a program called “Asr” (which means Era) in Ofoq TV Network. Multiple times, he invited Dr. Dugin to his program interviewed him, and had many interesting conversations with him about different subjects. Mr. Talibzadeh was believed to have been a target of bioterrorism executed by agents of foreign governments at the airport in Najf. He was also on the United States’ sanctions list. He suffered unusual symptoms and passed away about three months ago in May. May God Rest his soul.
Perhaps it would be interesting to the readers of this blog to become a bit familiar with a sample of Alexander Dugin’s activities and exchanges in Iran during the past few years and to take a look at a few outcomes in that regard. These are in chronological order and I’ll begin with my personal favorite.
Every year, millions of people (mostly Shi’a but also others), men, women, children, young and old, able bodied or with canes, travel to Iraq and participate in an event called Arba’een Walk that entails a journey, on foot, from Najaf to Karbala to commemorate the 40th day from the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (Alaihissalam) and his companions in Karbala in 61 (H.Q.). I have written about this in the past on this blog and those interested can read about it here and here.
It must be emphasized that nothing, absolutely nothing, scares the bejesus out of arrogant and transgressing Anglo-US-Zionist powers than watching in horror a congregation of Muslims in any form. The very sight of millions of Muslim people (mostly Shi’a) participating in a ritual that commemorates standing up against the corrupt tyrants of their time must be sending chills down their crooked spines. We have no doubt they are willing to do anything to ban, or at the least misdirect, Muslim gatherings of this sort.
At any rate, in November 2017, Alexander Dugin, accepted an invitation by late Mr. Talibzadeh and participated in the Arba’een Walk that year. I cannot think of any other act that could pull the Shi’a’s collective heartstrings.
Naturally, the news of Alexander Dugin’s participation and the films of his walk in that year’s Arba’een Walk spread everywhere. He was also interviewed by Ofogh Network. Following is an excerpt of his interview:
“In Arba’een, I saw a leap in time. The End of Time is not just approaching us but is its leaping towards us. This is my overall assessment of Arba’een. I cannot offer any sort of logical explanation for this. We are witnessing the presence of millions of people here. More than twenty million Shi’a are moving in the direction of their roots. The movement from Najaf to Karbala, from Imam Ali’s tomb to Imam Hussain’s tomb is showing the movement of Shi’a to the direction of their holy origins. But the key point in all these is that they are moving toward their future: from the 1st Imam to the 3rd and onward to the Last Imam, Imam Mahdi. Their ultimate destination is the End of Time.”[1]
Source: Arba’een Walk, IRNA, News Code: 82727410, Aban 29, 1396
Source: Screenshot of video IRB Tamasha Network interview with Alexander Dugin during Arba’een Walk 2017
This past week, too, with the terror of Mr. Dugin’s daughter, which also coincides with preparations for Arba’een Walk for this year, films of Dugin’s walk and his many interviews are being broadcast again all over Iranian TV networks.
A well-known Shi’a political thinker and activist, Mr. Raefipour, explains “Dugin of Russia” and his position with respect to Shi’a Iran in very simple, yet comparatively complex, terms for his intended audience (mainly ordinary youth from all walks of life). The talk is from a few years back. I have translated a short segment of his talk (See Here) as follows:
“Mr. Putin has an advisor called Alexander Dugin. The [US] Americans call him, the Satan. This Glenn Beck made a program about him. He was saying, ‘the Satan itself, if it came to Earth, it would be this person.’ However, he [Dugin] is a very decent man. Let me tell you, he is an excellent man. He says, ‘I, I who is Eastern Orthodox,…’ he has a doctorate degree in Philosophy, ‘…as close as I see myself to Iran Shi’a Muslim, …’ please, pay attention, ‘…I do not see myself that close to that European Catholic Christians.’ Baba, you’re Christian and you should see yourself closer to those Christians. But listen, this is just like how we, the Shi’a, have seen ourselves very close to the Christians in Lebanon, and not to the Tekfiries, who are supposedly Muslims. That is, we and the Christians in Lebanon joined and formed one camp to put these Da’esh in its place. This is quite amazing.”
Just to clarify, I am pretty certain that Mr. Raefipour did not mean to equate the European Catholics to Da’esh Tekfiris. Rather, he offered that comparison to illustrate the complexity of our world today and what is really linking people together as allies. It is not what people profess as their apparent religious identities but it is in in their stance in terms of real and tangible fight against Arrogant Powers and their oppressive means.
In search of another example, I’d like to take us back to about six and half years ago. In February 2016, Dr. Dugin participated in a conference in Tehran called Ofogh Nu or New Horizon about the current affairs of the world, human destiny and role of religions in shaping the future of humanity. After the conference, he traveled to Qom and met with Ayatullah Mirbagheri, the Head of Cultural Center for Islamic Sciences in Qom and a great Shi’a scholar and thinker. That meeting had been arranged by late Mr. Talebzadeh (May God Rest his soul), as well.
Very fascinating (in my view) conversations and exchange took place between Dr. Dugin and Ayatullah Mirbagheri at that time.
Source: Raja News[2]. Left side, Mr. Talibzadeh and Dr. Dugin; Ayatullah Mirbagheri front right.
Ayatullah Mirbagheri is a very calm and soft-spoken religious scholar. He does not beat around the bush. So, right at the beginning and after a brief introduction, he went straight to the point and asked a direct question. I have translated a small segment of that fascinating meeting[2] here for you:
Ayatullah Mirbagheri: “According to Quran Verses, two movements of Wilayat exist: one is the Wilayat of God that leads from darkness to light. It is continuous and it is actualized in the Wilayat of the Prophets of God and Imams. The other one is the wilayat of arrogance and evil. This, too, is continuous and its agents and leaders lead from light to darkness.”
“Four decades ago, the polarization of the world consisted of Marxism and Capitalism in some form. With the emergence of the Islamic Revolution and the capture of the Den of Spies [a reference to the US Embassy in Tehran at the time of the Revolution] and the spread of the Revolution, the double-polarity of Islam and the West emerged. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, this bipolarity changed to Islam and Liberal Democracy. As the Islamic Revolution was soaring, lineups within the Islamic world, too, was activated: one line was the true Islam and the other line was an interpretation of Islam that is in the service of Satan and a proxy for the West, be it in the form of ruthless and aggressive violence and Tekfiri wars, or, in the form of an accommodating and compliant Islam, like the one in Turkey.”
“Now, I am not that familiar with your Eurasian thoughts. However, I know this: if your thoughts are not rooted in a true religion of God and if they do not have Godly dimensions, then, they would not be sustainable. Besides, the era of philosophical trials and errors has ended. We can no longer entrap the humanity and the societies of the world into these sorts of vague thoughts and tiring and bottomless challenges. The humanity and the global society cannot tolerate these sorts of challenges any more. The main axis around which we must line up must be that of the Prophets of God. Therefore, Mr. Dugin, I have a serious question to ask you: Does the authentic Orthodox Christianity and a truthful reading of that in the West have a determined will to approach Islam and Shi’a? Are there any signs of this happening? Or, is this rapprochement just another opportunistic means conditioned upon current political climate of the world?”
I do not believe the question could not have been any blunter. Dr. Dugin’s response was equally direct:
Dr. Dugin: “We have almost the same common view with one difference that we (the Russians) have placed at the center of this view the Holy Christian Russia. We have one common enemy not only in political and ideological dimensions but also in metaphysical dimension. We do not consider the West a competition but the Dajjal itself. This is an End of Time view and one of the signs for the End of Time. These beliefs are documented in our written records and religious documents: A face-off between the real Orthodox Christianity and the Western Liberalism, which we consider it the Final Battle.”
We’ll move forward in time. In an interview (See Here) conducted two years ago on Asr program by late Mr. Taleblebzadeh, Alexander Dugin, he was still quite open and candid and provided some backgrounds:
Dr. Dugin: “I have personally studies Shi’a and Sufism and since early 1980s and before the collapse of the Soviet Union. I noticed many commonalities between Russian ideals with the Islamic Revolution. Before 1990s and before Putin came to power, more than 30 years ago, I had this notion that we would one day and eventually collaborate with one another against the West. I had this notion even at the time when the Soviet Union was still in power. Discussing it then, however, would have been insane because at that time both the Communists and the Liberals had great powers. Still, I had full belief that one day, this Orthodox Russian Christian identity will win. I knew then that we would one day ally ourselves with Shi’a Iran. Now, I see this happening today in Syria.”
Mr. Talibzadeh: “Some are saying that the participation of Russia in this war and its presence in Syria and its war against ISIS, this is temporary. It’s a tactical move. It’s a temporary move that will end. But some also say, no, there is another culture behind this.”
Dr. Dugin: “First of all, I had predicted this cooperation, or perhaps I had accepted it as a necessity, long before. I have always been supporter of an alliance between Iran and Russia. This was purely based on my spiritual belief from mid 80s…”
Mr. Talibzadeh: Since the 80s…?!
Dr. Dugin: “Yes, I had this position quite openly. I had this conviction then and I believe in it now as well. This alliance is somewhat the spiritual destiny of our two peoples. Therefore, we must be alongside one another. Alongside each other, we must fight a common enemy. Throughout the history, it has never been like this. Historically, we were never military allies. We were sometimes each other’s enemy. The Iranians and the Russians were enemies. But from a spiritual perspective, we are very close to one another. Therefore, there must come a moment when this aspect is actualized. That moment has arrived. People used to think such an occurrence is impossible because we lacked historical and geopolitical bases for this. However, we now realize that mere historical and geopolitical connections are not sustainable and lasting. Rather, it is the spiritual connections and principles that will last. Now, we are observing this insight. And this is not just my observation. I have studied the alliance between Russia and the Shi’a. Now, this is a sort of reality. We are in Syria on each other’s side. The Russian, the Iranians, Hizbullah, and the Syrians are fighting alongside one another. We have a common enemy that is ISIS while the United States and others are supporting the ISIS and Tekfiris. In Yemen, too, we are in similar position. We both are helping the Huthies or Ansarullah in Yemen and the Shi’a in Yemen. The Iranians, the Syrians and Huzbullah, too, are doing the same. In Iraq, too, we both have similar position with respect to the Shi’a. Therefore, in the entire Islamic world, in the Middle East, it means, we, the Russians are on the side of Shi’a Front. In Bahrain, too, it is the same. This is not something that is based on tactics. It is something much deeper. Putin is a realist. He is a political pragmatist. His motivations have tangible challenges. However, in protecting Russia’s national interest, he is very solid. And Russia’s national interest is in harmony with the Shi’a’s civilizational interest. That is, it is almost identical. If he approaches things from a logical basis, then, he would act based on pure spiritual principles, in which case, it would be even more solid because it will no longer be a matter of personal taste.”
Dugin’s statements in this interview, which was two years ago, seem to exude more confidence and are more concrete. Just to illustrate a change in the quality of that confidence, I’d like to go back, once again, to the candid conversation between Dr. Dugin and Ayatullah Mirbargheri in Qom nearly seven years ago (which would be more than four years before this latter interview with Mr. Talibzadeh). I have extracted a couple of segments and translated just for comparison:
Dr. Dugin: “In the world of politics, we have two dimensions of pragmatism and strategy. In my opinion, God’s Will is actualized through these dimensions. Today, it appears we have a pragmatic alliance. Putin and Moscow might think that this alliance is more political and tactical. However, if we take a deeper look at the spiritual and metaphysical similarities hidden behind the Russian identity, and if we examine the logic behind the changes and placements within Russia after the Soviet era, we can clearly see that today or tomorrow, these pragmatic lines will deepen.”
“Nevertheless, we must remember that Russia today is in transition: a good transition that is a journey from darkness to light. But, it still harbors many shadows from the past: the shadow of anti-religion from Communism time in the educational system, a rush of liberals from within and from without that hate both Iran and Russia. These people have infiltrated into our society. But we are moving in the right direction.”
“We cannot say that our goals in Russia have been realized like what we are witnessing in Iran. We are still at war. Part of Putin supports us while his other part opposes us. ‘The supreme jihad’, the jihad within that “self” of the President of Russia, Putin, is still ongoing. From his outside and from the side of the truth and light, we are supporting him in this struggle. This is a major difference in the leadership between Iran and Russia. Just as, of course, there are also similarities between the two countries.”
In the past few days, the Iranian TV networks have had re-runs of Alexander Dugin’s interviews, his Arba’een Walk, and excerpts of his writings and books broadcast right along the news of his daughter’s assassination. For many, perhaps these small samples are sufficient to illustrate why Alexander Dugin or any of his family members would be even be a target. Others could circulate their own narratives.
At the end, perhaps, it would be befitting to remind the humanity, once again, that so long as the arrogance, aggression, and injustice exist, “Every Place is Karbala. Every Day is Ashura.” Those who can, I hope they can make it to Karbala for this year’s Arba’een Walk on September 16 and 17. You shall never be the same once you take this journey. والسلام.
References:
[1] Maghregh News, “Dugin in the Path from Najaf to Karbala: The Arba’een Walk will give rise to a new Middle East and the entire world.” Aban 19, 1396 [Nov. 10, 2017] @ 12:34 pm; News Code: 796781; Accessed online at: mshrgh.ir/796781
[2] RajaNews, “Report from Russian Thinker’s Travel to Qom: A conversation between Alexander Dugin and Ayatullah Mirbagheri.” Esfand 18, 1394 [March 8, 2016] @ 11:31 am; News Code: 236678; Accessed online at: http://rajanews.com/node/236678
Interesting, and ones heart is enchanted.
I’m as Catholic as it’s possible to be barring martyrdom , and yet , the sound of the Muslim prayers at 500 am in Bethlem tore me up. That much beauty is from God.
I am compelled to like people admire.
Arent you too?
Muslims and Christians are true brothers
Beautiful and deeply affecting writing. I admire this style of expression and it captivated me from the very first paragraph. Thank you!
If you see something say something: Tweeting this important article in the hope that a few more souls will read it, and then retweet it to draw in more souls and so on. . .
May God bless Orthodox Russia and Shia Iran and give them victory over there enemies – from a Protestant South African.
What ought to be said is that the diference in Orthodoxy and Catholicism is not of /fundamental/ beliefs. It is of interpretation and the related application of those beliefs to life.
The difference in Shia and Suni thoughts, is, again not of /fundamental/ beliefs but of their interpretation and application to other problems of life.
In this way, the easy distinction – how I see it is:
Orthodox Christians are “firm” in their fundaments, yet, they are “weak” in their interpretation. For they understand the fallibility of those interpretting.
The Catholic Christians are “weak” in their fundaments /they proclaim to have the Pope be strong there/, but they are “firm” in their interpretations as the Popes interpretations is declamed as “absolutely correct”.
This results in the Orthodox not having any “Pope” figure or even a trully herarchical structure in the Church which a Pope(-ish) figure could stand on top of. Instead they have several “Patriarchs” whose authority is, in general, earned, not formally granted.
The Catholics, to the contrary, have an almost military-like stucture of their Church where dissent is strictly weeded out at all levels and the Pope is the official “dictator for life” of this structure.
This is similar in the Muslim high-level devide. The Shia doubt anything and everything except the Qoran. And especially its interpretations. For they understand the fallibility of those interpretting.
The “Sunni” /a gross generalization, as this is more of Sunni societies of today than the belief itself/ societies on the other hand tend to transplant the “infallibility” of “The Book” onto those who interpret it. Thus giving those potentially unchecked power. Which is then used to – same as with Christians – weed out any dissent.
In this way, one can say that the divide is beween “totalitarist” societies where dissent is not allowed (Catholics, NeoLiberals, Bolsheviks, Sunni (radicals) etc.) and the “pluralist” societies where /constructive/ dissent is seen as the only way to progress for questions not asked cannot be answered.
In this way, Dugin is correct – the Russian society, which was NEVER totalitarian, even when ruled by a totalitarian government, is WAY, WAY closer to the Iranian, or more precisely, Persian, society which was also never totalitarian. And this is a fundamental commonality that transcends individual convictions and beliefs.
This commonality is what allows people to have a dialog instead of an eternal conflict for the “one right way”.
A totalitarian society, on the other hand, is inevitably dragged into a conflict for dominance as the only way a “one right belief” can be sustained by dominating all other beliefs. Or being dominated. Co-existence of beliefs being fundamentally incompatible with the “one right way” concept.
What ought to be said is that the diference in Orthodoxy and Catholicism is not of /fundamental/ beliefs.
That is absolutely FALSE!
According to Orthodox ecclesiology the Latins are heretics.
Don’t lie if you know, and don’t write if you don’t know.
I totally agree with you Andrei; This is a wonderful essay and the depth of its wisdom touches my heart. It is encouraging to read of the commitment to political education that can be found on Iranian TV.
The substantive spirituality that undergirds both great civilizations, Russia and Iran, is being cemented step by step, courtesy of the cruelty of the opposition it provokes from the empire of lies. With its targeted assassinations against those who nourish these connections the empire is educating more and more people as to the fundamental commonality that underlies the living spirit of both civilizations.
This global political conflict is revealing a dialectical quality that illustrates the core truth of this article, with what seems to be an escalating educational value. We can learn from who they target.
All that I would wish to add is that it seems clear to me that the spirituality that undergirds Chinese Civilization is, by virtue of its integrity, an easy and natural fit for an alliance in depth with the values shared by Russia and Iran.
The coming together in the area of political and economic cooperation between Russia, Iran and China shows every sign of provoking cruel hostility from the empire of lies sufficient to force a strengthening of spiritual self identity in each of these great nations, and bring that increasing spiritual awareness of the overall process to ever deeper levels of mutual support.
But understanding the depth of this deepening global dialectic would be the last thing that the Western MSM would want its captive populations to grasp. By their actions they are revealing their fear that such an awakening would truly be the “end times’ for their empire of denial.
To me it feels like the seeds of a future planetary unity are being formed inside this cauldron.
Roman Catholicism was created by the Franks in order to gain dominion over the then world. That was the purpose of adding a filioque to the creed. By adding a filioque, they lied that it was always there, although the documents of the first seven councils say otherwise. On this lie, Roman Catholicism was born. Later it was easy – crusades, pillaging of Constantinople, conquest, etc. First, the target was Byzantium (second Rome), and after its fall, Russia (third Rome).
That is exactly it, I could not have put it any better!
Andrey, I’m glad you share my opinion. Finally, I meet someone who thinks like me. Regards
Janek and Saker: The connection you make here between the Franks and Catholicism is very interesting.
Can anyone direct me to some source material that expands on your point?
Thank You.
Śnieżna Leopard here are two sources, the writings of Homiakov and Sokolov. I have more, but only in the form of paper books. Nevertheless, these two sources provide some kind of introduction to the subject.
https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Aleksej_Homyakov/polnoe-sobranie-sochinenij-tom-7/43
https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Istorija_Tserkvi/zanimatelnaja-istorija-drevnej-tserkvi-na-puti-k-raskolu/4_24
Pozdrawiam
Check the website Romanity and the writings of Father/Professor John Romanides. Gives excellent historical and theological background.
My brother is a deeply religious man. He traveled on foot visiting holy places. In Switzerland, he was questioned in the Holy Land through Turkey, Syria and Lebanon with a cross around his neck, and nothing bad happened to him from the Muslims. I will tell you more, when he was distributing the tent by the road, they would come to him and invite him to their homes to stay overnight. Islam is actually different in reality and different in Western media, where it is portrayed as evil, although it is not.
For 1000 years the Crusaders have tried to destroy us, and now they cannot, so they lie and say that we are one and the same.
It’s not unlike an abusive husband beating the crap out of his wife and then bringing her flowers :-)
I can only repeat the words of Roger Waters: “did they expect us to treat them with any respect???”
It is the same in terms of basic differences in Shi’a and Sunni beliefs as well. The differences are absolutely fundamental and they go back deep in basic interpretations about the concept of the God himself and the Prophets(specially Prophet Mohammad). The Sunnis believe in Gharaniq(idols)’s legend which claims that Prophet Mohammad once wanted to worship the idols and the God didnt allow him to do so. This means they(the Sunnis) dont believe in Prophet Mohammad’s infallibility and in Shi’e beliefs this is a sinful idea which leads to denying the God himself.
Orthodox are not the only ones to have Patriarchs. Catholics had them too. There were and still are, Five Patriarchs, one of which was of Rome. He was accorded “First Among Equal status “ by the other 4 patriarchs simply because Rome was the centre of the Earth at the time of Christ, at least in the minds of the people of Europe and the Middle East in Christ’s time. The title of the Patriarch of Rome, in time came to be just… “The Pope” as he is called today.
There was only One Church then , and it split for various reasons including differences in interpretation. Rome was invaded by Barbarians in 450 AD and was thus coopted by the invaders ie becoming the Germanic Holy Roman Empire of Charlemagne and Otto as the invaders were Germanic ie Goths,Lombards and Burgundians etc. These people were Romanised and Italianised but it was still too late. The sole ecclesiastical and political ownership of Italy and the West was still Constantinople’s as Italy was occupied territory. The Byzantines and Greeks to this day have long memories.
Ecclesiastical control was still acknowledged by even Charlemagne or Otto, who wanted to be crowned leader of the West, by the Byzantines They refused for obvious reasons , so he had Patriarch of Rome of the time crown him Emperor. So small differences in interpretation and political motives made the West Romans and Byzantines have diverging Christianities . Just as Anglicanism really came out of Henry VIII wanting a new wife! It is still mostly Catholic even though it is considered part of Protestantism.
So the Great Schism came on ,and the details are manifold and will not be mentioned by me here today.
What makes the Pope galling to the Orthodox is that he says he is infallible. Guess what? This only happened in the late 1800s! Even then many Catholics saw that as a heresy and broke off from Roman Catholicism . So even Catholics like the Orthodox saw ANY man claim to be infallible was a heresy ,sinful and wrong at least till the late 1800s.
So to religious Orthodox ,Protestant and even Remainder Catholics , the Pope and Roman Catholicism is a heresy . I have not even detailed or emphasised the political and geopolitical aspects that brought on the Western Crusades that preyed on their own coreligionists in the East. Now that galls me!
Thank you Mansoureh Tajik, for the fascinating article.
No words can describe the pain felt by Alexander Dugin when he witnessed the death of his daughter, in such a heinous terrorist attack.
Obrigado por este artigo. Que Deus o Todo Compassivo receba a alma de sua filha Daria como uma Mártir pela causa da verdadeira União Humana que supera qualquer questão de nacionalidade, crença ou identidade. Agradeço pela sua boa vontade e pela tradução destes trechos luminosos de consversas entre grandes homens, pensadores de verdade, que realmente vivem o que pensam e fazem o que aconselham.
Deus ilumine este portal e permita que o máximo de pessoas tenha acesso a estes conteudos dignos e brilhantes de homens como você Tajik, Andrei Raevsky, A. Dugin, Nader Talebzadeh (que Deus o tenha em um bom lugar). AMÉM.
Thank you, Mansoureh! Very enlightening and thought-provoking.
Good. Thank you. Many thanks for this article. It is wonderful to hear of some of the good that Dugin has done.
I have appreciated the voices lately showing us the LACK of influence that Dugin held with the Kremlin and with Russia’s policy. But I have not enjoyed seeing some people assume from this that Dugin’s thinking has been second-rate.
I have always liked Dugin’s writings, such as I have read. I have not always agreed with his points. But I’ve always admired his mind.
As these few samples here in this retrospective show us, Dugin has that quality of mind able to see a thing newly arisen on the ground and to understand it in real time, and to recast it into a larger picture.
One may not always agree with the picture that a large mind draws, but I personally have to admire the mind that is large. And Dugin has such a mind. They are quite few in this world.
Many condolences for his daughter’s tragic demise.
Perplexed me for a few decades as to why Russia & Iran were not soul mates, having schooled, befriended, worked closely with many Iranians & Russians throughout this period.
Wasn’t it that Russia still paid Ukrainian financial obligations after the fall of the Soviet Union? Is it not so that friends of Russia are inclined to receive favourable terms and conditions in business transactions? Is it not so that Iran, even in times of the worst illegal western sanctions, would provide economic & cultural support to Shia & Shia friendly communities outside of Iran?
Words are words but actions are actions and extending a helping hand to those who respect you, require your support in a difficult period, is Godliness IMO.
Something you’ll never find in the West. If you require a Bailout it’ll cost you your Sovereignty. (see Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Romania, Japan . . . . . . . )
I am moved by any sign of deep respect and the acknowledgment of genuine spirituality in a different religious tradition. O know very little of Dugin and intend to know more because of this quality. I lived 7 years of my early adult life in a christian commune with roots in pacifist protestantism( Hutterians, Quakers, Mennonites). We perceived ourselves and these other traditions to be returning to the roots of early christian communities who shared all things in common as in the book of Acts. The problem was the tendency toward self-righteousness and the tendency of leaders to a narrow formulaic rather than loving means of interpreting scripture and of exercising authority rather than leading by example and persuasion. Obviously these tendencies plague every body of believers and every political movement. The joy shared in worship and working together and serving homeless and transient people held us together for many years, but too much unrest was supressed and the whole(at one point 120 people) could not hold.
In the aftermath I continued a process begun earlier of reading about church history and the history of the bible though I admit I did not look deeply into orthodox christianity partly because I was no fan of the czarist history of Russia and the following era of Stalinist purges. I began to see all creedal orthodoxies as dangerous and much of a piece with white supremacy, colonialism and the global assault on tribal peoples. I also understand that they can also provide practices that direct the heart to god and give we frail humans a framework for a good life.
I realized I did not particularly love the Yaweh of the Bible, or the Christ of the crusaders and conquering kings of Europe, but the healing prophet who taught his disciples to feed the multitudes and each other and bring healing and brotherly/sisterly love wherever they went. At this point I have no creed but cannot stop trying to follow the example of Jesus which I see through a glass darkly and which I see when humans resist violence and domination by rich lying scoundrels, and when we cross boundaries to find friendship and spirit among those with different ways and beliefs and when we are honest in our dealings and loving with all. As an old man I am little further along in this path than I was as a young man, oh mercy.
” I began to see all creedal orthodoxies as dangerous and much of a piece with white supremacy, colonialism and the global assault on tribal peoples.”
With these words you describe Protestantism, not Orthodox Christianity. Look at the attitude of Russians towards the peoples of Siberia. They all survived. Look at the attitude of American Protestants to the Indians of North America. All indigenous peoples relegated to reservations.
You may well be historically correct Janek, and you are certainly right about the violence of Protestan Christians though Catholic history seems every bit as bad. I mentioned above that I never really read into or tried to understand Orthodox Christianity. My only look into a Russian religious thinker was Leo Tolstoy’s arguments for a non-violent Christianity. I have also read several of the other great Russian writers and the anarchist thinker Peter Kropotkin One can only process so many ideas and so much information and still do what one has to do( In my case teach art and restore and create stained glass windows and raise 3 children with my wife).
The current situation with Russia and Ukraine has shaken my world view along with Putin’s years of leadership to make his country independent of the anglo colonialist empire, an admiration for which I am reviled among some of my literary friends. I have been antiwar for years and a practicing quaker. And while I am not, as a practical human, opposed to self defense and even genuine national self defense, my spiritual inclination and my personal stance is that only a nonviolent faith can transform the world and initiate the kingdom of God ( though both kingdom and God are terms I see metaphorically, but representing a very real spiritual reality). The situation in Ukraine has for me blurred the lines and I have moved against the enormous social pressure in the US where the large majority blame Russia and make out Ukraine as the innocent victim , while I have come to see the situation with all my primary sympathy toward Russia and that has only been furthered by the restraints of the Russian army. So I wanted better information on the whole topic and ended up here following The Saker despite some reservations. I really admire the dedication to accurate information here.
Part of what I realize as I read the comments is that I want is to talk with anti-imperialists with a strong spiritual base, because this is relatively rare and it is who I am in my own way. This article, with its’ emphasis on shared spiritual values across religious and national boundaries really opened my heart and that is where I am coming from. It helps that the Sufi branch of Shia Islam is included since I have drawn great inspiration there. So thanks for responding and I am definitely taking your thoughts into consideration and am interested in learning more about Russian Orthodox faith and the writings of Dugin.
A read that leaves me speechless. Thank you. I wish there was a way to make them pay for this one. This was an act of horror, on Russian land. Here in the US they murdered Anne Heche and Congresswoman Jackie Walorski for their activities attempting to stem human sexual trafficking in the US. E. Michael Jones wrote a convincing and depressing explanation over at Unz today how DARPA/CIA steers the cars of their enemies into fatal crashes. God bless Dr. Dugin and his departed daughter.
I just wonder as most Western Christians, including even the Church of the British Monarch, have no idea about the Great Schism of around 1100AD, and the previous ruptures building up to that.
Europe went through a 30 years war (really 100 years) pinned on heretics, solved the crisis, has experience of what religious war means.
The Treaty of Westphalia, 1648, has such a simple solution, it took a genius to discover it – Do for the Good of the Other. This is inscribed on the NY UN entrance.
The Other today includes Confucianism, Islam, not simply Christian factions.
I do believe no faction mentioned can disagree with that Treaty! The imperial faction would relish more religious wars.
Hello everyone,
My condolences to Darya’s father and the courageous people of Russia. May her soul rest in peace.🌷
I cannot think of a better way to remember and honor Darya and what she articulated than disseminating precisely the type of information that Mansurah Tajik has provided us. Needless to say, much more needs to be done in this field.
Darya and her father propagated the preservation of ‘tradition’, be it that of Orthodox Christianity or other authentic traditions vis-a-vis nihilstic Western secular liberalism.
Obviously, this is a vast subject that I cannot address in this setting. However, I would like to provide the interested reader an excellent book reference regarding ‘tradition’ as understood by the contemporary perennialist philosopher S.H.Nasr. The book is very readable and is available online or at your local library.
Knowledge and the Sacred
S.H. Nasr
Okay, Dugin’s attending the Arba’een walk and having warm relations with Iran may have been what put him in the crosshairs of the Ukrainian terrorists who, like ISIS, are ultimately tools of Zionism, whether they know it or not.
Would Iran have a problem with the United States if it wasn’t ardently Zionist — which also applied to Trump, by the way? I don’t really think so.
“Just to clarify, I am pretty certain that Mr. Raefipour did not mean to equate the European Catholics to Da’esh Tekfiris. Rather, he offered that comparison to illustrate the complexity of our world today and what is really linking people together as allies.”
The vast majority of European Catholics had their brains turned to mush by the revolutionary Second Vatican Council, which turned the Catholic Church into a judaized Protestant sect. The “reform” of the Mass was almost exactly the same as that of the Anglican liturgy 400 years prior. And all traditional Catholics that I know (the equivalent of Russia’s Old Belivers, rejecting the Council and seeing it as heretical) are not just neutral in the Ukraine conflict but are pro-Russia.