Aladib Albishawari and the Theme of WWI in his Arabic Poetry

Abstract

WI was met with different reactions among intellectual, cultural and political factions in Iran and this was reflected significantly in Iranian literature especially poetry. Among the poets of this period Sayyed Ahmed Ibn Shahab Aldin Radawi, known as Aladib Albishawari, has paid the most attention to this war. In the present study, we examine the theme of WWI in his Arabic poetry and its consequences for Iran in particular and the East and Islam in general. The most important results of this study are the following: even though Ottoman forces which were allied with Germany occupied Iran and Aladib Albishawari was a supporter of Germany at that time; he has made no mention of this fact in his Arabic poetry and only mentions the occupation of Iran by Russia and England. In an ode, in which he has cursed al-Akhund al-Khorasani, he has mentioned the chaotic atmosphere of Iran during WWI; as if he wants to convey that if it was not for his support of the Constitutional Revolution, there would not be this much chaos in Iran.