Shappi Khorsandi at the Edinburgh Fringe

Last night I saw live (for the first time) the Iranian born stand up comedian Shappi Khorsandi. The performance was sold out. It was a very much a “political” show but also featured her recent experience of marital breakup and divorce. Which I think the audience generally found uncomfortable at times and they much preferred the stories of casual racism and middle class ignorance that Shappi has come across in her life.

Shappi's family had to flee Iran because her father, an respected Iranian poet, was accused by the regime of being “an enemy of Islam”. On one level it is deeply ironic that Iran the cradle and birthplace of civilisation is now run by a despotic government of ignoramuses.

I am reliably informed by Wikipedia that she is a Labour Party supporter.

The show was very, very funny. Some things didn’t quite “work out on the night” but we are all spoilt by flawless TV editing and for over an hour she had the audience eating out of her hand.

Picture is a screenshot of her festival web page since I asked beforehand if I could take photos and was told “no” by a member of the stage crew. Sitting in the front row was probably a bit of a mistake since Shappi asked that the hapless would-be-photographer identify himself - and she of course immediately started to gently embarrass me.

Equally be aware if you are intending to go and see her and you are a single male with a symmetrically face:)

Five Years of War in Iraq.

It has been five years since the start of the Iraq war and it is a sad anniversary to say the least.

The length of this war shows us that war only causes more violence, hatred and mistrust. There are very few wars that have done much good, the only one that I can think of would be World War II. However, even that war caused much unnecessary suffering and death such as the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or the bombing of Dresden.

I firmly believe that it would have been enough to tell the Japanese that America had such a bomb of mass destruction to get them to surrender. I think another option would have been to simply set the bomb off way out in the ocean where no one would have been killed but the large explosion could be seen and be convincing enough to bring about a Japanese surrender.

Even in the midst of the war in Iraq there are those who would start another one with Iran. I believe firmly that we can settle disputes with the Persian country if we engage in meaningful and in-depth dialog with them. In not talking with them America is increasing the tension and distrust between the two countries.

The Iranians do not want to suffer just as everyone does not want to suffer. It is vital that the world understands that we are interconnected and that we cannot over-come our suffering and fears by creating suffering and fear for others.

The culture of war may never cease while humans live on this planet but if there must be war may there be as little death, injury and suffering as possible.

May Iraq know lasting peace by this time next year.

~Peace to all beings~