Zarathustra, The Nude Sculpture: How Should Parsis React?

That's a small weenie for a big guy like that

Incidentally, if the sculpture is inspired by Nietsche, why call for a Parsi Jihad? Nietsche had a vision of uber-mensch or Supermen, and evidently the sculptor is trying to portray that vision - that has nothing to do with Zarathustra.

In other news, one recalls last year's icecream jihad:

THE fast-food chain, Burger King, is withdrawing its ice-cream cones after the lid of the dessert offended a Muslim.

The man claimed the design resembled the Arabic inscription for Allah, and branded it sacrilegious, threatening a "jihad".
...
He was not satisfied by the decision to withdraw the cones and has called on Muslims to boycott Burger King. He said: "This is my jihad. How can you say it is a spinning swirl? If you spin it one way to the right you are offending Muslims."

ArZan, I went to your blog-site and found out that upon being faced with protests from the Parsi community in Australia, the artist removed the name Zarathustra from the sculpture and all references to the name Zarathustra in connection with it. This was very pleasing to read. The man showed a sence of decency not often found in ego-driven artists.

Now, I have a question for you, if you'd be kind enough to educate me. You write that your faith is the world's oldest monotheistic religion. Could you provide dates for Zoroaster's writings or, in the alternative, dates for when the practices and beleifs he fostered in Persia went into effect?

If you choose to use the calendar that you use for your own faith in our explanation, that would be educational, and highly interesting to me as well, if you could provide some way to correlate it to the Hebrew luni-solar calendar or to the Gregorian solar calendar that originated in Egypt.

I never forget that the Persians in ancient times were friends to our people, and that it was Koresh, a Persian emperor known to westerners as Cyrus, who was referred to as "anointed" (messiah) in the Hebrew Bible. Also, unknown to many, fellow Jews included, the last independednt Judean state (prior to the present one) existed under the protection of the Parthians, who warred with the Romans over control of the Middle East. The ruler of that state was called Heftzíba.

Aaman and Ruvy

Thanks for your comments.

Ruvy, the wikipedia article on Zarathustra has a lot of interesting information that would answer your questions.

Here it is

I agreed to the McClelland Galleries request to erase the name "Zarathustra" from my sculpture mainly because I was concerned that the furore that erupted might reflect badly upon the very gracious Lady who commissioned the work. As well the degree of anger directed at me and the McClelland Gallery was such that it became a security issue. The McClelland Gallery was adamant that I should change the name. This has compromised the meaning of my sculpture. However since this has occurred I am receiving increasing numbers of emails from Zoroastrians asking me to reinstate the original name. In my eyes "he" is still Zarathustra. I would appreciate feedback on this matter.

Art is born to be free, and if you were inspired by Nietsche's 'Superman', the name makes sense.

We would appreciate your insights into this and other matters of art. If you would like to write for us or our parent site, Blogcritics.org, please email me - see here for details

Regarding my sculpture that I called "Zarathustra" he came from my DNA from the depths of experience that is coded into the very design that determines our humanness. I do not believe a concept, an idea or for that matter revelations can be owned exclusively by one group of people at the exclusion of others. I think unconsciously that I had an inkling that I was entering unknown territory, but to be an Artist is to be a risk taker....

An idea is tested by exposure to the world, like seeds scattered on the land, some will be trampled upon, others will be watered and flourish, others will have to wait to germinate.

Our times would benefit by asking itself, how come Nietzsche titled his book "Thus Spake Zarathustra"? Nietzsche had an instinct for the evolution of ethical and religious thought and the ramifications of it through time. He was a great thinker saluting another.

It took me a year and a half to model the clay sculpture, time to think about many things. But it was a slow process, much of my thoughts and study was about trying to make a good representation of the human figure on a scale I had never attempted before!

Nonetheless as this large figure grew I saw him more and more as embodying the "Prophetic Voice" Sometimes I imagined him as the young "Zarathustra" from an ancient land, standing before time and before all of creation, powerful yet vulnerable, in this beautiful mystery that we experience as life.

I wonder why I did not consult with Zoroastrians beforehand, perhaps because I didn't know any [well at least that's changed] well from my communication with many "Z" people it is very obvious that there is a great debate burning within the Zoroastrian Community itself, and there is a tremendous divergence of opinion regarding the interpretation of the teachings of Zarathustra, this is very much a matter for the Zoroastrian Community but it is also for the whole world! I came to this as an Artist from the western world [and precarious as it is at the moment] the idea of freedom of expression has proved itself as essential to the advancement of the human animal. My sculpture was made with a certain identity it cannot be erased. His identity has been obscured by narrow thinking for the time being. I will even be so bold as to say "He" will be resurrected.

I say this because as well as receiving hundreds of emails from people who were enraged by my sculpture I also received hundreds of emails from Zoroastrians who were really intrigued, interested and supportive that someone from Australia would even think to make a sculpture with a Zarathustrian connection. Western culture celebrates the Ancient Greeks and their achievements, but who was living right next door across the Bosporus? I started with Nietzsche, and his meditation on the spiritual odyssey of the west whose beginnings can be traced back through time to Zarathustra. Calling my sculpture "Zarathustra" telescopes you to the historical origins of what defines our humanness. My sculptures feet and legs are rooted in the earth, [however the right foot is slightly raised] yet the head is upturned indicating a yearning to join with a metaphysical dimension - the profound desire to comprehend existence. My figure could only be nude, the body is the "spirit" clothed by flesh, creation conscious of itself, the moment between being and becoming. Call me crazy but in my mind he is the greater potential, the "Zarathustra" in all of us!