Pain has been a part of the human race for as long as human interaction has existed, whether we are the torturers or it is inflicted upon us . It seems that power and competition is something innate to the mind, and this power is what drives us to want to inflict such pain. For the common people and their everyday lives, the pain is not so extreme, but on the international, religious and cultural level, pain will equate to torture. And torture is not humane.
I was shocked to learn that such a civilized country, the United States, held a prison camp in Guantanamo Bay. Rachmawi's presentation made me aware that prisoners in Guantanamo Bay detention camp are often of Islamic backgrounds, who are suspected terrorists, and they undoubtedly "received similar tortures like the [torture we read about] in Persepolis" (Rachmawi). In Iran, torture involved excruciating physical pain, and some prisoners were ultimately cut into several pieces (Satrapi 51). When I think about how the United States' torture, which goes as far as only allowing religious prisoners to pray in cages, while soldiers kick them in the back, I start doubting how far we come from history and how much we really learn. It's extremely comforting to know that our new President, Barack Obama is planning to close Guantanamo Bay and to restore morale and cease ignorance of human rights laws (Rachmawi).
I agree with Melisa when she says that Marjane Satrapi wrote Persepolis to create awareness , and so that we do not repeat history. However, the world and its people of every ethnicity...all of humanity still has a long way to go and huge opportunites to improve.
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