As one goes through the educational system, he is ceaselessly bombarded with information- from literature, to science, and everything else in between- a student is given a comprehensive education on where we are and how we got here, yet (as it seems), not where we are going. In light of my recent discovery of The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), I have become increasingly alarmed (dare I say appalled) by society’s inability to use the past as a heuristic tool for the future.

ISIS is a Sunni militant group, which is believed to be behind the massive killings in their region, Iraq and Syria. ISIS is simply the result of an Islamic Revolution- a revolution that our history has seen before.

Marjane Satrapi’s, Persepolis, is an autographic that depicts the life of a young girl before, during, and after the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Before I started reading Persepolis, I had no knowledge of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. I knew that there was a changing of the guards if you will; and that Persia, which was said to be today’s United Arab Emirates (UAE), lost its identity along with its cachet. Be that as it may, Persepolis is more than just a graphic novel- it is a piece of history. Marjane Satrapi is the orchestrator- the guide- that takes me on a journey through a time period in which I did not live, a culture that is not my own, and a revolution that I had no prior knowledge of. She enlightens me on her history, while enabling me to use her story as guidance later in life.

{Disclaimer: I have not finished the book}

Forty years after the Islamic Revolution in Iran, it seems that we have taken history for granted, as we are stricken with another plague-like revolution.  It is easy for one to draw parallels from these two despicable moments in time. The promise that the young children in Persepolis were given- dying for a cause will ultimately give you the key to heaven- is akin to the promise ISIS jihadists are given. Except, not only are they told will be rewarded with same key after their martyrdom is completed, upon their arrival to heaven, they will be graced with the presence of 1,000 virgins to do with as they choose.

The trite axiom- history repeats itself- should not be applicable to today’s world. If our species ever wants to maximize it’s potential, we must see life as linear- a continuous pursuit for a better tomorrow. But, as of today, the world we live in is lived in a cyclical fashion. We are still making the same mistakes that are illustrated in textbooks; and that is utterly appalling. Yes, I know, I am just another overly optimistic (some would even say naïve) opinionated, first-year student. Nonetheless, I am a believer in humanity and know that we can be better. As UBC would say- Tuum Est- its yours, I would say its ours. Its our choice to decide our fate- a fate that can be easily determined with the use of our past as a heuristic tool that helps us understand our future.